Shevchenko Family
About Us:
We are the Shevchenko family - Alexander, Victoria, 8 yo son and 4 yo daughter.
We have left Ukraine and are currently in Bulgaria waiting for Alexander’s leg to heal before coming to Australia
Alexander (Dad) was able to leave Ukraine only because his leg was broken in 3 places a few days before the war began and he is not fit to fight.
Our Story:
My name is Sasha (Alexander), I’m married, and we have two wonderful children. Until 24th of February we lived a normal life, like any ordinary working family. We were building a house, travelling to go to holidays, children went to school and kinder. I’m a sailor and my wife is an economist, but she worked as a make-up artist. On 20th of February, I broke my leg because of an accident and ended up in the hospital. On 22nd of February I had an operation, and rods and metalwork was installed into the leg.
On the 24th of February our life changed radically - Putler (Putin) had come!
In the morning, in a hospital bed I woke up from explosions outside. There was a military base several kilometres from the station which was bombed. I left the hospital before I had a chance to finish my treatment to be with my family in this awful time. I was asking my wife to leave Ukraine, but she didn’t want to leave without me, because I needed to be looked after, have wounds dressings changed and post surgery care. She refused to talk about leaving Ukraine.
On 1st of March the wound started to get better, the scar started to heal and I was feeling much better.
On 2nd of March, we made a decision and left towards the border with Moldova. The traffic jams on the road were kilometres long, for a week people were trying to escape leaving behind their houses, belongings, businesses, work.
After many delays, and waiting in traffic jams for over 20 hours we made it to a ferry passageway near Moldova called Djurjuleshta that would get us to Romania. In eight hours we only travelled for 350km, but made it to the border. It only had twenty cars. I asked to go to the front of the queue to find out if I will be allowed to leave because my age falls within (18 to 60) military duty age and men within this age group are not allowed to leave Ukraine. It turned out I was right, and the customs officers wouldn’t let me through without a military exemption certificate. They told me it would be better for me not to have a leg at all, then this broken leg to my absolute shock.
I do not want to describe for too long the river of tears from my wife and children when they found out I cannot go any further with them. I got into a car going back to Odessa from Djurdjuleshta. My wife and children joined the group of cars leaving Ukraine and got into a queue that lasted ten hours and three international borders block posts Ukraine, Moldova and Romania.
For ten hours they stood in a traffic jam on the border of Ukraine giving way to the buses with refugees, children and elderly people. They reached Romania well into the night where volunteers helped them with food and a space to sleep. After spending one night in the hotel, my wife and several other women travelled to the South of Romania to stay in free (as we were told at that time) apartments in a tourist city of Konsteneshti that was quite empty of tourists due to the low season.
After saying goodbye to my family I went back to Odessa (350 kms). In the morning, next day I went straight to the military institution to get the military exemption certificate, but nobody was letting me in because they were more interested in healthy people who could serve in the army and nobody was interested in seeing someone hobbling in on crutches. Eventually, one of the officers agreed to talk to me and gave me a military exemption document “white ticket” due to the fact that the metal rods in my leg will only be removed in a year’s time and I’m not fit for military duty and never served in the army before.
On 4th of March I travelled to the ferry point to cross the border again, the journey took more than four hours and there were many traffic jams with buses and cars and I decided to walk as there were less people on foot. After checking and rechecking my documents I was allowed to go through the customs point to the other side.
I was travelling with a backpack that had all my maritime documents and some personal belongings and a small suitcase with children’s items and shoes. The ferry wasn’t designed for passengers and some volunteers let me sit in their van on the ferry. After we crossed Dunai river we were welcomed very warmly on the Romanian side, there were many volunteers and journalists. I had special attention due to my crutches and many journalists wanted to interview me, but once they realised my injury was not related to war they quickly lost interest. I’m very grateful to volunteers, they are doing such an incredible job. They immediately offered me a wheelchair that I wanted to refuse, but they insisted I needed it and helped me to carry all my belongings and found transport to get me to the next point.
On the 9-10th of March I found a doctor in the next town and he removed the stitches and provided special medical boot for my leg, he was also a refugee in the past and provided a service for free even though he worked in private practice.
At the moment we are in Bulgaria. My sister and her children arrived here as well. I would like for my leg to heal as best as possible for when I move to Australia, I can start walking on my leg from 20th of May. I’m really keen to start working again, getting my maritime documents in order, so I can contribute and work and not be a couch potato.
Alexander Shevchenko