SOURCES OF MEANING IN THE LIVES OF PEOPLE LEAVING WAR ZONES IN UKRAINE

The Russian invasion of Ukraine forced a large number of people to leave their homes and seek safety abroad, leading to many challenges and hardships. The objective of this research is to empirically examine and describe the sources of meaning in the lives of people who have left Ukraine as a result of the military conflict. The research focuses on the difficulties experienced by people leaving the war zones in Ukraine and the sources of support that have helped them cope with these challenges whilst in Czechia. The study has a qualitative design and uses semi-structured interviews with ten respondents who have left Ukraine due to the war. The interviews were then analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). The results show that most respondents suffered from sleep disturbances and anxiety in the first few months after arrival. Children demonstrated physiological distress in the form of asthma attacks. The most pressing difficulty for the participants was the longing and fear for their loved ones who had remained behind in Ukraine. Man respondents experienced difficulties finding a suitable job and faced discrimination. On a positive note however, the people interviewed encountered a great deal of human assistance which was a significant source of support for them. Social support and the role of informal networks such as friends, neighbours and volunteers, are among the crucial factors for adaptation and coping with difficult situations. The present research identifies the main sources of support that have helped Ukrainians manage the hardships associated with migration.