Tiya Bychkhidzhy (name changed) was born and raised in the Donetsk region and spent nine years under occupation. She made the decision to leave with nothing but her cat and spent a year and a half fighting to obtain a Ukrainian passport. She knows firsthand every obstacle on that path — and had to face them alone. She was forced to grow up too early and still mourns the childish, carefree experiences she never got to have. Tiya wants Donetsk region and Crimea to be heard louder in the public sphere — and is doing everything she can to make that happen.
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