Tetiana Storozhko is a researcher, Roma activist, and public figure whose journey began with academic work and transformed into powerful activism. Born in Okhtyrka in the Sumy region, she began researching the history of local Roma while still in school, later focusing on the topic of the genocide and the preservation of memory through oral history. Since 2014, Tetiana has shifted her focus to non-formal education and public history, dedicating her efforts to the development of the Roma youth movement at the national and international levels. Shortly before the full-scale invasion, she returned to her native Okhtyrka, where she headed the youth council and promoted ideas of equality and inclusion at the local level.

The evening of February 23, 2022, was anxious. Tension was in the air, and despite persistent advice to leave, Tetiana could not abandon her mother, who categorically refused to evacuate. She remembers that evening for the image of the unusually calm lake near her school — the quiet before the storm, which she photographed as a keepsake.

The morning of February 24 began with the realization that war was inevitable. Due to the proximity to the border (40 km), the question of “to go or to stay?” was not an option. While hastily packing, Tetiana begged her mother to go with them, but she refused. They also had to leave a family member behind — the cat, Tom, so that her mother would not be alone. This moment was filled with despair and the fear of never seeing her loved ones again.

The escape journey, which lasted almost a full day, wound through forgotten field roads. The most difficult test was a crossroads in the middle of a field when her mother and other relatives began to call in a panic, demanding that she turn back. After tears and difficult deliberation, realizing that Russian troops could reach their town on foot, the decision was made to keep going. The road west turned into an endless column of cars, a “winding red snake,” along the sides of which were wrecked cars and the bodies of the dead.

While in evacuation, Tetiana lived in constant anxiety for her relatives, literally tracking air raid alerts in city chats to let them know when it was safe to leave the shelter. The turning point was a powerful bomb attack on the center of Okhtyrka in early March, after which her frightened mother finally agreed to leave.

Without abandoning her public activities, Tetiana and her colleagues became a bridge between Roma communities and international organizations, helping with evacuation, financial, and humanitarian support. In 2023, she founded the NGO “TENET,” which became a platform for supporting the Roma youth movement and preserving cultural heritage. Her work is a testament to resilience and resistance through the building of civil society, even in times of war.