Ukrainian Lana Petkova is from Kharkiv, but has been living under the hills for 25 years. She considers herself Bulgarian and always emphasizes that this is her son’s homeland. She leads yoga classes, and the beginning of the war coincides with the defense of her dissertation. Lana forgets about herself and for months saves compatriots from the horror of military action.
“My beloved grandmother, who was born in Kharkiv, would have turned 104 on March 8. I dreamed of her at the beginning of the war in Ukraine. The sleep was extremely heavy. It’s as if she left me a message – to keep what I have,” says Lana. When her grandmother left Kharkiv during the Second World War, the city was mired in ruins. Returning to her native home, she kissed the walls. Probably when she returned and saw the house I was born in, and I’ll be kissing the walls,” suggests Lana.
Although she is in pain, she returns the tape to the beginning of hostilities. She is convinced that the horror is by no means over and nothing is forgotten. She herself was born in one of the major Ukrainian cities – Kharkiv, then part of the Soviet Union. Her parents are people of high level in science. “They were definitely dissident – like all intelligent people at that time,” recalls the yogi, whose son was born in Bulgaria. Her husband is half Rhodopian, half Ukrainian. “When the war broke out, I was very detached from the political situation, as I was your dissertation. It so happened that the date of my defense was exactly February 24. It’s downright fateful,” Lana recalls.
She defines what is happening in her native country as a huge humanitarian disaster. “The tragedy is so great that it affected every single resident of Ukraine, regardless of their political beliefs. It became scary – a huge wave of people fleeing the bombs with children, disabled people… Everyone was losing their homes and running away, not knowing when or if they would return. We continue to live in terror of losing everything that was dear to us,” Lana said through tears.
After the war starts, he does not sleep for 2 months. Through a group on social networks, it helps refugees. Who will move and how, how will his documents be prepared, where will he be accommodated… Record online lessons in conversational Bulgarian.
She is sad that many of her acquaintances already have dead or injured relatives, children with limbs torn off by the bombs. According to Lana, Ukrainian is primarily a civil position, not a nationality. And her compatriots show such a strong spirit and unity that the whole world counts it as an achievement. Therefore, the yoga trainer believes in the recent victory of her homeland and the liberation of all Ukrainian territories up to the borders in 1991.
In her words, Russia has failed both as a nation and as an image of Russian culture. “Excuse me, but some of these people haven’t read a single sentence of Dostoyevsky! They can hardly tell Tchaikovsky from Glinka. And they are so proud of their cultural achievements! Perhaps in the West, much more people know the real Russian culture than the Russians themselves. They sink more and more into ignorance, filth, violence… The Russians, who had the opportunity, fled Russia. They tell me: “You are fine in Ukraine, everyone will help you. What should we do in Russia? We’re already written off,” Lana explains.
According to her, Ukraine will not surrender. “All these wonderful women who throw their children in their car with a little luggage and go somewhere just to save their lives, are doing great right now – and work, and study, and their children study, play musical instruments, regain sports your activities”, the coach rejoices.
She is of the opinion that Russian propaganda is very strong in our country. “I have always given the struggle of the Bulgarian people as an example. Every Bulgarian man who loves his homeland and defends his territory should understand that the intruder who comes to your house, breaks down your door, rapes your wife, robs and kills, it cannot be left to run rampant. How will you put up with this? How is it possible that Bulgarians justify such actions? I don’t know what kind of mother gave birth to those who accept all this,” Lana did not find an answer.
She wishes those around her to be more understanding and tolerant of other people’s pain.
In honor of her grandmother, the yoga trainer observes a tradition – she presents the “Stone of Women’s Power” award every year.
“Every woman deserves such a stone, as she goes through many hardships. Women are extremely strong, especially when it comes to their children and family. Then they fight back tooth and nail. The whole world saw this with the outbreak of the war in Ukraine,” emphasizes Lana.
