TWO Ukrainian refugee families living in Greenock have said thank-you to the town and its people as they make the brave decision to go back home to be reunited with the loved ones they were forced to leave behind in the war zone.
Lilianna Kosovyck, 33, fled from her home in Lviv with her own mum and her two children to escape the Russian assault on her city last year.
Despite the dangers they are now going back home to care for her gran, who has fallen ill.
Joining them on the flight back to the war zone is Katerine Kuzmuna, her husband Vadym and the couple's young children, who left the sea port of Odessa which has been under attack.
Lilianna, 33, left her home in the west of Ukraine last July.
She said: "If I could stay in any other country it would be here in Scotland, in Greenock. Everyone is so friendly and welcoming. We have made so many friends in a short time.
"We love it here. I have been very happy in Scotland."
Lilianna, who is an accountant, says her children Zakhar, 11, and Sabina, eight, have thrived at Whinhill Primary.
But she is desperately worried about her elderly gran who has diabetes and is becoming frail without them.
She said: "My mum and I need to go home to care for my gran, she is all alone. She has diabetes and she is not good.
"It has been safer in Lviv but there were missiles attacks in the west. So we are worried but also glad to be going home."
READ MORE: Inverclyde Infant breastfeeding team help new mums
Her gran Stephania had been too sick to travel and decided to stay in Ukraine while her family fled.
Concerned granddaughter Lilianna said: "She did not want to leave her home so she stayed behind, like many older people in the Ukraine. It is their home. We are so sad to be leaving but we are looking forward to seeing our family and my gran."
Leaving Greenock at the same time is Katerine Kuzmina from Odessa, with her husband and young children Kira, nine, and Mira, three.
Like Lilianna they miss home and their families left behind.
Support local journalism by subscribing to the Greenock Telegraph HERE
The sea port has been targeted throughout the conflict by Putin's army for strategical reasons.
After fleeing Odessa they made their way west to crossing the Polish border.
Katerine, 37, said: "We went to Poland to escape the shelling. But we had a problem getting here, it took us a long time to get a visa for my baby Mira, she was the only one who didn't have a visa and it kept getting delayed, four months we waited.
"Eventually last year we came to Scotland."
Both families came to Inverclyde around six months ago and found sanctuary in the Gin House Hotel, in Greenock.
Owner Tom Smith took in 40 families as part of a Scottish Government scheme.
Kate said: "It is very hard, but we have left too much behind in Odessa, my husband has his own gas engineering business he wants to save."
Vadym added: "It is so difficult to just let my business go."
Kate said: "We need to take the chance and go home.
"We have family in Odessa, my grandmother. If we don't go home we will never see them again, it is hard to leave everyone behind.
"We are going to miss everyone so much, we have made so many wonderful friends. Greenock has looked after us very well."
The families have been helped throughout their stay here by Your Voice.
The organisation's New Scots co-ordinator Gaynor Lochhead has put her heart and soul into her role looking after refugees.
When she took it on, she went round the hotels and places where they were staying to invite them along to a group which meets in Clyde Square every Friday.
From there they are have built a community for those who are seeking sanctuary.
Gaynor has helped direct them to other projects who can help, as well as employability services.
She said: "They are like my family, I built this from scratch less than a year ago. I want to look after them in whatever way I can. It is so emotional to say goodbye to our families, there have been so many tears.
"We have come to know them so well and share their experiences. I often meet them on a one to one for a coffee if they are needing someone to talk to."
Lilianna added: "I will miss Gaynor, she is our Scottish mum, I am not sure what I would do without her."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel