On the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Vitalii Diakov tells us about the journey that he and his wife took from Odesa to Dundee, and the social enterprise they founded, which makes use of their expertise in mediation to help displaced Ukrainians adjust to a new culture, as well as strengthen resilience among other communities.
Forced to flee their home in Odesa, Ukraine, a few weeks after Russia’s invasion in February 2022, married couple Vitalii Diakov and Hanna Dushkova eventually ended up that summer in Dundee, Scotland.
Diakov and Dushkova (pictured top) were surrounded by Ukrainians facing the same challenges as them: forced to leave home in traumatic circumstances, based in temporary accommodation, unsure what would happen next and attempting to integrate into a new country and culture.
“The first steps were very uncertain. There was no answer to the question, ‘what’s next?’,” says Diakov. “This kind of situation is difficult, mentally and emotionally.”
Both Diakov and Dushkova had worked as lawyers in Ukraine, and Dushkova had experience in delivering training on emotional intelligence, conflict resolution and mediation. The couple quickly saw their skills and experience could help their community – so they got to work.
“We decided that the right thing to do was to help people talk about it, and build bridges with the local people who were trying to help,” says Diakov.
In September 2022 they launched Ukrainians Together, a project supporting displaced Ukrainians to settle into their new circumstances by promoting cultural integration and providing connections to voluntary positions and work experience.
