Midfielder of the 3rd division of Cyprus, Ihor Khudobiak shared with the Youtube channel of the Association of Sports Journalists of Ukraine his impressions of living in this country.
ihor khudobiak news— There are many Russians in Cyprus. Do you encounter them? Have there been any tense situations?
— Yes, especially when the full-scale invasion took place in February 2022. There were times when we, Ukrainians, wanted to lift our spirits a bit. We hung flags on our cars and drove around. Once, in the morning, I got up to take my children to school and saw: a torn flag on my car. I then looked at the neighbors' camera and saw that someone had approached in the early morning and cut it with a knife. But it’s okay, we put up other flags and tried to lift our spirits that way.
— There is also a Ukrainian community here. Is there any communication among Ukrainians?
— Yes, the community has united a lot, especially after the full-scale invasion of Russia. Now, as far as I know, about 20 thousand have come since the invasion and officially received Temporary Protection documents in Cyprus. The community is growing and it is very nice. Especially in Larnaca, we have a cultural center — you can drop by, have a coffee, there is a lot of Ukrainian décor inside, and the atmosphere there is very pleasant.
— Can you feel a bit of Ukrainian support here?
— Yes. You can forget a bit that you are in Cyprus.
— Do Ukrainians come to football?
— When I played for "Ethnikos" — yes, my Ukrainian friends came to the games, supported us, it was nice.
", 'Ihor Khudobiak (photo: instagram.com) Tribuna.
