Dreaming of Peace: Natalia’s Family in Bulgaria
Three years after the escalation of the war, thousands of Ukrainian families continue to build new lives far from home
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“When I look at the panda, I see she has white socks and white gloves.”
“Mommy, the panda walks barefoot,” says eight-year-old Ivan.
“Does she walk barefoot?”
“Yes.”
Natalia smiles at her son’s imagination. She is from Odesa, Ukraine and arrived in Bulgaria in 2022 with her two children: Anastasia, now 15, and Ivan, 8. Today, they live in Varna, adapting to their new life.
“Everything was difficult in the beginning,” Ivan says. “But now it’s not so complicated.”
Ivan attends a small, cozy primary school up to fourth grade to help him adapt more easily. Anastasia studies at a school that goes up to 12th grade. “The teachers are incredibly supportive,” Natalia says. “We’re truly grateful.”
For Ukrainian children, the biggest challenge at first was the language. But as their fine arts teacher, Lyubliana Mihaylova (Lyuben Karavelov Secondary School, Varna), explains, “We realised we could understand each other even without an interpreter.”
Anastasia already speaks Bulgarian, and she loves to draw. “At this school, we have many art classes. I really like my fine arts teacher too.”
Her teacher remembers how worried Anastasia was when she first arrived, but she quickly opened up. “She works actively and has already taken part in competitions. Her eagerness to grow is wonderful.”
Through the Bulgarian Red Cross, Anastasia joined a club called “Young Hopes”, supported by UNICEF. “The club and the school helped me make new friends,” she says. Still, her dream remains simple: “I really want to return to Ukraine, but I can’t because of the war.”
This war has left a deep mark on children’s minds. Yet, their teacher says, “To my joy and surprise, they create incredibly beautiful, colorful artwork.”
At Christmas, Ivan and Anastasia didn’t wish for phones or toys. They simply wished to go home.
In 2024, 6,043 Ukrainian refugee children – nearly double the previous year – began attending school in Bulgaria, while 8,976 children joined extracurricular activities such as catch-up classes, Bulgarian lessons, art classes, and interest clubs with support from UNICEF and partners.
As Ivan dreams of kung fu pandas and travelling to China in a house on wheels, Anastasia holds one wish closest to her heart. In Ukrainian, she says, the same word means both peace and world. “Peace! This is my dream.”
UNICEF in Bulgaria supports the provision of services and assistance for refugee and migrant children from Ukraine with the generous support of the USA Government.
