Darina Bezruk 14, female from Kharkiv

Hello! I’m Darina Bezruk, a ninth-grader, and I’m fourteen years old. I’ve been painting for a long time, mainly drawing portraits with pencils and on a tablet. Cooking is also a big passion of mine—I love making desserts, soups, salads, sides, and meat dishes. Sometimes, I even create my own recipes! I used to dance in a modern style, but now I work out at home because I love sports. I also enjoy creating jewelry and plan to start sewing clothes, as I want to become a clothing designer.

I have an older brother, Oleksandr, who is 31 and lives separately but visits often. He likes working with cars, other vehicles, and fishing, and sometimes he takes me along. I also have two cousins: Alina, who is 24 and lives in Germany, and Maria, who is 13. Maria and I are very close; we both love art and often take classes together.

My parents are Natalia and Volodymyr. My father has been away for some time, as he is currently fighting, but he’s okay. My mother is a manager in the electricity sector and enjoys sports and crafting. Our family is very creative! We have a dog named Mykhailo and a rat named Simon, both of whom are friendly and well-mannered.

We love spending time together, whether it’s going into town or enjoying nature. We used to provide humanitarian aid and helped over 600 people. We continue to support civilians and soldiers whenever possible.

We live in the Kharkiv region, near the border. Our town is under shelling, but my loved ones are safe. We all hope for peace soon.