The war in Ukraine and hopes for peace continue to dominate the headlines, but the human story of the conflict is often forgotten. Rye families have given shelter to a number of Ukrainians since the war began, and continue to do so, including mayor and mayoress Andy and Niki Stuart.
Chatting in the cheerful kitchen at their home in the centre of Rye they told me how they got involved in offering sanctuary. I also meet some of the Ukrainians staying with them – including Kat whose husband is a soldier serving on the frontline.
After hearing of the government’s scheme to help people escaping the war, Andy and Niki were soon in contact with families who desperately needed help. At the same time Anthony Kimber was working on bringing Ukrainians to Rye. Unfortunately, at this stage there was very little structure to be found nationally, but he soon started a hub in our town to help Ukrainians find homes, soon becoming the key person in Rye at the centre of the whole project.
Not long after the hub started Andy and Niki found a young woman with a Ukrainian background living in London called Natalia. They say she was an incredible “force of nature” and was extremely helpful in sorting out visas, passports, insurance and a multitude of documentation that was also vital to arrange. She remains a pivotal figure, her determination lighting the way for others navigating the complex bureaucracy.
Stories of resilience shown by the refugees soon began to emerge.
In April 2022 Andy and Niki were able to welcome Liuda and her children: fourteen year old Arsene and his sister Diana who was eleven. Liuda and the children had fled Kyiv as soon as the Russians invaded and headed for the border town of Lviv where they stayed for two weeks. They then crossed the border to Poland as they felt all of Ukraine was unsafe, with rocket attacks and bombing all over the country, including in Lviv.
The children started attending schools but as they could not speak Polish this proved both difficult and traumatic for them. Luida’s sister-in-law, who was also called Natalia, had arrived in England in February with her two young daughters and her extended family of Katyrina or Kat, her daughter Soniia and her mother Svetlana. They were all living on a farm in Beckley.
The Stuarts supported Luida and her children who moved into the annex to their house in Rye, organising visa extensions, secondary schools for the children and universal credit. The family enjoyed their stay but owing to Arsene’s growing home sickness and desire to go home to see his father and friends, they made the difficult decision to leave the sanctuary of Rye and return to Ukraine.
Before leaving Liuda arranged for Katyrina, Soniia (who was then just two years old) and Svetlana to leave the wonderful home on the farm in Beckley with Natalia to move in to live with Andy and Niki. Without their own transport and limited buses it was difficult for them to travel to employment and schools in the town. So Kat, Soniia and Svetlana were able to move to Rye.
During this time the entire process of hosting the displaced family gradually took shape, bringing together the combined efforts of compassionate individuals and community driven initiatives. Andy and Niki played an instrumental role, not just offering a home but weaving a network of support that extended far beyond their own household. Local businesses, charities and volunteers stepped in to provide essential resources, with Anthony Kimber always able to offer help and advice.
Terese at Rye Foodbank was extremely helpful with benefits, universal credit, food and clothing. Kat tells me of her gratitude for the hospitality shown by her hosts and the help the family received from the community. She says they spent a long time waiting for documentation as short visas were only allowed to start with, and of course there was very little money available.
Anthony Kimber still holds monthly meetings at the Hub and organises bus passes and swimming pool credits, all of which Kat says helps to allay the complex feelings of displacement, trauma and the loss of loved ones.
Kat’s husband is a soldier fighting on the front line and she hopes that soon he will be granted leave to visit his family here in Rye. Kat herself worked as a midwife in Ukraine but her qualifications cannot be recognised in this country at present.
Last year the family returned to Kyiv where Kat resumed her work as a midwife, but found the nightly bombings terrified her four-year-old daughter and spending up to six hours a night in underground shelters in freezing conditions was unbearable. So after a few months they decided to return to Rye and back to the Stuart’s who had said they would keep a place for them in case they needed to come back. They were absolutely exhausted and Kat says that her mother slept for days.
The silence of a country town and simple things like warm meals and safe walks outside must have felt like luxury.
Kat’s daughter Soniia is happily settled at Rye Primary School. Kat and Svetlana learn new things every day. Kat now works as a waitress in the Fish Café which she enjoys. Coming from the large city of Kyiv she loves Rye and enthuses over the many photos she took when they first arrived. She is also a member of Ryebellion (along with Niki) and says the weekly drumming sessions help with negative emotions and make her feel elated. The family look after the Stuart’s cat when they are away on holiday, and Soniia has recently found a best friend in the Stuart’s new puppy Cassie, so the relation between hosts and family is two-way.
I hope in Rye they have found not just a shelter but a time of stillness and a chance to remember who they were and who they might become again.
Image Credits: Niki Stuart , James Stewart , Kt bruce , Martin Bruce .