“In Kyiv, I realized that courage means being afraid and doing it anyway.”

Klaudia Brzezińska is a Polish IT specialist and aerial acrobat for whom Kyiv has become a second home. Since 2023, she has been living between two countries. During this time, she has not only adapted to life in the city and independently learned Ukrainian, but has also discovered a Kyiv that, despite the war, continues to live and evolve.

In her free time in Kyiv, Klaudia teaches aerial acrobatics classes, strolls around Maidan, attends theater performances and music concerts, and meets friends in Podil in the evenings.

The VisitKyiv.com team spoke with Klaudia about her move to Kyiv, the role of sport and art in integrating into city life, and the personal transformations she experienced here.

First Encounter with Kyiv

I first visited Kyiv in 2019 for New Year’s Eve. At that time, I was living in Austria and invited my German and Austrian friends to celebrate the holiday in Ukraine. However, it was a short trip, just for the festive period, after which I planned to return. Soon after, the pandemic began. Because of restrictions and general uncertainty, I postponed returning to Kyiv for better times, which never really came.

Twenty days before the full-scale invasion, I visited peaceful Kyiv for the last time. There was a sense that the pandemic was coming to an end, but that war would likely begin very soon.

That was when I finally managed to visit Chornobyl — a small dream of mine, as I had previously studied physics and wanted to see the consequences it could have. During that trip, I also met the owner of a Kyiv aerial acrobatics studio, and we became friends.

At the end of May 2022, I returned to Kyiv. Most of my experience with the city has been during wartime. I enjoyed spending time here and made friends, so eventually I decided to move. I was working as a programmer and was allowed to work remotely, so in 2023, I fully relocated to Kyiv.

Life in the City During War

The first time I came to Ukraine during the war was at the end of May 2022. It was my first real experience of war, seeing it not through the news but in person.

I remember my first air raid alert in the city: I was in shock, while no one around me was panicking or running to shelters. It felt strange that only a few months had passed since the beginning, yet people were reacting so calmly.

Only later, when I began living in Kyiv, did I understand why. For those who had lived through the first months of the war, it felt very different from what it did for me.

Sport and Community: A Path to Connection in Kyiv

In my free time, I practice aerial acrobatics, and it was through sport that I met many people in Kyiv. It was my first real connection to the city. We trained together, went to a summer camp, and took part in competitions.

Over time, it became more than just a sport — we started spending time together around the city and meeting new people. Step by step, through the sports community and friends of friends, I gradually integrated into Kyiv life.

By the way, it was largely thanks to this constant communication that I learned Ukrainian. I still make many mistakes, but I can communicate.

The Role of Art During War

As soon as I arrived in Kyiv, I almost immediately began teaching acrobatics. I knew the studio owner, told her about my move, and she offered me a job right away. Even now, when I visit, I give private lessons.

Art truly helps people process the war. Some do it through painting or photography. Others through sport or dance. It becomes a way to withstand emotional pressure, express experiences, and regain a sense of control over one’s life.

I often attend stand-up shows and theater performances where jokes and storylines frequently touch on the war. When you talk about it and joke about it with others, you realize you’re not alone; everyone around you is experiencing similar emotions.

Everyday Life and Leisure During War

After moving, I realized that no one can truly understand what it’s like to live in a war until they come here and see it with their own eyes.

When I hear my friends’ questions, I understand that they don’t fully grasp what living in a war means. They imagine constant explosions 24/7. For us, it’s life between air raid alerts.

I explain to them: even during World War II in Warsaw, people went on vacations and attended parties. It’s similar here — people want to live. We live under these conditions, accepting air raid alerts as part of life.

Kyiv as a Space for Inner Change

I used to think I wasn’t brave. I thought brave people were those fighting on the front lines or carrying out acts of resistance in russia.

But in Kyiv, I realized that courage isn’t only about such large-scale actions. Courage means being afraid and doing it anyway. I realized I have a lot of it because I had never experienced war before, didn’t speak Ukrainian, and had never lived in Kyiv. Yet I came here simply with the desire to discover the city. That, too, is courage.

Here, I understood that you don’t have to go to the front to demonstrate bravery; there are other ways. The people of Kyiv showed me that I also possess courage. It influenced me deeply, and I eventually founded an aerial gymnastics foundation in Poland, because I realized I simply could.

Living Through War: The Importance of Conscious Choice

Obviously, the war is ongoing, and that will not change overnight. That is why people need to have a clear understanding of the real conditions. Of course, Ukraine is a free country, and you can come here. At the same time, when I invite friends to travel with me, I cannot promise they won’t wake up to sirens.

“Am I ready for that level of stress?” — that is a question everyone must answer for themselves before coming. That is the essence of freedom — having the ability to make such decisions independently.

When I moved, I was confident everything would be fine because my friends lived here. But after experiencing the first explosions and drone attacks, I realized I had not fully understood the reality of the situation.

If Kyiv Were a Person…

For me, Kyiv has the face of a young, brave woman who has endured a great deal. The woman here symbolizes change: when she can create change, it means the community is ready for it. It’s about women having a voice and the power to influence.

Klaudia has created her own YouTube channel and Instagram page where she talks about everyday life in the city during wartime and international politics. She has also produced a documentary film about gymnastics studios in Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Dnipro that continue to operate despite air raid alerts and explosions.