Inna Smirnova

Inna Smirnova is an administrator at Ptakha Camp. In 2022, seeking a safe space after the shelling of Kharkiv, she came with her two sons as a participant in the first session. Her younger son Andriyko was not yet three, and the older one Dmytro was already in school. They have nowhere to return to in Kharkiv — their home was damaged by Russian shells.

"Ptakha Camp for me is not just a camp. It's a place where my children came alive again after seeing war with their own eyes. After the shelling and what we went through in Kharkiv, the younger one wouldn't let me go for a moment; he was always holding my hand wherever we went. When I walked away, the tears started. The older one stopped communicating not only with his peers but didn't want to talk to us or study," recalls Inna.

At Ptakha Camp we entered another world — no car noise, no explosions, everything quiet and calm. We started sleeping through the night; we didn't have to hide in the shelter for hours; we woke up in the morning to the sound of birds. The children calmed down, started joining in activities and talking to other kids. I finally felt relief from the constant stress of life in Kharkiv. And I saw how my children had changed — that was so important to me.

The atmosphere and purpose of the camp resonated with Inna so much that she decided to stay close to it. She is a psychologist by training, so that same year she started helping women and children as a volunteer. Inna has been returning to the camp for a fourth season — now as an administrator and psychologist.