Sofia Ivanova 15, female from Kharkiv

Hi there, my name is Sofia! I’m an energetic girl, and for 15 years now, I’ve been brightening the world with my existence.

I live in Ukraine, in the Kharkiv region, Derhachi district, in the village of Bezruki. Why so specific? Because I want to and I can.

Since childhood, I’ve been passionate about drawing. I’m a portrait artist and love creating my own characters.

I have a very unique and rare hobby—I’m a gemstone collector! I have a small collection of raw stones and a larger one of jewelry pieces. My favorite gemstones are morion, kunzite, cinnabar, watermelon quartz, pink aura quartz, aventurine, and moonstone.

What if I told you—I’m a writer? A beginner, of course, but being a writer is still a fact! I even have a pen name—Charlotte Count.

I once tried to write a book but realized that such a complex plot and large-scale project was too challenging for a first attempt. So, I put it on hold for better times and started working on a collection of short stories instead.

I’m an only child in my family. My family includes my dad, mom, two cats (Busia and Boltik), a shepherd dog (Gerda), and, of course, me.

The war has deeply affected me since I live just 17 kilometers (about 10 miles) from the nearest border with Russia. I’ve seen it all—shelling, explosions, deaths, destroyed and burned buildings. Parts of our village were literally burned down by phosphorus shelling.

One spring day, I was walking with a friend in a park in the center of Kharkiv. We had no idea that shelling was about to start. There were two explosions, and we fell to the ground. People screamed and ran out of the park. We didn’t know what to do—run or wait.

We were defenseless, and the explosions came closer and closer. Near the park, there was an underground café. We couldn’t think of anything better than to run there.

It turned out that the missiles had hit another park across the street—Central Park. After that, I couldn’t even step outside for two weeks and was terrified of air raid sirens.

At the start of the war, things were the hardest. Sometimes, cluster mines would land on the street where I live. There was an occupation, and we had to sleep in the cellar on potato crates because it wasn’t safe in the house.

Despite all this, I stay active. I attend online school and IT Step Computer Academy, and I participate in the ENGin program, where I met my friend Lillian. She’s an American volunteer from Texas.

I guess that’s all. Sorry if it’s a bit too much. See you!