Seven Ukrainian volleyball settled down in a student dormitory in Mostar, a southern town in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where they found a shelter from the war raging in their country. They arrived at an invitation of the Student Centre management. They come from the Balta, a south-western town, which is still not affected by the war but they fear it might happen sooner or later.

Varvara Koltsova arrived in Mostar with her three-year-old son Yosha, along with other members of the Balta volleyball club. They accepted the invitation with great enthusiasm, because their only goal, they say, was to move from the war to a safe place.

“Not all the girls on the team could come because they couldn’t leave their country. We live in a quiet area where there are no attacks so far, so we were able to escape, but they unfortunately failed to move to our city. We were travelling for four days and it was very hard, I thought it was impossible for my three-year-old son to endure it, but thank God we are safe here now,” said Varvara.

Little Yosha is the only child among volleyball players. He does not lack love, attention and gifts.

One thing is missing though.

“I want my home,” Yosha said.

All seven volleyball players agree they got everything they needed – safety above all but, as they say, they wish they came to this country in some other, more beautiful circumstances.

“Our family stayed in Ukraine and it is very difficult for me, I am powerless and there is nothing I can do to help them. When we got this invitation to come to Mostar, we were very surprised, we all cried – me and my whole family,” said Olena Elkina.

The Ukrainians emphasised they were met with great understanding among people who sympathise with their pain and fear because they felt the horrors of war not so long ago.

“It's clear to us why you understand us very well and why you want to help us. I don't know how we will live after all this, we will certainly not be the same people again once the war is over. The consequences and traumas certainly remain,” said Olha Kachur.

After taking a break from a four-day trip, they have toured the city and will join the trainings of the Mostar volleyball team. They get offers for help in the form of employment as well as the enrollment of the boy in kindergarten.

“The first and foremost thing we can offer is accommodation, three meals a day, everything they need to get involved in regular training with our volleyball players. We offered to take them to Medjugorje where there is a large number of refugees from Ukraine, which they accepted nicely,” said Anita Glibic, the Student Centre spokesperson.

Dragan Mikulic, head of the Student Centre, noted that they have provided them with three available rooms but that, if new rooms get available, they will invite more refugees.

“The doors of the Student Centre will always be open to all athletes from Ukraine,” he added.

“We provided them with three rooms; two of them were used for Covid and isolation, and so we saved those places. God willing, there would be more places to invite them, the doors of the Student Center will always be open to all athletes from Ukraine “, said Dragan Mikulic, director of SCM.