Maksym Surin is a young man from Kakhovka, in the Kherson region. Today he is safe: he lives in Uzhhorod and is receiving higher education at Uzhhorod National University. However, behind this status lies the difficult experience of life under occupation, receiving school education literally underground, and the difficult independent departure from his hometown. His story is an example of resilience and unwavering faith that one day the family will gather back home.
"The first thing Dad said was that the war had started"
The morning of February 24, 2022 for Maksym’s family began at five o’clock. Outside the window, there was constant flashing, the sounds of gunshots could be heard.
“The first thing my dad said was: “The war has begun.” At first, we didn’t know what to do. Relatives from different parts of the country started calling, everyone was worried. There was no information, and these first days were extremely tense. Later, when news from the president and journalists started coming in, it became a little easier, there was faith that we would be released,” the guy recalls.
| Russian troops near the Kakhovka administrative building, right in the city, and patrolling the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station. Фото: Oleksandr Hunko/Facebook, Kakhovka City Military Administration/Telegram, AP
However, the reality of the occupation turned out to be harsh. The zone where Maksym was located received the status of a “gray” zone: the territory was densely mined, drones were constantly flying in the sky, and the sounds of gunfire and explosions were sometimes literally deafening.
“I felt too much pressure — both from the occupation authorities and from collaborators. These are terrible people, sometimes our acquaintances. They knew everything about us and could tell the occupiers. It was scary to walk the streets. If you didn’t have Russian documents, you could simply be taken away, and no one would ever know what happened to you.”
| Kherson region, Kakhovka, the first days of the Russian invasion, a rally against the occupation, 2022. Photo: Liliya Martynova/Facebook
If in 2022 local residents were not yet forced to take Russian passports due to active hostilities, then at the beginning of 2023 the situation changed. According to Maksym, people were openly threatened: if they did not have Russian documents, they could simply take away their house and all their property. Medical care also became a tool of blackmail – hospitals accepted only those who had passports of the aggressor country.
High school diploma with honors in the underground
When the full-scale invasion began, Maksym was in the eighth grade. The second semester of that year simply did not exist for him. However, in the ninth grade, the opportunity to continue his studies remotely appeared - teachers who had left for the territory controlled by Ukraine resumed classes.
"Because of force, because of fear, I told my parents that I wanted to continue my studies, I wanted to get an education. The biggest difficulty was the constant pressure. If the occupiers had discovered the fact that I was studying at a Ukrainian school, it would have been very bad. Constant shelling, power and internet shutdowns also interfered. Sometimes the connection would disappear for a whole month, and I could not contact either the school or other people."
Despite these trials, the boy graduated from both the ninth and eleventh grades with honors. He clearly realized that he needed a higher education.
| Damage caused by Russia in Kakhovka. Фото: Kakhovka City Military Administration/Telegram,Kakhovka urban territorial community/Facebook,
The week-long road to freedom
In order to have a future, Maksym and his family made a difficult decision to leave. Volunteers helped organize the process. The guy set off on his own, planning to reach his relatives in Zakarpattia. The journey took a whole week.
“It was very difficult, especially on the first day. I was leaving alone and didn’t know the people I was going with. But the hardest thing was saying goodbye to my parents, to my room, even to my pets. When my parents handed me over to the volunteers and I was left standing alone, a clear realization came: now I’m here for myself.”
University admission and belief in return
After moving to a safe region, Maksym was able to gather his strength. He intensively revised the material, passed the oral exams with excellent results, and fulfilled his first dream after leaving — entering a university on a budget form of study. The young man explains his success simply:
"Believing in myself gave me strength. I became much more confident. I advise young people who are going through a similar path not to be afraid to ask for help, because when I asked, I was helped. Never stop believing in your own strength."
Despite the fact that Maksym is successfully building his life in Zakarpattia, his main goal remains the same. "When I first left, I immediately said to myself: now my goal is to return. I am helped by the belief that I will meet my relatives again, and our whole family will definitely gather at home," he concludes.