The meaning of home in Eastern Europe
Home in Eastern Europe is not just a building – it’s the heart and soul of every family.
I was thinking about how much home means to people in Eastern Europe. It’s not just walls, just some bricks or wood — it’s a very important and cherished place for each family. It’s probably because our homes were always taken from us and destroyed: Russian colonization, communism, repressions, wars.
We’ve always lived in such an unstable environment that our homes served us like fortresses: places where we could rest from constant struggling and be ourselves. Home was a place where we could gain some control over our lives – no matter how unpredictable everything around us was. In Eastern Europe, home meant a safe place where you could openly express your thoughts and opinions, speak your language, and preserve your culture. A place where you protected and preserved your identity, family, memories, and your truth.
Maybe because we’ve been through so much sorrow and grief and had to survive in the harshest conditions, we made our homes cozy, warm, colorful, and inviting. Homes where you feel welcome, where you feel that you belong. Homes that smell of fresh-baked pies, homes that wrap you like a cozy blanket. Homes where you immediately feel like part of a family. It breaks my heart to witness the destruction of Ukrainian homes. Because Russians destroy not only buildings — they destroy the heart and soul of every family. I can’t stop thinking about how much love and effort was put into each house — and how much was lost because of Russian aggression.
I saw that, for some reason, Russia is considered to be a part of Eastern Europe, and I wholeheartedly disagree with it. Eastern Europeans cherish and love their homes, and they don’t destroy the homes of others – because they know what it is like to build something all your life and then lose it in one moment.
My Belarusian and Ukrainian families are currently scattered all across Eastern Europe. They fled their homes, not knowing when they would be able to return. If they could come back at all. However, in the middle of all this pain and suffering, something good happened: the whole Eastern Europe united and became one big home. It became a place where millions of families like mine are welcomed, protected, and safe. A place where everyone feels like part of one big family. It became a home that Russians would never be able to destroy.
Warmly,
Darya
Email: daryazorka@substack.com
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Homefulness.
Re-reading this, again, with respect and appreciation.