Singer Björn Casapietra has taken in a Ukrainian family in his Berlin apartment – although there is hardly any space. Now they are looking for a place of their own.
He sleeps on the couch, his bathroom is rarely free and instead of cooking for himself and his daughter, he has been cooking for five for three weeks: tenor Björn Casapietra (52) has had subtenants in his attic in Mitte for three weeks. The reason is the war.
When Putin invaded Ukraine four weeks ago, Björn Casapietra (52) picked up the phone and wrote a WhatsApp to Irina D. (37) in Ukraine. For a year now, the psychologist has been cleaning the attic of the celebrated Berlin tenor (sings folk songs, Schubert and operas) every two months. She commutes like so many others, because you can earn more with cleaning in Germany than as a doctor in the Ukraine. But now it’s not about work, it’s about survival.
“I immediately offered her to come here with her children,” says Casapietra, “and sent her a photo of the room where they could stay.” Irina lives with her mother, who is also regularly in Berlin to work, on a farm near Chernivtsi in western Ukraine.
“I found out from my daughter’s teacher that there was a war. She texted us saying the kids shouldn’t come to school,” she says. “We couldn’t hear anything at first.”
Irina D. hesitated for almost a week before leaving the country with her children. Her son has his friends in the village, she was torn. “There were always air raid warnings, but we really didn’t want to leave. But then I started having panic attacks and decided to leave.”
After three days she arrived in Berlin together with her children, her sister-in-law and her children. Via Romania, Hungary, by train and bus, three suitcases, without the dog.
Since then, the attic in Mitte, where Björn Casapietra usually lives with his daughter, has become a wild German-Ukrainian community. “There’s a bit of a lack of privacy,” says the singer. “There is basically only one door in my daughter Stella’s (13) room. Everyone likes to retreat there from time to time to have a little peace and quiet.”
Nevertheless, he has not regretted his offer. “When I look out here,” says the native of Köpenick with Italian roots, pointing to the many roof terraces in front of his window, “then for years I’ve seen several apartments in which the shutters are always down. These apartments are empty almost all year round because they belong to some rich people who are rarely there and still want to afford a home in Berlin.”
He wants to do better and offers shelter in his rooms: “This war is terrible, I think everyone can do a little bit to alleviate the suffering.” Nevertheless, the situation is not easy for Irina. “I’m very grateful that we can live here, but at the same time I don’t want to be a burden to anyone and I like being independent,” says the single mother, who lives separately from the father of her children.
In the last few weeks they have been trying to settle into Berlin as their new home. At the same time, they follow the situation in Ukraine: “My parents are still there, they don’t want to leave. My kids have friends who miss them, and I keep calling my neighbors to see if our house is still standing,” she says. “I don’t watch the news anymore because I just can’t take it.”
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She speaks and understands German. As before the war, she can continue to work as a cleaner here in Berlin. “But of course I would much rather work as a psychologist,” she says. “It’s my dream job, that’s what I studied for.” In the last few weeks she has registered in Berlin, opened an account and gotten health insurance. “My degree is also recognised, but I can’t find a job yet.”
The situation is more difficult for their children Maxim (14) and Anja (9). “My son often scolds us and says we’ve left and we have to go back to protect our country. He’s angry and sad.” She looks serious. “He’s lost all his friends and doesn’t speak any German yet.” Her daughter finds it a little easier, but she still has to find a school and learn the language. “At the same time, we don’t know how long we will stay here, how long the war will last,” says Irina. “We’re torn.”
Lessons for the children take place online via zoom with the former teacher in Ukraine. Of course, that also creates homesickness.
You can see the shock of the attack on her homeland, the loss of the familiar. At the same time, she keeps laughing. When she talks about trips to Berlin and all the greenery in the city. Or about her lack of cooking skills: “I bought a ready-made meal, but my children were not enthusiastic at all and complained bitterly,” she says. The children have asked that Björn Casapietra should cook again tomorrow. And now he’s doing it again.
The small family is urgently looking for an apartment. Two to three rooms, at least three to four months, preferably longer and up to 600 euros warm. Who can help: [email protected] or [email protected]
