Ukrainians and Irish ‘understand each other because we have been through similar problems’

The last time Elvira Sieitablaieva was involved with a choir, she was a teenager in school in the south of Ukraine. Now, years later, she finds herself more than 2,000km away in Ireland, singing traditional Ukrainian songs alongside other people who fled the war in her home country.

Sieitablaieva is part of the Ukrainian National Choir in Ireland. The group have translated Phil Coulter’s Steal Away into Ukrainian, due to be released as a single later this month.

Before Russia invaded Ukraine last spring, she was living a quiet life in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, with her husband and two children.

She is originally from a small city called Melitopol, “kind of similar to Galway”, she says. Melitopol has been under Russian occupation since March 2022. The city was formally annexed by the Russian Federation last September.

‘First, I felt afraid to talk, because we are not native speakers’

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‘It’s nice to have Europe on your doorstep but rent is absolutely ridiculous here’

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‘Ireland has given me lots of opportunity ... it’s a very accommodating society’

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“My family and friends are still there. It’s tough for them living under Russian control, and they are waiting for Ukraine to take the city back from them. They’re very positive people and they believe things will be okay,” says Sieitablaieva.

“I liked it where I grew up. It was very small and cosy. Everyone knew each other. I went to school there and I had a normal childhood. It was nothing special. During all my school years, I enjoyed being in the choir.”

Through the Red Cross we found a family, an Irish couple in their 60s, who offered us to live with them in their house. They very kindly took us in

After school and university, she moved to Kyiv with her husband, where she worked as a rehabilitation specialist, and he worked in the IT industry. Sieitablaieva later changed her career to work in IT, like her husband.

But after being forced to flee the city after waking to explosions in February and spending several days living underground, she now finds herself in Galway city, once again in a new career, but in much different circumstances.

“It was really difficult for us to leave Ukraine. I lived in a camp in Dublin for 10 days. After that we were sent to Galway in a hotel. There were a lot of people there, and just one room for our whole family for five months. It was difficult but it was safe,” she says.

She came to Ireland with her son (15) and daughter (5). Later, her husband was able to flee Ukraine to join them.

“So now we are all together. Through the Red Cross we found a family, an Irish couple in their 60s, who offered us to live with them in their house. They very kindly took us in. Now we have a peaceful life and have lived with them for almost one year,” she says.

“They are very nice and kind people. We’re more comfortable and confident in Ireland now, and it’s kind of a stage in our lives to make steps forward, so we are trying to find a place to rent on our own. But it’s very hard to find accommodation. In Ukraine, if you would like to find somewhere to rent, you can find it in a matter of days because there are a lot of apartments available.”

We are trying to sing many different types of songs, mostly in Ukrainian at the moment but soon we will also sing in English because it’s a great way to learn the language

She feels more settled in Galway now, thanks in part to a stable home life with the Irish couple who took her family in, and because she has found work through the Galway City Partnership as a Ukrainian support worker.

“I’m so lucky to have this job. I help other Ukrainians integrate in Irish society and to live independently from the State. We help with the English language and with employment or education support. We help them prepare CVs and practise for job interviews,” she says.

In March her workplace received a letter from a cultural project looking for “talented Ukrainian singers” to participate in their choir.

“We made advertisements in our channels with Ukrainians in Galway and we found a lot of people who wanted to participate. We sent them to Dublin for rehearsals,” she says.

The choir director for the initiative, Yulia Boyko, is originally from Ukraine and has been in Ireland for 20 years. She now runs her own music school in Co Cavan, translating the song verses to Ukrainian. The choir members, all originally from Ukraine, have come from all over Ireland.

“There were so many people so we also decided to create our own project here in Galway,” says Sieitablaieva.

“We are trying to sing many different types of songs, mostly in Ukrainian at the moment but soon we will also sing in English because it’s a great way to learn the language. Now we are preparing for Ukrainian Independence Day in Galway on August 24th.

“For me, it’s an amazing way to get rid of stress and to relieve my emotions because we are all traumatised from the war and having to create a new life,” she says.

“I like that in Irish culture people like singing traditional songs, too, at festivals or in bars, and saving their culture this way”

The choir helps to unite Ukrainians and find close friends. “Emotionally, it’s kind of like therapy for us. It’s amazing just to observe how happy people are to be participating and performing.

“Last time I was involved in any choir it was during my secondary school years. I missed singing and I never had time for it in university and then when I had kids. Now I really understand how much I missed it. It takes me back to my childhood and my teenage years.”

It’s also a way to “save Ukrainian culture”, she says.

“It’s very important to us, and we really appreciate the Irish community because I know they like hearing us when we sing and we feel able to share our culture with them.”

This is partly because Sieitablaieva feels Irish and Ukrainian people are similar in a lot of ways. “Both are really friendly and we have things in common in history, like war and famine. We understand each other because we have been through similar problems.

“I like that in Irish culture people like singing traditional songs, too, at festivals or in bars, and saving their culture this way”.

My father has problems with his health and he cannot come to Ireland. I worry about them all the time

While the choir has been a great comfort to Sieitablaieva, she worries every day about her parents back home.

“My father has problems with his health and he cannot come to Ireland. I worry about them all the time and try to keep in touch with them as much as I can. Thank God we have an internet connection with them. We are just praying all the time because the situation is so unpredictable,” she says.

“It’s difficult to be here in a safe place but your relatives are not with you. Every day we try to chat by WhatsApp and see each other on video calls.”

Sieitablaieva tried to visit home once to retrieve important documents, but it was “really difficult” because “at night-time the area was attacked by drones and rockets and I had to go to shelter”.

“I want to go home some day. But it depends on how the war goes. Galway is a nice place, it’s near the sea and the people are very open-hearted. I have made so many friends now that Ireland is like a second home to me,” she says.

The whole family learned English before the war, which “makes being here easier for us”.

“It’s harder for others to adapt here without the language. I learned a lot more from the family we stay with too. We appreciate the simple things in life, just to be together, to make dinner and to have a conversation in the evening time,” she says.

“I see my future here but I am a bit confused because our heart is in Ukraine. All we want is to see our relatives.”

We would like to hear from people who have moved to Ireland in the past 10 years. To get involved, email newtotheparish@irishtimes.com or tweet @newtotheparish