Ukrainian children on the toys that remind them of home

Among the many heartbreaking decisions that Ukrainian families must make when forced to flee their homes, there is one in particular that children agonise over – which toy to take with them?

Amid the explosions, parents often have no time to pack, with little space left in bags after throwing in warm clothes, official documents and food. Sometimes, children's evacuation backpacks can only hold one teddy bear, an old doll or a toy car. But these toys can be a lifeline, helping children to fall asleep, calm down and remember home.

Here, internally displaced children share the stories of their favourite toys that they took with them as they fled the violence in front-line towns like Myrnohrad, Vovchansk and Velyka Pysarivka that now lie in ruins because of the war.

Alyona and Motya the rabbit

In the spring of 2024, the border village of Velyka Pysarivka in Ukraine’s Sumy region became a hotspot for the fighting. The shelling was intense and when one of these bombs fell on the street where eight-year-old Alyona lived, she and her family fled immediately.

“We didn't manage to take many things,” says Alyona. “But I took my favourite toy, Motya, with me. I've had it since I was very, very young.”

The young girl holds up a grey rabbit with a big pink nose and smiles. Her father gave it to her for her first birthday.

Before finding temporary shelter away from the front line, Aliona's family spent two weeks in a kindergarten in Okhtyrka that had become a temporary refuge for displaced families. Sitting in a room filled with beds and strangers, Alyona kept hold of her beloved Motya, which gave her a sense of something familiar in the middle of a strange place.

“Motya is always with me,” she says. “He is seven years old, and I am only one year older than him. I sleep with him, he is my favourite. That's why I brought him with me.”

Milana and Omelka the doll

It has been three months since seven-year-old Milana and her parents, brother and sister left Myrnohrad, in the Donetsk region. She is still recovering from the large-scale shelling of the city and, even now, after moving to a safer village, Milana is frightened by loud noises and sleeps with the lights on. When she falls asleep, she hugs her doll, Omelka.

“When we were leaving Myrnohrad, there was shooting,” recalls Milana. “We were all leaving quickly, packing our things, a million things. I didn't take Omelka right away, because I was very upset. But my dad came back for her so that I wouldn't be sad.”

Milana’s kindergarten has been destroyed by shelling, and a nearby school has been damaged. But, even far from home, her doll is always there. She even appears in her dreams.

“I felt good at home. I had my own big room, and Omelka lived in it with me. And here we all live together in one room. We have little space, it's uncomfortable. It's not a good life for us now. I dream of my own room, where Omelka will have her own bed.”

Andriy and the orange truck

Five-year-old Andriy often asks his mother Katia when they are going home. Each time, she hesitates to answer, remembering her native, war-torn Vovchansk. Due to the devastating shelling, the family no longer has a home.

They spent the week before their evacuation hiding from the shelling in the cellar, with Andriy unable to go outside and see the sun. 

“He even had dark circles under his eyes,” recalls Katia.

The family had almost no time to pack, as they had to evacuate quickly. Katia packed only the essentials – documents, warm clothes and gadgets – so that the children could study online. But when Andriy asked to take his favourite toy, she could not refuse.

“This is my truck,” says Andriy. “It's really cool. My godfather gave it to me. I haven't seen him for a long time, but he calls me and says hello.”

Lyuba and her brother bunny

This is the second time five-year-old Lyuba has been evacuated.

Three years ago, after the escalation of the war in Ukraine, the girl and her family were forced to flee Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region. In Lviv, they waited out the fighting for several months, temporarily settling in a hostel. Lyuba does not remember that period of her childhood very well. But she still has the soft toy – a “bunny brother” – that was given to her by volunteers who helped her family in Lviv and will now offer comfort once again.

“There is a lot of shooting in Pokrovsk, so we are going to Lviv again,” says Lyuba. “This is my brother bunny, he's coming with me.”

UNICEF is working with local authorities and partners to support children and families displaced from their homes with financial assistance, essential items and access to health, education, mental health and social services support.