Pavlo Yekymov

Ukraine

2022

„The first war started in 2014, after the annexation of Crimea. And my territory was […] occupied. I've been living in this reality since 2014.“

Pavlo Yekymov was born in 1989 in the Luhansk region, the son of a miner and a social worker. In the hard times of Ukraine's new independence, he dreamed of „travelling, foreign languages and tropical fruits.“
„Nobody thought politically, people were fighting for survival, many were pro-Russian", he says.

Pavlo Yekymov, after finishing his studies, decided to work on cruise ships from 2013 onwards, leaving Ukraine for this purpose. The civil war in the new „Luhansk People's Republic“ that began in 2014 made family visits riskier for the young man. There was a risk of arrest, forced recruitment and killing in the event of inappropriate behaviour. Returning to this region was not an option for him.

Back in Ukraine, he worked for five years as a teacher of English and German in Kharkiv and Kiev before experiencing the Russian attack in February 2022. The dangerous situation, concern for his girlfriend and the loss of his job prompted him to leave the country. Classified as unfit for the army, he was able to cross the border into Germany on March 28, 2022.

When he arrived in Saxony, he was offered a job as a teacher (still without accommodation) on his first day. For two years he has been working at two secondary schools as a teacher for German as a second language (DAZ) in the county.

The Region Luhansk 

In April 2014, the Luhansk People's Republic, which is not recognised under international law, was proclaimed. Earlier, separatists gained control of city administrations with the support of Russian paramilitary troops. Together with the Donetsk People's Republic, it was annexed by the Russian Federation in violation of international law after a sham referendum in 2022 that was not internationally recognised.