At school in occupied Crimea, Yuliia stood in line during the russian anthem, hid an earbud behind her hair and listened to Ukrainian songs. This was what her quiet inner protest looked like. 

Yuliia was born in Crimea. After the russian occupation, she stayed there with her grandmother, while her mother, father and older sister were in the territory controlled by Ukraine. For years, her family hoped to take her out, but at first this was prevented by closed borders and the pandemic, and after the full-scale war began, the situation became even more difficult. Yuliia’s father, who helped the Ukrainian military, was killed near Bakhmut in 2023.

At the age of 14, police came to see the girl because of pro-Ukrainian posts on social media. Yuliia was placed on a register and warned: if she engaged in any further pro-Ukrainian activity, her grandmother would have to pay a large fine. After that, the girl became more cautious, but she did not give up her Ukrainian identity. She studied the language and listened to Ukrainian music. 

There were days when Yuliia had almost resigned herself to the thought that she would remain in occupied Crimea. Until one day her mother called and said: in three months, she would be able to leave. 

Today, she is 19. She is studying graphic design, building her life in Ukraine, and tells young people who still remain under occupation not to lose hope of returning.