“I Lost My City”: The Story of Varvara from Bakhmut, a Participant in the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation’s Blogger Camp

Thirteen-year-old Varvara from Bakhmut speaks confidently about Ukraine’s future and sincerely believes in its reconstruction. For this girl from the Donetsk region, that dream carries special meaning: she knows what it means to lose a home. Her hometown, Bakhmut, has been almost completely destroyed by the russian army. Despite everything she has endured, the girl continues to believe in the future — both her own and that of her country. Recently, Varvara became a participant in the spring session of Blogger Camp organized by the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation. For her, it was a wonderful opportunity to relax and find motivation.

“Children can feel safe again here and express themselves. There are many children here who have been affected by the war, and they are being helped to recover. I really like it here; the mentors are wonderful. At Blogger Camp, we filmed a lot of videos and were given interesting assignments. I’ve made a lot of new friends,” the girl says.

During the first days of the full-scale invasion, Varvara’s family remained in Bakhmut. The decision to evacuate was made after an enemy missile flew directly over their house. Living in constant fear had become impossible.

The most devastating loss for the family was the death of Varvara’s aunt, Tetiana. During another shelling attack, the woman stepped out of a shelter, and at that very moment a shell struck the house. She was killed by shrapnel. That loss changed Varvara forever.

“It was a shock for me. I lost my city, and I understand that it will never be the same as it was before. I saw a video of someone driving down my street. My destroyed home was there, along with shattered roads. It hurts me deeply to talk about it. I do not want this to continue in the future. I want future generations of people who will live in Ukraine never to see anything like this again, but instead to see the cities where they were born become even better,” she says.

Today, Varvara studies at a science-oriented lyceum, takes part in academic competitions, and has already won third place in the regional stage of the Ukrainian language Olympiad. She is also a cheerleader and, together with her team, became a national champion of Ukraine.

At Blogger Camp, the girl not only tried herself in the role of a blogger but also finally decided on her greatest dream — she wants to become an engineer and help rebuild the country.

“My dream is to become a civil engineer or an engineer in the field of aviation and rocket engineering. I understand that these professions will be in great demand in Ukraine in the future. After the war, Ukraine will begin developing again, cities will need to be rebuilt, and these professions will be very important,” says Varvara.

Blogger Camp always offers engaging and diverse activities that help young Ukrainians believe in their own abilities, relax and improve their well-being in the fresh air, make new friends, and look to the future with confidence despite the challenges of today.

Thanks to the program “Rinat Akhmetov - to Children. Peaceful Recreation for the Children of Ukraine,” nearly 5,000 children from different parts of the country have already had the opportunity to regain strength, find hope, and gain new impressions. Over the years of its work, the Foundation has provided support to more than 6 million children across Ukraine.