Olena Chyzhevska

Ukrainian refugee Olena Chyzhevska, aged 15, who arrived in the UK from the war-torn country with “only a few belongings and an ocean of fears,” has found a home and a passion for acting.

Olena was born in Ukraine in Lviv, far from the front line but which still suffered missile attacks. Her family stayed until the full-scale war began in 2022. 

Olena won one of the lead roles in the Lastivka School’s traditional Ukrainian Christmas Nativity play and is now a volunteer teaching assistant.

Now at King’s Academy Prospect, she is proud of how far she has come in English and French.

Performing with classmates at Reading Rep Theatre she wants to pursue theatre as a career.

Saniie Osmanova 

Saniie Osmanova’s family have been forced to move time and time again over decades including in 1944, when the Soviet regime forcibly deported Crimean Tatars from their homeland.

At Beechwood Primary in Woodley, she represented the Crimean Tatars (Qirimli), an indigenous people and minority group of Ukraine with a rich and unique culture.

When Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, the family had to move again; this time to Lviv in western Ukraine.

Making a new life here and learning English, she now goes to secondary school where she attends Rocksteady Music School, as well the Reading Ukrainian School Lastivka on Saturdays.

Recently, the family gave a presentation there about Qirimli history and culture.

Oleksandra Shevchuk

Oleksandra Shevchuk has faced the challenge of adapting to a new country, culture, and language “with determination and maturity beyond her years.”

In 2022, Oleksandra left her home in Bucha, Ukraine, when the town was occupied. 

She settled at The Hill Primary School, where she enjoys history and mentoring her school buddy. She took part in the school talent show, is a member of the choir, studies Japanese and is a Brownie and a big football fan. She joined Caversham AFC Swans, became team captain and helped her team win a tournament, saving penalties as goalkeeper. She was named Player of the Year.

She also helped collect and deliver over 1,000 English books for Ukrainian schoolchildren.

Dmytro Verekh

Dmytro (Dima) Verekh, aged 10, endured a long and terrifying journey across Ukraine to the Polish border with his family, in terrible traffic and in fear of missile attacks.

At the crossing, he had to say goodbye to his father, who remained in Ukraine. 

Dima struggled at first at school with no English, wishing to return home. Gradually, he adapted, helped by teachers, his host, and later, Reading Ukrainian School Lastivka, where he felt at home again.

Now Dima is safe in the UK and speaks English, excels in Maths and enjoys football, swimming, Scouts and Ukrainian folk dance with the ensemble Balamuty, which performs in Reading and across the UK. He dreams of returning to a free Ukraine one day.

See all this year’s winners