Новини
Sometimes it happens: you wake up in the morning, and the thought of all the important and useful things you have to do today doesn’t give you wings but hangs on you like a heavy burden. How to deal with it, where to turn, how to help yourself? Let’s talk about this with Irina Nurullina—a volunteer and educator.
When Irina got acquainted with the Educational House of Human Rights in Chernihiv, she, in her words, was in a creative search. In her previous job, she experienced downtime because the institution where she worked was located in the occupied left bank of Kherson region. Now she holds the position of deputy director of educational work at Kherson Multidisciplinary Gymnasium No. 20 named after Boris Lavrenyov of the Kherson City Council. In addition, she is the curator of the commission on culture and spiritual development of the city student parliament, which operates under the education department of the Kherson City Council.
Irina is an internally displaced person.
“I live in Odessa, which welcomes quite warmly and friendly. I felt that it is indeed an Odessa-mom: sheltering, protecting, caring. But life on the shores of the Black Sea during the war is still a challenge. However, the climate reminds me of my native Kherson, so I feel relatively comfortable here.”
Since 2016, Irina has been volunteering for the Ukrainian Red Cross Society. At that time, she worked as an educator-organizer at Zelenivska Secondary School No. 38 and coordinated the activities of the student self-government and children’s volunteer group. Together with the students, they collected aid for those who needed it most: families with IDP status from Luhansk and Donetsk regions, children from social categories, labor and war veterans. They collected stationery, clothing, personal hygiene items, and food products. As part of the “Apple” campaign, they gathered apples and donated them to kindergartens, residents of boarding schools, veterans’ councils, and the Culture House in the town of Zelenivka, where grandmothers singing in the “Veselka” ensemble were located.
We treated grandmothers with apples, and they, in turn, treated us with candies and pastries for tea.
Thanks to her fruitful volunteer work, in May 2020, Irina became the laureate of the regional competition “Charitable Kherson-2019” and secured the third place in the category of “Philanthropist of the Year.” Since April 2021, she has been a blood donor, actively donating blood in Kherson even during the occupation and continues to do so after moving to Odessa.
She marked the first anniversary of Kherson’s liberation at the Odessa Regional Blood Transfusion Station. “My blood is fighting for Kherson today!”
Irina spent half a year in occupation and dared to leave Kherson only in September 2022. Settling in Odessa, no matter how hospitable it was, was not easy. Still, her desire to be useful helped her adapt to the new place and find a cause close to her heart.
“I sent a request to the Universe: I want to be useful”
And the Universe responded: soon, a volunteer initiative was found that Irina could join.
“A warm company of women from Kherson, local volunteers from Odessa, and others…”
Together, they gather to weave camouflage nets and create other items for the needs of the front—mattresses, rugs, pillows, and talismans: keychains, motanka dolls, and little angels.
It’s not always easy to dedicate as much time to volunteering as one would like, but Irina tries to devote every free day to important causes. She admits that with two jobs and a pile of responsibilities, there isn’t much time left for volunteering, and the realization of this is painful and uncomfortable.
There’s a desire for additional hours, extra hands, and more strength
However, it’s crucial to understand: helping others begins with helping oneself. Irina is learning to acknowledge her own state: when the workload increases and it becomes difficult to wake up due to fatigue and stress, it’s essential to take a break.
“Take a day off, stay at home with a book, because when you’re tired and drained, you won’t be able to help the guys and girls on the front lines.”
How to understand when it’s time to take a break? When you wake up without the desire. When you realize that you’re doing everything out of sheer force, when duties feel burdensome – it’s time to pay attention to your well-being. Listen to your body. Give it what it needs.
“Sometimes I wake up in a state where I understand that I won’t be helpful to others today. But today, I can be helpful to myself.”
The story of Irina’s acquaintance with the Educational House of Human Rights in Chernihiv began with the announcement of a group recruitment for documenting war crimes. The program aimed to document crimes committed against educational institutions, and for Irina, as an educator, it was very close to her heart.
“The Russian liberators destroyed more than one educational institution in Kherson. Among them was the oldest gymnasium in the city, completely demolished. The blood froze in my veins at the sight of it.”
Inside, everything churned with anger, but what can a civilian do to make the aggressor be held accountable? At the very least – remember.
I wanted to learn how to legally punish those who bring misery to our land.
This experience became valuable and intriguing, so when Irina saw a notice about enrollment in the Psychosocial Rehabilitation Program from the House, she applied.
“I came and realized that this is what I needed—a week dedicated to my own needs. I am very grateful to the House for the opportunity to visit Chernihiv, meet lecturers who taught me documentation, and talk to new interesting people. After conversations with psychologists, I understood that the documentation school is an essential additional development, but I am still primarily an educator. I’ve devoted 13 years of my life to education! In the Psychosocial Rehabilitation Program, I also met incredible participants and trainers. I am currently undergoing group therapy every Saturday with one of them.”
The Psychosocial Rehabilitation Program was supported by the Emergency Support Ukraine (ESU) project.
Grounding techniques, breathing practices, exercises, and meditations – all of these were actively studied and practiced by the participants. Irina continues to be supported by the connections she made with new friends.
And she confesses—war has become a source of unexpected discoveries for her.
“On one of my journeys, I was in Kharkiv. I fell in love with this city from the first walk and forever! So majestic and unyielding. There’s an outstanding personality there—Hamlet Zinkovsky, a street artist. And on one of the streets, I saw his drawing on the gates. It depicted a children’s swing, and it said: war steals a lot of time and opportunities, and below it—war gives a lot of time and opportunities.
As horrifying as it may sound, it’s true. If not for the war, I wouldn’t have visited so many Ukrainian cities that I hadn’t planned to visit before the war, wouldn’t have been in the House, wouldn’t have met different people. It’s terrible, but it’s our reality. Many doors open. We look at many things from different perspectives. We learn to accept and be grateful.”
Irina admits she would like to visit Uzhgorod and see the cherry blossoms, inspired by the camp “Energy of Your Future,” where she worked as a trainer in March 2023. The girls fondly call their city “Uzhik.” Still on the list are Ivano-Frankivsk, Rivne, Lutsk, and many other cities in Ukraine.
After the victory, in peaceful Kherson, where we will all visit someday, Irina recommends seeing the island of Dzharilgach, Oleshkiv Sands, and in Kherson itself, visiting the three Dnieper embankments—Richport embankment, the embankments near the Frigate hotel, and near the Eternal Flame. See the painted stationary shelters. Go yachting and look at the city of heroes from “Antoshka”—Antonivsky Bridge, which will undoubtedly be renovated.
But most importantly—so that we all see how the city is recovering. How it will become lively and cheerful again. How there are strong and brave people, real heroes. And see Kherson—a unbreakable hero city.
