The Quest for Connection Amidst Chaos
For the past two and a half years, Kateryna Bairachna has yearned to meet someone special, but the war in Ukraine constantly disrupts her search for companionship. Despite her efforts, she finds herself navigating a landscape fraught with challenges.
Ms. Bairachna did connect with a soldier, but their budding relationship was abruptly halted when he was deployed to the front lines. She also tried to engage with another man through text messages, but that connection fizzled out as he grappled with the anxiety of potential military draft.
On the dating app Bumble, she came across the profile of a hipster whose photos caught her eye. However, as she scrolled through his images, she was confronted with the reality of his life: he had an amputated leg, a stark reminder of the war’s toll. “I stared at his profile for a good 15 minutes, feeling a deep sense of sympathy for him,” Ms. Bairachna, 35, a marketing director for a clothing brand in Kyiv, recounted during an interview. This revelation led her to question her own emotional readiness for a relationship with a war veteran. Ultimately, she swiped left, eliminating him from her potential matches. “I realize I’m not prepared for that level of commitment right now,” she admitted.
The full-scale invasion by Russia has dramatically altered nearly every aspect of daily life in Ukraine. The conflict has left two-thirds of Ukrainians mourning the loss of a relative or friend. The once-familiar routines have been shattered, with hours-long blackouts now a common occurrence across the nation. Additionally, entire cities lie in ruins, devastated by relentless Russian strikes.
In the midst of this turmoil, the search for connection continues, as people gather over drinks in bars across Kyiv, attempting to find solace and camaraderie in shared experiences.
Kateryna Bairachna at her home in Kyiv: Ms. Bairachna reflects on her two and a half years of searching for someone special amidst a backdrop of war and uncertainty.
