“I would like to ask you to help me to live in Belgium”
“Your Royal Highnesses King Philippe and Queen Mathilde!”
My name is Ksenia Zbyshko and I am from Kyiv, Ukraine. Newly, I congratulated you on the 400th anniversary of the Manneken-Pis fountain and on the day of the royal dynasty. I also gave You a gift that I created, a “Pissing Cat” statue.
I would like to tell you a story about my family and the war. We were in our house near kyiv until Russian troops invaded. On the morning of February 24, 2022, we heard bombs going off. Every day the explosions became more successful and closer.
My little sister and I lived in the bathroom with my father and mother, because it was dangerous to be in the other rooms and it was very cold in the other rooms. There was no light, heating or water for four days.
We were talking in whispers, and it was very scary. So we lived in these conditions for 10 days.
I gave up everything
My parents were able to take my sister and me to Kyiv through many military checkpoints, and as we drove, we prayed we weren’t shot.
We had to leave Kyiv for Western Ukraine, because my sister and I were very afraid of sirens and explosions, and because of the danger in our region.
When we were leaving kyiv, bombs hit our neighbors on the street, their garage and warehouse exploded.
My four-year-old sister Yesenia still jumps with every knock, and in the evening we whisper for some reason.
I am very sad and sometimes I cry, because I don’t know what happens to my house, my works, drawings, paintings, bas-reliefs, sculptures. Are they already destroyed, or are they still in their place? I’m devastated because I lost not only all of my childhood art, but also our home. My family and I are now called refugees.
When we realized it was time to leave, I gave up everything, but asked my parents not to leave my cat sculpture with the occupants and we took it with us as a souvenir of my work, of my dreams, my hopes and my love for Belgium.
For subjective reasons, I cannot leave the country quickly and immediately go abroad with my family and my father included.
It is terrible that war has come to my country, but I still dream of studying at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts and I want my dream to come true.
Dear King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, I would like to ask You to help me to live in Belgium now and to participate in solving my problem.
With hope, gratitude and best wishes.”
Ksenia Zbyshko, 13 years old.