Vladislav Kochergin, a player of Polish Raków, told NV about themain advantages and disadvantages of living in another country.
- We know the situation on the Polish border. Have you ever talked about it in the team? About the deterioration of relations between the countries.
- Well, there were no such conversations. But people always ask me how things are in Ukraine, and everyone treats me well and supports our country. So there is definitely no such thing in the team that would cause relations with Ukrainians to deteriorate.
- You have been living in Poland for almost two years now. How has your family adapted to life here?
- Well, my wife was pregnant. In Ukraine, at that time, we had already done all the medical stuff, planned everything. And then we had to move so quickly. It was important for me that we found a maternity hospital in Poland as soon as possible. We live in a small town, and the medical system here is not so well developed. So we had to look somewhere nearby, and we found one in Warsaw. It was not easy to go there every two weeks for some kind of examination. When we figured it out, we had problems with the language. Many people say that Ukrainian and Polish are similar, but this is just a rumour. It takes time to learn the language. I studied with a teacher, and after about 2-3 months, it became easier. And there was a time when I was at Zorya before Rakiv, and I didn't train with the first team there. I trained with the U-19s and that's why my level dropped a little at that time. The speed and moment of decision-making in adult football and U-19 are different worlds. When I came to Rakiv, it was very difficult physically, because the team was already at the peak of its form, and I was just starting out. So when I arrived, the coach said I had time to prepare properly for the next championship. I had to acclimatise to the team, see how everything was going, and then start playing the next season.
- How difficult was it to get used to all the issues in a country other than your own? People, customs, traditions.
- Well, yes, everything is a little different. But there are the same open-minded people in Poland who tried to help me from the first day. It was a bit unusual that everything here was closed on weekends. I am not used to this. In Ukraine, on the contrary, you can go out and relax on weekends. But otherwise, everything is fine. I like life here and my family and I are happy.
- How long did it take you to get used to it ?
- I don't think it takes much time. If a person comes to Warsaw, every fifth person there is already a Ukrainian. You walk through a shopping centre and hear Ukrainian words and you feel like you are in Ukraine. If we take into account other cities, there are fewer Ukrainians there. But I don't think it takes long to adapt here.
- Your son is 1.5 years old. How is he doing there?
- He's doing great. He is growing up, learning something new every day. We are very happy to be raising a child here. I am very happy with my wife.
- Medicine for my son. How difficult is it to find something, to make an appointment with a doctor?
- It is very difficult to make an appointment with a doctor here. You have to make two appointments. That's if the child is fine. You need a lot of certificates to be admitted. My team helps me with this issue, but it is even more difficult for people who do not have connections here.
- Czestochowa is a city of pilgrims. Maybe there is a quality to the story because of this?
- Nothing unusual has ever happened. There is a very beautiful cathedral in the city. There are various events, religious holidays, everything is on a grand scale, so to speak. But there were no specific stories.
Nazariy Shmihil