Stories From Ukraine: Kardelen Güner
Today, we want you to meet Kardelen Guner, Tutor Success Lead at Preply. Six years ago, Ukraine became Karde’s second home. On February 24, 2022, she woke up to the news that her chosen home is under attack.
‘’Two weeks before the war, I went to Ankara, Turkey to renew my visa. I already planned my way back to Ukraine, but got Covid-19 and was hospitalized. When the war started I was still in Turkey. It was a shock for me. I started to panic and worry about the people I care for. I called the Turkish Embassy to check if they can help with the evacuation of friends.
I was feeling angry. I went in front of the Russian Embassy in Ankara. I was standing alone there and holding a “STOP THE WAR” poster. Security asked me what I was doing and warned me that I had only 30 minutes to leave, otherwise, they would take me into custody.
I try to explain to people that no matter your physical distance from this war, you are connected to it. You shouldn’t think that you are not threatened by what is happening in Ukraine. This war represents the clash of systems. If we don’t overcome the evil and ensure international law, there’s no guarantee that any terrorist country will try to invade other independent states to impose their perception of justice, history, and way of living. If you want to be a conformist and deny the potential impact of this war, it’s okay, but this means that you pave the danger of losing what is dear to you tomorrow.
As a feminist, I feel this war is related to toxic masculinity when men in power follow the ideology that “I have the right to do everything as it pleases me with no accountability!”. During discussions about the war, I use this analogy: Ukraine is an independent woman, who wants to divorce or already divorced this toxic guy [Russia], who still keeps pushing and saying ”You cannot exist independently, either you are mine or dead.”
I’ve been living in Kyiv for more than 6 years and working at Preply for more than 5. Ukraine became my second home. I’m not afraid to come back because it’s my home. I left my apartment, my belongings, my friends, and my team in Ukraine — people I see every day. I had to go back, to hug them, show my support and see my beautiful Kyiv again.
Ukraine gave me this feeling of belonging that I can exist as Kardelen with a different cultural background and different identity, but I can be myself in this country, in this city with all these amazing people.
Ukraine brings hope that a new world is possible. As Zelensky calls it “the Ukrainian peace model”. I like it and I think at Preply, we also show that it’s possible to live like that: we’ve got a big international team, we’re coming from different backgrounds, and beliefs, and we have different personalities, but in the end, we found a common ground with respect, common goals and human values. I hope that things will change and that the world will change. If you can change as an individual, you have the power to change other things on a global scale.’’
