In the early hours of Feb. 24, 2022, explosions echoed across Kyiv as Russian forces launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, marking the largest war in Europe since World War II. Three years after the invasion, Russia still occupies roughly 20% of Ukraine and nearly a third of its population have been forced to flee their homes. One of those Ukrainian refugees found her way to Saint Anselm College, a place she says she feels immense support from. 

Polina Makarenko, a freshman health science major and women’s tennis player at SAC, lived a normal life in Kyiv for sixteen years before the war disrupted everything she had ever known. Reminiscing on what her life once looked like, Polina described her memory of Kyiv before the war as “a bright, beautiful city full of history with amazing architecture”. 

“The streets were always full of people going to work or school. The smell of freshly baked bread wafted through the air from my favorite bakery. I could always smell my favorite soothing scent that reminded me of home when I walked past it”, Polina added. For a young girl displaced from the only home she ever knew, these little memories mean everything to Polina as she begins to build a new life in the United States. 

Frightened by the news and the booming sounds of destruction around them, Polina’s family evacuated to a family member’s bomb shelter just before sunrise on February 24, 2022. They returned to their home the next morning, but the days ahead seemed to only get worse. When a family friend suggested they relocate to a safer area, Polina filled her tennis bag with her belongings. 

“I didn’t need anything other than tennis. I always had hope that I would still play. When we left Kyiv, my whole life was in one tennis backpack” she said. As she said her last goodbyes to her best friend, rockets lit up the sky as they hugged. 

As they grappled with the fact that life as they knew it in Ukraine was gone forever, Polina and her mother made the decision to move to Poland. Her father was forced to stay for military service. One of her last memories in Ukraine was the unimaginable goodbye with her father; “My dad looked at me and said the most painful words I had ever heard, ‘Polina, we may never see each other again. Be strong and everything will work out for you’”. 

After two months of living in Poland, a friend offered Polina and her mother a connection to the United States. Polina had dreamt of playing tennis at an American university since she was a little girl, which she says made the decision to immigrate an easy one. 

The transition to the United States came with its challenges. Although Polina had always imagined pursuing a collegiate tennis career in the U.S., navigating life in a new place where she didn’t speak the primary language proved difficult amidst the other obstacles she carried with her from the war in her home. 

“Everything seemed so different to me, the people, the culture, the traditions…since I lived all my life in a big city, it was really weird for me. There were no people walking around, no convenient public transportation and no big buildings”, said Makarenko. 

As she began to resume life after the war ripped her away from the things she knew and loved, Polina clung on to one thing to help her move forward. When she finally picked up a tennis racket for the first time since the war began, she said it felt like coming back to life. 

“Tennis practice helped me feel like I was back at home. I ended up winning the New Hampshire singles and doubles championships. Tennis, something I thought was lost, became my way to move forward”, Polina said passionately.

Polina says she feels greatly supported by the Saint Anselm community, and that her Polish sponsor has been a pillar for her success in the U.S. as well. She dreams of returning to Ukraine someday to reunite with her friends and family, but doesn’t see a future for herself in her homeland. 

“There isn’t a lot of support for people in Ukraine, and I won’t find the best job there…I already built my life here so to go back and start again wouldn’t make sense. If my family and friends are still alive I want to go back, but I don’t think I’m going to live there”.

When asked about the politics of the war, specifically regarding President Trump’s recent interaction with Volodymyr Zelensky, Polina hesitated to reveal her thoughts or concerns due to her vulnerable position as a refugee. However, she expressed a deep desire for the war to end as soon as possible.