Like many Ukrainians, she hoped the ousting of Yanukovych would mark a new departure for Ukraine, but Russian president Vladimir Putin annexed Crimea and sent his proxy forces into the Donbas, thus beginning eight years of conflict. “We hoped things would change, but Russian was too powerful.”
She volunteered for the military but never heard back from them. Eventually her parents persuaded her to leave Ukraine. “My parents were insisting that I needed to go. ‘You are young, you need to go,’ they said.” She arrived on March 19th and stayed at the St Catherine’s Community Sports Centre in Dublin 8, then the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Blanchardstown, followed by a few weeks in Citywest Hotel. This was at the time when thousands of Ukrainians were arriving in Ireland every day.
She admits to being so preoccupied with the politics of her native Ukraine that she has not been following the domestic travails of the Taoiseach, but acknowledges that Irish Government support for Ukraine has been strong. He took her on part-time as a student just two weeks after he arrived. She applied for a PhD in Musicology in the RIAM and was accepted as a student this year. She also played in the National Concert Hall in December with other Ukrainian refugees who are now musicians at the academy. “It’s an academy of dreams,” she says. “They are trying to make us into artists. It is a very holistic thing. I really enjoy it.
“This instrument has more power than Russian propaganda without saying anything, just sounds,” she says. “This instrument is sound as history. The organ has had the same sound for the last 500 years.”She first came to the attention of The Irish Times not because of her relationship with the Taoiseach, but because of her objection to a ballet company performing Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake around Ireland later this month.
At least he helping. Lots of comments by others are derogatory and hateful towards everyone and everything. Dammed if you do dammed if you don't. typical 🇮🇪 begrudgery. Always looking for the negatives. Give the man a break at least he helping in some way.
UkraineIreland LeoVaradkar when Joe goes home you need to Ukraine to re-emphasise Ireland’s unequivocal support for the country and it’s people.
'Yeah wel, I bet he wouldn't take an immigrant into his house' *Takes an immigrant into his house* 'Yeah well, well, well, well, well, ' *Head Explodes*
PR ' Leo you'll need to take in a Ukranian ' Leo ' oh ill have a middle class female academic please '
So LeoVaradkar gets a female artist, while the common folk get unvetted undocumented thugs?
Virtue signaling. While Irish people are struggling to pay their mortgages, energy bills or even a home to live in. Leo, his cronies and the rest of the previous government should be fired for incompetence.
Bet she was hand picked.
I love the fact people in the comments are so in tune with what Leo, irishtimes and the paid advisors from our tax are up to. Gives me hope 🙌
Irish times. Leo Varadkar PR. Same shite.
Poor girl just can’t catch a break
Leo phoning in his 'I Took A Refugee' piece for the Irish Times.
She must have an arse like a clowns pocket
Sorry, but politicians inviting refugees into their homes can only be seen as politically motivated. You want votes, do what voters desperately need. Build homes.
This is propaganda, show us the devil's at citywest?
A musician. What good luck. Imagine he got a 62 year old carpenter with a bad cough.
Copy and paste. 🙄
Pity such unwelcome focus is being put on the girl who's completely innocent of both Zelensky the deceiver and Leo the spoofer. But who here writing derogatory comments has taken a refugee into their home?
No Albanian lad in that house!
I bet he took no one in and this is just a last minute stunt
He probably pulled a few string for him wyel he was blowing his floot 🤔🤫
Yes the totally not hand picked Ukrainian pianist deserves yet another article You are enough to give someone a dose of the shits
She would be as safe in Kiev now as she would be in Dublin.
Oh what a distraction from his decision to lift the eviction ban and put more women and children onto the streets for April. A horrible thing to do during a housing emergency that he created.
Any musicians amongst the homeless indigenous population?
Nice deflectional puff piece..
Gonna go read the comments. Expect them to be completely reasonable.
From one tragedy to the other one.
