Ukrainian Alexander Zhembrovskyy has just returned from a long trip from Poland, where he picked up nine relatives who had fled Kiev because of the war. The former dancer of the Dutch National Ballet helped his parents, who are 74 and 76 years old, during the long car ride to Amsterdam.
The journey was hard and long, especially for Alexander’s elderly parents. They are still recovering, but in the meantime the feeling of safety prevails. “We feel very good, we are safe,” says Alexander’s father. “We are concerned about our sons who stayed there to defend the country.”
Alexander also rescued his sister-in-law, her children, and her parents. He arranged accommodation for them with the help of connections in the city. In Kiev, his brothers stayed behind, one of whom is a colonel in the Ukrainian army. The other also stayed behind to fight against the Russians. Since the outbreak of the war, the TV in Alexander’s house has therefore been on continuously, especially when his parents were not yet safe.
Drama
He’s glad part of the family is safe now, but his thoughts are with those left behind. “Of course many of our relatives are still there,” he explains. “We don’t know what could happen to them. With my brothers and many men, among others. And in general with the people there. When children die, it doesn’t matter if it’s my family. It’s a drama for everyone. We are still in this dire situation and we are still stressed and worried.”
“In Kiev we lived on the 23rd floor and there were shots all the time, ‘boom, ‘bam’, there, my god.”
Help action
The challenge of getting his family to Amsterdam was enormous. His old father and mother could hardly leave; his mother suffers from heart disease and lung covid and there were no medicines available. Alexander therefore decided to set up an aid campaign to send medicines and other necessary products to Ukraine. He also started a fundraising campaign with his dance studio Zhembrovskyy. His students transferred money en masse, in addition to the proceeds of the dance lessons, all of which he donated.
His parents were trapped in their apartment all this time. “In Kiev we lived on the 23rd floor and there were shots all the time, ‘boom, ‘bam’, there, my god,” his mother recalls. “We actually wanted to travel to our summer cottage outside the city, but that has now turned out to be bombed. Fortunately, we went the other way.”
Familiar feeling
Due to the merits of Alexander in the dance world, he can and will mean a lot to others. He was a soloist with the Dutch National Ballet and danced with big stars such as Igone de Jong. The community of his own dance school helped with donations and goods, but at the same time it is a safe place for refugee young ballet dancers. “They fled the war with their mother or with family,” he says. “It is very important for ballet dancers to keep training. Every day counts. It also brings a familiar feeling in these circumstances.”
In this way he tries to bring joy to Ukrainian children. “And distraction from the war and what they’ve been through,” he adds. “I think it’s important to provide them with a safe place, but also to allow them to do something they love and teach.”
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