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SAFE AT LAST
From war torn Ukraine to the colourful playground of Legoland – meet the brave orphans who have made UK their new home
PROUDLY dressed in the green shirts of their adopted football club, the Ukrainian orphans are easy to spot in the crowd.
And it’s a good thing too because as soon as the 56 youngsters arrive at Legoland, they excitedly dart off in all directions.
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The group have been living in the UK after leaving war-torn Ukraine in a rescue mission organised by an Edinburgh-based charity.
The orphans and their legal guardians, who have been staying in Scotland for the past four months, are on a sightseeing tour of Britain.
After hearing of their plight, Legoland kindly invited the group to enjoy a free day out at the theme park in Windsor, Berks.
While the others join the queue for rides, 19-year-old Darina only has one thing on her mind — winning a giant cuddly toy dog, the top prize on the basketball game.
Read More on Ukraine War
Luckily, our Ollie, a Sun photographer, bags the prize for Darina.
And when she sees him walking towards her with the dog, she charges towards him excitedly, as she says: “Thank you.”
The only time Darina and the dog are parted is when she goes on the Fire And Ice Freefall ride with pals Katya, 15, and Tonya, 22.
When asked for her verdict on the ride, Tonya says she is “50/50”.
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Darina clambers off clutching her stomach, but is happy.
The youngsters, aged from one to 22, are from six orphanages in Dnipro, Ukraine’s fourth largest city.
Dnipro Kids was set up by Hibernian Football Club supporters after a tie with Dnipro in 2005.
They later registered as a charity, providing clothing, beds, healthcare and excursions over the years.
After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the threat of missile strikes grew closer to Dnipro, so the charity mounted a rescue mission.
Dnipro Kids chairman Steven Carr travelled to Ukraine to evacuate the 50 orphans and their guardians.
Dubbed Project Light, the operation was supported by charities Save A Child and Magen David Adom UK
The group spent two weeks in Poland before they got the go-ahead in March to bring the youngsters to the UK on a special Virgin Atlantic flight.
A further six orphans were brought over at a later date.
The youngsters live in Scotland and have joined a local school.
They couldn’t speak English when they arrived, but will have intensive lessons over the summer.
Sasha, 12, has been quick to pick up the language.
RESCUE MISSION
He says: “I study very hard — I learn English by watching TikTok.”
He adds: “I love it here. It’s very beautiful. I have made friends.”
Another Sasha, 16, fondly known as “big Sasha”, is also a fan of his new home.
He says: “I like everything about the UK.”
When asked about Ukraine, he looks sad as he says: “I’m very upset. It’s very bad there. I wish I could help, but I’m too young.”
Big Sasha is a Lego superfan and coming here is a dream come true.
And when he’s told Legoland is giving each youngster a free Lego gift, his smile fills his whole face.
Over the past few weeks, the youngsters have also enjoyed days out at Harry Potter World, Warwick Castle and Edinburgh Zoo, where they bumped into Princess Anne.
The group can remain in the UK on a three-year visa.
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Steven says they have signed an agreement with the Ukrainian government to return them as soon as it is safe.
Natalie Radchenko, who works for the charity in Ukraine and came over with the group, says she is very proud of the youngsters: “They’re making new friends at school. They will never just have one home. Now they have two homes.”
‘Getting to uk is a new chapter for them’
MY grandfather Morris Malenicky was born in Poland and survived three Nazi concentration camps before arriving as a refugee in Cumbria in 1945.
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine it was heartwarming to hear people asking how they could extend hospitality to those fleeing the war.
Yet, it was scandulously difficult for these people to get visas at the time so I wanted to find out what was happening.
In March, I travelled to Poland’s border with Ukraine.
What I found was this amazing promise the public had shared wasn’t being extended to Ukrainian people crossing borders due to our Government’s red tape.
The plight of the Ukrainian orphans was also brought to my attention.
My role in bringing them home was about connecting people to help these amazing charities to get these kids to wherever they needed to go.
I was very moved to hear that they had made it over safely and, like my own grandfather’s story, their arrival in Scotland is the beginning of a new chapter.
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