Ser. Ioann

In the quiet hours of the evening, nestled in the room I shared with my sister, the world of imagination opened its doors to us. As children in a corner of the vast world, our nightly ritual involved crafting fairy tales, not from the pages of books, but from the boundless realms of our minds. These stories, woven spontaneously, were quaint tapestries of fantasy and whimsy. In retrospect, their plots may seem disjointed, their scenarios absurd, yet they were the seeds from which my storytelling roots grew. Often, we cast horses as our gallant heroes, galloping through adventures that defied the dullness of reality, traversing fantastical lands that lay far beyond the mundane.

I was born under the shadow of a crumbling empire, but it was in the nascent, turbulent years of Ukraine's independence where my true journey began. The 1990s were a crucible of change – my country was shedding its old skin, striving to forge its identity, and I, a young spectator, was absorbing every moment. The era was marred by chaos; I saw the harsh reality of a society in transition, epitomized by the struggles my father endured against the rising tide of lawlessness that threatened his business.

The turn of the millennium brought a semblance of stability. As Ukraine strove to find its footing, so did I. The early 2000s were like navigating a labyrinth – for every path that led upwards, there were others that spiraled downwards. My personal journey echoed the resilience of my homeland, rising steadily, albeit against the push and pull of challenging circumstances.

The war that followed was a chapter written in uncertainty and strife. While I was not among the most afflicted, its shadows touched my life, leaving an indelible mark. In this times of turmoil, a conviction crystallized within me, a resolute belief in where I belonged and where I did not – I DO NOT want to be to Russia.

Today, my life is a library of stories – some complete, others waiting patiently for their final chapters. Each tale is a fragment of my journey, a reflection of a path walked in parallel with a nation finding its way. As I continue to grow and evolve, my pen is my compass, guiding me through the uncharted territories of imagination and experience. I stand at a threshold, eager to explore the vast expanses of storytelling, ready to share my voice with the world.