A MOTHER-of-three continues to find sanctuary in Carlisle as the clock ticks past two years since the onset of war on her homeland. 

Olga Leontieva, a Ukrainian refugee who fled her homeland with her three teenage children, first arrived in Carlisle in September 2022 to stay with newly found sponsors under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme.

She will be one of 142,600 others who have fled Ukraine to come to the UK under the visa policy. 

"We had to move quickly when the war started, it was decided within a couple of days," Olga said, describing the experience of fleeing her hometown of Nizhyn as Russian troops surrounded the city. 

"It was a difficult decision.

"My friend had an ordinary car with a full tank, there were eight people in that car carrying only small bags, five children and three women - you couldn't get eight people in that," she said.

After living briefly in Poland, Olga decided to bring her family to the UK. 

Olga, now a teaching assistant in Carlisle, said the transition to life in a new country was more challenging for her children. 

"They miss their friends, school, and grandparents," she said. 

"They want to go back but it's very hard to explain to teenagers that it's still dangerous to return.

"When you're a teenager you're rebellious you want to have it your way, and you're not quite as aware of the dangers." 

Whilst Nizhyn is currently not occupied by Russian forces, the city where Olga's family resides, is subject to regular rockets flying overhead due to its location near the border. 

Despite the challenges, Olga remains hopeful for her country's future, buoyed by the support of her newfound community in Carlisle.

"I have found a lot of friends here, my sponsors who I'm still in touch with, colleagues, support from my church - who are all really nice.

"For me, it's now a second home."

Olga was one of over 200 attendees in Carlisle's Greenmarket on February 24 who turned out for the city's second vigil for Ukraine. 

"In comparison to last year, you can see much fewer people came.

"It reflects the mood that people aren't as interested anymore. But for us Ukrainians who came, it's more personal.

"You can hardly find a family who hasn't had some relative or friends killed. There are almost no families unaffected. 

"It was important for us as a community to pay tribute to those who are fighting for our country and those who have died.

"People need to realise if Ukraine falls, it won't just stop there and it will impact a much larger group of people," she said.