Music teacher flees war in Ukraine, arrives in SC

Irene’s world quickly changed from the soft, sweet sounds of piano keys to the loud, shocking waves of sirens and bombshells.

 

Irene Makarchenko, a music teacher in Ukraine and the mother of a Goose Creek resident, awoke in the middle of the night in her hometown of Zaporizhzhia to terrifying sounds. The nearby nuclear plant, the largest in Europe, was under siege by Russians.

 

She called her daughter in South Carolina and at that moment realized she must leave everything behind - her home, all her possessions and her motherland. She decided to join a friend, whose daughter lives in Prague, in hopes they would find safety.

 

Evacuation efforts quickly became scenes of chaos and panic. Many women with children were scrambling to get on trains, not knowing when doors would open or at which stop. Their husbands and fathers, who were staying behind, pushed their families to get to ahead of the crowd. Eventually, Irene and her friend managed to make it on a train headed to Lviv.

 

The journey took days as she traveled through areas with constant military check points, active shootings and airplane attacks. A sense of helplessness and panic would emerge for both Irene and her daughter.

 

Once in Lviv, Irene needed to find a bus to Poland. Only women with children were allowed on the buses, but she eventually found a private driver and used money she had sewn hidden into her clothing to get a seat.

 

Irene’s daughter, Zoya, is a U.S. citizen who works in Summerville and lives in Goose Creek with her longtime partner, a veteran of the United States Marine Corp. Zoya was working to secure a plane ticket for her mother to Atlanta.

 

Their reunion was bitter sweet, but filled with a huge sense of relief, at least for now.

 Irene is working to manage her time here and to get on her feet. She would really like to get a digital piano so she could continue teaching music and piano lessons, even remotely. If you know of anyone who has a piano to donate, it would be much appreciated.

 

Irene also needs everything to start from scratch; health insurance, money to get clothes, transportation, to name a few. Her family here is covering additional expenses for the tickets and food and such.

 

We are grateful for anything you can do, including thoughts and prayers for all who are displaced by the war in Ukraine and especially those remaining in fear for their lives. Money donated will go to Irene for a piano, clothes, medicine, and other necessities and to help family and friends who are still in Ukraine.

 

Thank you for your support from the bottom of our hearts!