The director of Mariupol Construction College, Anton Bilai, who successfully brought three teenagers back home, shared his experience in another episode of the «Free our relatives» program.
Anton Bilai serves as the director of Mariupol Construction College. In the aftermath of the city’s occupation, Anton made efforts to rescue his students. Unfortunately, the children remained under occupation. Undeterred, the college director and his family relocated to the unoccupied territory, establishing the school in Khmelnytskyi. In 2022, Bilai successfully facilitated the return of two students from the occupied territory, namely teenagers Ivan Matkovsky and Maksym Boyko, becoming their guardian. In December 2023, Bilai managed to bring back another child, 17-year-old Mykhailo, who is an orphan and sought rescue on his own.
A month has passed since then, and Mykhailo is now in his first year at the construction college.
Anton Bilai: Mykhailo’s sister, also an orphan receiving full state support, has been studying at our college since 2021. She informed us that Mykhailo was in a family-type orphanage in Mariupol and had started to study in a college there but desired to return to his sisters. This information was relayed to the Ministry for Reintegration of the Occupied Territories, the Office of the President of Ukraine, the Office of the Ombudsman of Ukraine, and SOS Children’s Villages. Through collaborative efforts, we successfully brought Mykhailo out of the occupied territory.
We understand that the guardian of the family-type home observed Mykhailo’s attitude towards the situation and decided to place him in a college dormitory. Subsequently, she showed little interest in his well-being. The teaching staff also failed to notice Mykhailo’s absence from classes for four days, and no one took prompt action. Only upon his arrival in Khmelnytskyi did we inform his guardian that Mykhailo was with us. They began to grow anxious, but by then, it was too late.
Mykhailo: It is challenging to find oneself in a situation where you repeatedly hear about the «Russian world», with the notion that everyone was waititng for Russia. It was equally difficult to sit through college lectures that depict Ukrainians as «cruel» and predict the imminent disappearance of Ukraine, while glorifying Russia as a wonderful country supposedly poised to liberate us from Ukraine.
Every Monday, the teachers discussed the ongoing war, often attributing blame to Ukraine. Following the start of September, students at one school were instructed to bring sweets and drawings, intended to be sent to Russian soldiers.
Mykhailo: When the full-scale invasion began, our «mother» (a guardian in the orphanage) informed us about the situation, expressing relief that Russia had arrived, as she had anticipated. This sentiment was shared with both adult and younger children. At that time, I maintained hope, conversing with my sister and disregarding the teacher’s assertion that Ukraine would soon vanish.
Mykhailo: It was in September when I told my sister about my desire to leave for a free Ukraine, citing the advantage of living in a dormitory.
Mykhailo: I am aware that some families live poorly, while others fare better. It is particularly challenging for children whose parents struggle to find employment, given that not all jobs in Mariupol provide payment. Some cases involved minibus drivers not receiving their salaries.
The children I knew lived day-to-day, without any plans for the future and only existing in the present. Initially I wished to remain in Mariupol. But only in peacetime. However, witnessing the city being bombed, houses damaged, and shells protruding changed my perspective.
Mariupol can never be the same if Russia remains there.
Mykhailo: In some Mariupol schools, a few parents desired their children to learn Ukrainian, mainly high school students. Parents of younger students were less inclined to restore Ukrainian for their children.
Mykhailo: Upon college graduation, I plan to work in my specialty, construction. There will be enough work to rebuild Ukraine.
Anton Bilay: Numerous rehabilitation programs are available, and I anticipate both Mykhailo and I will undergo such rehabilitation soon. Nevertheless, the crucial aspect is that he is now surrounded by friends and family. Observing the support local organizations provided him in the initial days, including a laptop, clothes, and a voucher for a sports shop, offers significant psychological support.
Furthermore, although the admission campaign concluded when Mykhailo arrived, we submitted a letter, personally supported by the director of the Department of Education and Science of the Donetsk Regional State Administration, to enroll Mykhailo despite missing the first semester. His positive treatment extends beyond his sisters and me, including students and teachers.
Anton Bilay: Assisting children in the occupied territory is challenging, especially when their parents hold pro-Russian views. Cases have arisen where individuals, forced to acquire Russian passports in the occupied territory, face resistance when attempting to reach Ukraine through Europe. The occupiers are reluctant to let them leave, suggesting that this situation may only worsen.
On February 11, it became known that another child was returned to the territory controlled by Ukraine – a grandmother and her 16-year-old granddaughter were returned from the territory of Kherson region temporarily occupied by Russians. This was announced by the head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration, Oleksandr Prokudin.
According to him, «life under occupation is full of fear and horror. The story of a family who managed to return to the territory controlled by Ukraine proves this.» According to the head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration, the grandmother and her 16-year-old granddaughter could not leave because they were afraid of passing through enemy checkpoints. The relevant services worked with the family for a long time and helped them overcome all obstacles, Prokudin said.
Earlier, they managed to return the child from the occupied part of Zaporizhzhia region.
In December 2023, a woman named Maria turned to the Ministry of Reintegration. She asked for help in returning her young daughter from the temporarily occupied territory of Zaporizhzhia region.
At the time of the outbreak of full-scale war, the girl was staying with her grandparents there. They could not leave immediately because her grandmother was seriously ill. There was no way to transport her. It was also risky for the parents to take the girl alone.
When her grandmother passed away, Maria turned to us for help. After almost two years apart, the family was reunited. The return took place within the framework of the «Way Home» project.
The Ministry of Reintegration thanked everyone involved in this case, particularly the Ukrainian Child Rights Network.
Thanks to the joint efforts of this project, 56 children have already been returned.
As the Ministry reminded, those who witnessed the deportation of children can report it to Natalia Yemets, a specialist of the Ministry of Reintegration, by phone: (050) 562-03-13. You can also contact the hotline of the National Information Bureau: 16-48.
In times of war, the program «Free our relatives» tells the stories of people, cities, villages, and entire regions that have been captured by Russian invaders. We discuss the war crimes committed by the Kremlin and its troops against the Ukrainian people.
The program is hosted by Igor Kotelianets and Anastasia Bagalika.
The coverage of war crimes resulting from Russia’s war against Ukraine is made possible by the support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in the framework of the Human Rights in Action Program implemented by Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union.
Opinions, conclusions and recommendations presented in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID, the United States Government. The contents are the responsibility of the authors.