A Masterclass in Resilience from a Ukrainian Teacher

Next time you find yourself having a proper moan because the barista used the wrong oat milk, your Amazon parcel is a day late, or your train was delayed, I’d like you to stop, take a breath, and think about Olga.

Olga is a Ukrainian language and literature teacher, which means she has spent 43 years dealing with teenagers. Naturally, her tolerance for absolute nonsense was already at an Olympian level. But in February 2022, her patience was tested by something slightly worse than a student forgetting their homework: a full-scale military invasion.

While we were complaining about the rising cost of energy bills, Olia and her family – including her ten-year-old granddaughter – spent 15 days huddled in a cramped, freezing cellar in Hostomel. Outside, the Russian army was aggressively redecorating her neighbourhood with artillery fire and casually breaking down doors with sledgehammers.

Eventually, Olia’s impromptu subterranean adventure came to an end when she and her neighbours were marched out of their homes at gunpoint. Just to add a sprinkle of cinematic terror to the morning commute, they were escorted out under the watchful eye of a sniper.

What followed was a 5km stroll to safety through an active combat zone and minefields, passing crushed civilian cars along the way. They walked until the blisters on her granddaughters feet were so severe that her boots were literally squelching with blood.

Now, how does one process this level of harrowing, life-altering trauma? By modern Western standards, this calls for a decade of intensive therapy, three wellness retreats, and a GoFundMe.

Olga, however, took a slightly different approach. She found a kind stranger who gave her a bowl of hot soup, sat down, and promptly wrote a children’s book titled Bread, Honey and Good Deeds. She then went straight back to teaching. Her 10-year-old granddaughter, meanwhile, chose to process her trauma through the medium of theatre – specifically, by starring in a play where she gets to aggressively scream at Russians.

Because let’s be entirely honest with ourselves: if you’ve survived over four decades of the education system, a Russian invasion is basically just a minor administrative inconvenience.

If you feel like gaining some much-needed perspective on your incredibly mild daily struggles, Olia’s full story is featured in the latest episode of the Inside Ukraine podcast.

It explores the raw, unfiltered realities of the people keeping the country running behind the headlines. Go have a listen. It might just cure you of the urge to complain about the weather for at least a week.

Listen to the full episode of Inside Ukraine here.