“Sometimes I can’t remember what my kitchen used to look like”
Olena Illienko (58) is an actress and fitness trainer from Kiev. In Romania, she interprets for a psychologist working with Ukrainians and teaches stretching and relaxation classes. She has a 23-year-old daughter who chose to stay in Ukraine.
“I was in Kiev on February 23, 2022. I had a pantomime show scheduled that night with a company that included several actresses of my age. Women in their 50s and 60s, acting a little crazy. After the show I returned home and went to sleep. My home is about 80 km away from Kiev. I have a garden there, a place I have always liked thinking of as my retreat space! I slept so soundly that I didn’t even hear the first explosions in the early hours. Instead, I had a dream: I was in a room, and through that room door you could step outside. I opened the door and I could see nothing. It was pitch-black. But I didn’t step into the darkness, I didn’t go there.
Olena told journalist Ionuț Sociu about the art projects in which she was involved in Bucharest, about her Romanian origins, about how psychotherapy has helped her lately and the importance of support groups, but also about how painful homesickness can be. Olena is on the look for solutions and tools to help her get through the hard times and not let it get her down. Solutions she would like to share with others.
And beyond all that, she is trying to find joy in small things of the daily life. Something we can all learn from.
