Bangs of bonfire night could 'bring back awful memories', says Ukrainian in Stamford
Maria Berestovska is determined to embrace tradition on November 5
A Ukrainian mum living in Stamford says she'll be comforting her daughter this weekend, with fireworks sounding "very similar" to the explosions they heard back home.
Maria Berestovska fled her home in the Kyiv region in June with her 2-year-old Hanna, while her husband Glib stayed behind.
She told us they packed their things and jumped in the car as soon as they heard nearby Russian missile attacks on the capital.
'The sounds of fireworks are actually very similar to the sounds of explosions so, yes, I expect Hanna to be scared, but I hope to be able to sooth her and distract her just like we did when we were back in Ukraine', she said.
She added: 'For those who have heard explosions multiple times I'm sure it will be very difficult, but life goes on and things like that will keep happening - any loud noise could make people feel scared and could bring back awful memories.'
Embracing tradition
Maria also stressed how thankful she is to the Stamford family that took them in - and says Ukrainians everywhere want to embrace UK tradition as much as possible:
'We have been welcomed by the British people here in their homes and we have been treated with respect and care. We are guests here and I think it is important for anyone actually coming to another country to take into consideration the traditions and customs of those who have done so much for us.'
She also mentioned that Ukrainians will never forget the sounds of Russian attacks on their homes, but they'll have to learn to live with the awful memories:
'Army veterans back home in Ukraine, especially those with PTSD, find it extremely difficult to bear, as well as those Ukrainians who've witnessed Russian shelling attacks.'