From Shadows to Stars: A Teen's Escape to Freedom

Ivan Sarancha grew up in a world where truth was twisted and history was rewritten. When he was just 7 years old, his school stopped teaching Ukrainian literature and history. This was in 2014, after Russia took control of Crimea and started causing trouble in eastern Ukraine. Ivan was too young to understand what was happening then. But everything changed when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Ivan was 15 years old, and he was shocked by the destruction he saw, especially in places like Mariupol and Bucha. Ivan started to think for himself. He watched Russian news and compared it with Ukrainian and American news using a VPN. He figured out what was true and what was not. This new way of thinking made him want to leave the occupied territory and go to Ukraine. Ivan's story is inspiring many people in Ukraine. It shows what life is like in the occupied regions and gives hope to those who are tired of the war. Ivan is tall and has long hair. He smiles softly and says "hullo" when he meets new people. He is staying in an apartment in Kyiv with other Ukrainians who have fled from the front lines. Ivan took a big risk to leave his home and his parents. He now feels uncomfortable speaking Russian and prefers to speak Ukrainian. He says he does this as a matter of principle. Ivan's hometown of Luhansk has been under the shadow of Putin's war for most of his life. In 2014, separatists backed by Russia declared independence from Ukraine. They held referendums to create the Luhansk and Donetsk People's Republics. Ivan was too young to understand that this was Putin's revenge for the pro-European uprising in Kyiv. He now realizes that fear controls everything in his hometown. People are afraid to speak out or protest. They live in constant fear of being taken to "the basement" for interrogation. After the full-scale invasion started, Ivan joined pro-Ukraine groups online. He began to speak Ukrainian, but only with his internet friends. It was too dangerous to speak Ukrainian in public. He had to hide his views from his parents, who support Putin and believe Russian propaganda. Ivan noticed flyers on a wall that said, "We help people leave for Ukraine from Luhansk and Donetsk. " He realized that many people wanted to leave, and he started to think about escaping. There is a network of organizations helping people flee from Russian-occupied territory. One of these organizations is called "Helping to Leave. " Kate works for this organization. She says it is becoming more difficult to get out of Russian-occupied Ukraine. In 2023, thousands of people escaped. In 2022, only a few hundred made it out. Ivan began watching videos of how other people had made it through the filtration process. He realized his phone was full of pro-Ukrainian information, so he bought a new one and filled it with pro-Russian pictures and messages. Ivan got a job and started saving money. He told his parents he wanted to go somewhere to celebrate his 18th birthday. They agreed he could spend a few days in Rostov-on-Don, a Russian city near Luhansk. What they didn't know was that Ivan planned to travel on to Moscow and Belarus, where there is a humanitarian corridor allowing entry into Ukraine. Ivan's plans were complicated by his short time window. He had to leave Luhansk before he turned 18, or he would be subject to the Russian military draft. On the day before his 18th birthday, his father took him to the bus station. Ivan was nervous but decided to go all the way. Ivan checked into a hotel in Rostov-on-Don and sent pictures to his parents so they wouldn't suspect anything. That evening, he boarded a bus for the overnight trip to Moscow. He was nervous because the bus was full of Russian soldiers. The next day, when he arrived in Moscow, it was his birthday. His parents called him, believing he was still in Rostov-on-Don. Ivan told them to go ahead and celebrate and not to worry about him. He took a train to Minsk, the Belarusian capital. He was anxious and couldn't eat anything. His biggest fear was that his parents would find out the truth and alert the authorities. Once in Minsk, he headed straight for the Ukrainian Embassy.