Arina Horina 14, female from Kherson

I’m Arisha, I’m 14 and I’m studying in 8th grade. I am from Kherson in the south of Ukraine, but now I live in Kyiv. I have a full family. I have an older brother, Gleb. He’s 17, he’s studying at high school. I have 2 cats, Charly and Fifa, and a hamster, Pufa. My mom is Ruslana, she works as an accountant, and my dad is Oleg, he works as a truck driver.

My favorite subjects are maths, biology, and literature. Additionally, I study English and ballet. I’m interested in Japan and I’m trying to learn Japanese on my own. And I actually want to explore the USA with their customs and culture. I want to see the architecture, museums, skyscrapers, and cozy American houses. I also want to make friends with Americans, to see their ordinary life and practice my English.

I’m very short on time, but I like to read and draw. I also study music, but because of the war, I had to quit music school. Now I try to continue playing the piano on my own. I have 2 besties with whom I like to spend time.

During the war, Kherson was under Russian occupation. It was very scary. We hid in the basement from military strikes and shelling. After the liberation, we had to temporarily leave Kherson for Kyiv because it became very dangerous. Every day—it’s fear and trial. There are destructions, many casualties, and dead. My Kherson is now like an apocalypse. There are very few people left in the city because it’s impossible to live there. I’m very scared for my life, my loved ones, and Ukraine as a whole. The scariest thing is at night when you wake up from sirens and explosions and you have little time to gather in shelters.

War is the destruction of my people and the country as a whole. It’s suffering, the unknown of the next day, pain, and injustice. But there is hope. I wish this damn war would end sooner. I’m glad to have this opportunity to visit an American family and take a break from the war, thanks to the program “To Ukraine with Love Foundation.”