Regurgitated PR peice for Leo from the indo again ! . He hand picked her . vertue signalling to get support for himself. I really doubt if it was an act of obligation or moral duty, he really likes slapping himself on the back ! We ain't stupid !
Give me the front lines of bakhmut any day over Leo and Matt's omelettes
Simple, because LeotheLeak got about 20 to pick from and picked the sweet Ukrainian pianist. Also picked female deliberately.
How many times are you going to do articles on this and how much are people getting paid to house Ukrainians again?
You posted this before. Was LeoVaradkar bringing home lads he pulled?
I thought his personal life was off bounds since he was caught scoring a very young lad not his partner in a nightclub?
We had a name in Ireland for women who only hung out with gay men, the term is offensive on Twitter, so f*g h*g, it was.
I know Ukraine is the most sexually corrupt country in the world, but even you can't turn a gay man straight.
Client journalism
Pure and utter fluff piece. FG and FF are done
She fled nothing. She calmly picked which country she wanted to go to for a free holiday. She picked Ireland, they always pick Ireland.
Any leaks in the house
We've seen this Fluff piece before 🙄
pinocchiorebel She'll be safe enough with him 😏
While kids on the street
Pr stunt for Leo 5th count
10,000+ Ukrainian refugees are being hosted in homes in Ireland. It is the unsung success story that in some small way is helping alleviate this dual crisis, war in Ukraine and accommodation crisis in Ireland.
She didn't like the benefits in Poland, Germany or Denmark.
More arse licking rag mag.
Shoulda picked him instead !
How many Irish people get to choose the immigrant they take in.? How many Irish people will use that immigrant to enhance their political profile.? How many Irish people have media companies to push their those enhancements.? 'Oh to be a Taoiseach'.
Is that the person with the PHD doing another degree at the taxpayer’s expense?
If you think people don't recognise total pro government propaganda, you are treating the electorate as fools.. that's not for free.
He should be made house refugees from every country that comes here. Not just women and children, the majority are single males. I support multiculturism inside Leo Varadker's house. He needs about 10 Georgians in there to have the correct Ukrainian to Georgian Ratio.
He should be made house refugees from every country that comes here. Not just women and children, the majority are single males. I support multiculturism inside Leo Varadker's house. He needs about 10 Georgians in there to have the correct Ukrainian to Georgian Ratio.
She looks like Greta thumburg with longer hair,🤔
Lots of articles about Ukrainians in MSM today. But they are not connected. At all. No way.
Yea, well it wouldn’t be the welfare she’s here for anyway, or the amazing meal prep that the gay doctor does.
Lovely piece extolling the virtues of varadkar. That’s what client media does for you
Didn't realise Leo lived in a church.
Its beginning to feel like these 'stories' are coordinated.
That is SO inspiring! I'm going to ask my daughter to move out, so I can house a Ukranian refugee. I'm sure that will generate more clicks than she ever would.
Homelessness record broken again as 11,754 people in emergency accommodation in January
This is news? What a rag and disgrace to call yourselves a newspaper . Why not just print as “ government communications provider “.
Leo Varadkar takes a young female Ukrainian musician into his home. All while his government dumps tens of thousands of undocumented unvetted male migrants into working class communities. Now the Irish Times does a lovely fluff piece for Leo. HowIrelandWorks IrelandisFull
2 days in a row with this bullshit.
Why is it always feel good stories whenever the MSM write about them, why no mention of the murder of Asling Murphy and now no mention of the woman from Dungarvan who was sexualy assaulted by four roma gypsies?
Jesus' election must be near, leo trying to clean up his image. If this was really about helping someone, how did it make front line news.
The PR machines roll on
It's a heartwaming story. But it would be wrong and exploitative to use Olesia's story as part of the campaign to rehabilitate Leo in the vain hope that FineGael will escape another decimation come the election. LeoVaradkar rtenews Independent_ie irishexaminer thejournal_ie