Lyudmyla Artysh

Lyudmyla Artysh
08/03/1974
Rivne, Ukraine

I am a woman, a mother, a wife, and a nurse.
I chose to emigrate and have lived in Porto for many years. Most of my life has been built here. For that reason, part of me is already Portuguese, and I can also say that I am from Porto.
It was in this place that I learned a deeper sense of empathy — a learning greatly inspired by the Portuguese people. I founded a Ukrainian educational and cultural centre to support integration, but also to preserve who we are: our language, our memory, and our identity, shared with those who welcome us.
(...)
I want to live in this territory that I already feel as my own. I have been building relationships, and one of my projects is a Ukrainian cultural and educational centre, the branch of the Association of Ukrainians in Portugal in the Porto Metropolitan Area. It includes a Ukrainian school, a folk group, and a support structure for immigrant integration and Portuguese language skills development.
I live with the desire to bring Ukrainian culture to the people of Porto and to promote interaction between Ukrainian and Portuguese cultures.
(...)
I feel that I have finally managed to sense that “soul” everyone talks about — the soul of Porto. A unique soul with its own strength. I love walking through the city centre, feeling the pulse of the streets and the openness of the people, the empathy revealed in small gestures and attentive glances. Parque da Cidade remains my favourite place.
(...)
I feel that language is the greatest challenge for Ukrainian immigrants. I also notice that differences in how everyday situations are approached and resolved have a major impact on the lives of Ukrainian migrants.
(...)
I wish to continue my projects: supporting the Ukrainian community in its integration into Portuguese society. I wish to share our culture, celebrate our folklore, and keep alive an identity that was once erased and that connects us to our roots, showing it with pride to those who welcome us.