Foto: Elena Tita / the Collection of war.ukraine.ua
Hey there! I am Anna Matviienko, a SEO Manager based in Dnipro, Ukraine, where I live and work amid the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War. This article shares a glimpse into my life during these challenging times and the reasons behind my decision to stay in Ukraine.
My Life Before the War
My mother is Belarusian, and my father is Russian. Thank God I was born in Ukraine 🙂 Such mixed marriages were typical in the Soviet Union, where national identities often blended. Luckily for me, my parents decided to live in Ukraine, and this land has always been my home.
I grew up in Dnipro, a city in central-eastern Ukraine, located along the Dnieper River. It has always been an important industrial and cultural hub, known for its aerospace industry, Cossack heritage, and resilience. Today, however, it stands just 110 kilometers from the frontline. The war has changed everything — missile strikes and air raid sirens have become a daily reality. Despite the danger, I made the decision to stay, and I will explain why later.
I graduated from a Ukrainian school and went on to study philology and journalism in higher education. My first real job, however, was at McDonald’s, and surprisingly, I learned a lot from it. One of the biggest lessons? How much my time is actually worth. Understanding efficiency, teamwork, and the value of structured processes shaped my work ethic early on.
After that, I worked for three years as a teacher of Ukrainian language and literature at a school. Teaching was both fulfilling and exhausting. I loved helping students connect with the beauty of our language, but like many teachers, I struggled financially. It was clear that passion alone wouldn’t pay the bills
Realizing I needed a change, I transitioned into SEO. After gaining experience in managing teams and large-scale projects, I shifted to an international company, where I worked on technical SEO for global markets.
Beyond SEO, I also co-founded Dnipro.media — an independent online media platform dedicated to telling the real stories of Dnipro. We focus on breaking stereotypes about the city, highlighting its multicultural identity, volunteer initiatives, and the everyday resilience of its people.
Choosing to Stay
When the full-scale invasion began, many people I knew left Ukraine, seeking safety abroad. Some of them urged me to do the same. But for me, leaving was never truly an option. Ukraine is my home. Dnipro is the city where I was born, and where my life has meaning. Even as missiles strike the city almost daily, I still feel that this is where I belong.
Unlike many Ukrainians who had to flee due to financial instability, I had the privilege of choice. My remote job in SEO meant that I could afford to live almost anywhere. My husband also ran a small private business, and together, we earned beyond the average Ukrainian salary. We could have packed our bags and started over somewhere safe. But we didn’t.
Instead, we made the decision to stay. For us, it wasn’t just about personal comfort. it was about responsibility. My husband and my brother both joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces, putting their lives on the line to protect our country. I couldn’t imagine building a new life elsewhere while they — and so many others — stood to defend the very land we grew up on.
Beyond personal reasons, I also wanted to stay to contribute in any way I could. War doesn’t just happen on the frontlines; it affects every part of life. While I don’t hold a weapon, I can still fight in my own way — by keeping businesses running, helping spread truthful information, and making sure that even in wartime, work continues. The Ukrainian economy needs people who stay, who keep going, and who rebuild. Leaving would have felt like giving up, and that’s something I refuse to do.
Living Through the War
When my husband and brother joined the army, life changed instantly. Waiting for their calls or messages just to know they were alive became an exhausting routine. Some days, I would stare at my phone, unable to focus on anything else. At the same time, I have to show up for work, meet deadlines, and stay productive, even when my mind is somewhere else entirely.
But war doesn’t allow you to just sit and wait: it demands action. In 2022, like many others, I threw myself into volunteering. At first, I did anything that was needed — helping gather supplies for hospitals, donating blood, making Molotov cocktails, sorting humanitarian aid. The need was everywhere, and it felt like the only way to cope with the chaos was to do something, anything.
Over time, though, I realized that constant switching between tasks was draining. The war wasn’t going to be over in weeks or months; this was a long-term fight, and to be effective, I had to focus on one thing and do it well. That’s when I started concentrating on making protective camouflage covers for the military. Ukrainian forces rely on them to hide vehicles, equipment, and positions from drones and enemy surveillance. The work never stops — seasons change, tactics evolve, and the covers need to be constantly adapted to new conditions.
It’s a small task in the grand scheme of things, but like every volunteer effort, it makes a difference. Through this, I found a way to contribute consistently, to be part of the resistance in a way that I could sustain for the long run. Because in war, every role matters, whether it’s on the frontlines or behind the scenes.
Hopes for the Future
I don’t know what to expect anymore.
Every day, the situation changes. one moment, there’s talk of ceasefires, the next, missile strikes. The latest US-Ukraine agreement suggests that diplomacy isn’t entirely dead, but peace still feels distant. The war is now deeply woven into our lives, and the idea that one deal or one political shift could suddenly change everything feels unrealistic.
For independent media in Ukraine, the future looks especially uncertain. The Trump administration has cut over 90% of USAID grants, programs that once helped sustain local journalism, including Dnipro.media. The space for independent reporting is shrinking, but we refuse to be silenced.
I don’t know what’s next, but what else is there to do but fight? Not just on the battlefield, but for truth, for transparency, for the right to tell our own stories.
Ukraine has been seeking peace since the very first second of the war, and we have always said that the only reason it continues is Russia.
Hela den här artikeln är skriven av Anna själv och delad med oss. Vi vill hjälpa till att berätta om hur situationen är, idag, för vanliga människor i Ukraina som har valt att stanna i sitt hemland. Anna kommer skriva fler artiklar där hon berättar om situationen för henne och de i hennes närhet. Vi tycker det är viktigt, framförallt med tanke på den senaste tidens utveckling, att berätta hur det ligger till. Direkt från källan, utan editering. Foto: Elena Tita / the Collection of war.ukraine.ua
