Viktoria’s Story: Starting a new life in the UK
Ukrainecast
BBC
4.7 • 1K Ratings
🗓️ 28 December 2022
⏱️ 20 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Ukrainecast has been following the story of Viktoria Kovalenko, whose husband and 12-year-old daughter Veronika were killed in front of her when they tried to escape from the besieged town of Chernihiv in the early days of the war. After weeks of hiding in bunkers, Viktoria and her surviving baby daughter Varvara eventually managed to find their way to Poland. Viktoria’s dream was to get to the UK to start a new chapter for Varvara. After 191 days of waiting for a visa, they, together with Viktoria’s brother, finally arrived in England and came into the Ukrainecast studio. In an emotional meeting with Victoria Derbyshire, Viktoria talks about loss, hope and why she could never leave Ukraine permanently. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Ivana Davidovic. Alison Gee is the assistant editor. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 0330 1239480.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC sounds, music, radio, podcasts. |
| 0:05.0 | Hello, it's 308 days since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine. |
| 0:10.6 | And since February the 24th, this podcast has very much been about the personal testimony |
| 0:17.0 | of those most affected by this conflict. |
| 0:21.2 | In this episode, we are catching up with one of those people whose story will stay with |
| 0:27.9 | me and perhaps you forever. |
| 0:31.9 | Victoria's story. |
| 0:34.9 | This is Ukraine's cast. |
| 0:36.9 | Ukraine's cast from this news. |
| 0:39.9 | The question for us now is to be or not to be. |
| 0:43.9 | I'm ordering the Ministry of Defence to put the strategic nuclear forces on special alert. |
| 0:49.9 | I could not imagine that I would find out that actually my home is bombed. |
| 0:54.9 | Putin is the aggressor. |
| 0:56.9 | He will never be able to cleanse the blood from his hands. |
| 1:02.9 | Back in the summer, we made contact with a mum called Victoria Kovalenko, a resident of |
| 1:08.9 | Cherneheve in northern Ukraine. |
| 1:11.9 | Just after the start of the war in early March, he had tried to escape with her husband Petro, |
| 1:17.9 | their 12-year-old daughter Veronica, and their one-year-old baby girl, Vavara. |
| 1:23.9 | Tragically, during their attempted escape, Petro and Veronica were killed in front of Victoria. |
| 1:33.9 | Victoria told us here on Ukraine cast what happened. |
| 1:37.9 | Her words are translated by friend of the podcast, Irena Taranuk, from the BBC's Ukrainian service. |
| 1:44.9 | We went to the road. |
... |
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