Vladyslav Savenkov 15, male from Luhansk

Hello! My name is Vladyslav, I’m 15 years old and in the 10th grade. I’m from Lysychansk in the Luhansk region, but now my family and I live in a small village in the Dnipropetrovsk region because our hometown is under occupation.

I’ve always loved learning and try to find something interesting in every subject, though my favorites are science, history, and foreign languages. After my school was destroyed by Russian shelling, I switched to online learning. I enjoy it overall, but I miss live interaction with my teachers and classmates, who are now scattered across Ukraine and abroad.

I don’t have many friends, but those I do have are wonderful people. My best friend, Kate, shares my love for science and art. In my free time, I read, watch historical and science documentaries, and chat online—sometimes even with people from other countries who are also into alternative history and mapping. I enjoy cycling and working out. Before the war, I practiced aikido and hope to return to it someday.

My parents—my dad is a pediatrician, and my mom is a foreign language teacher—are not only my role models but also my friends. We had to leave Lysychansk with our two dogs and four cats, because to us, they’re part of the family. That’s why we moved to a rural area—it was the only option where we could all stay together.

Lysychansk is an old industrial city rich in history and architecture. It was once a thriving place with beautiful Belgian-style buildings, including my school—before it was destroyed by a missile. When the war reached us, life changed overnight. I saw fear in people’s eyes, long lines at shops, no transport, and military vehicles on the streets. Eventually, the city emptied. At night, we listened to the terrifying sound of shelling and counted the seconds between launch and impact to judge how close the danger was.

We held on as long as we could, but it became too dangerous to stay. We boarded up our windows, hoped for the best, and finally left everything behind—our home, our memories, and generations of family history. But we left together, and that’s what matters most.

I dream of peace returning to Ukraine. I believe one day we’ll rebuild our city, and life will come back to its streets.