A Ukrainian family who were forced to flee their home have told of their four day journey to Edinburgh after a lengthy and stressful visa process.
The family of four were forced to leave their home in Lviv after Putin invaded their homeland and launched airstrikes just 25km from their family home destroying the city.
Mum Natali, her mum 69-year-old Antonina and her two children 15-year-old Nazarii and 25-year-old Iryna moved into the two-bedroom apartment in Lochend that they will call home until the war ends.
READ MORE: Edinburgh police race to Water of Leith as man's body found at the Shore
The family were helped to flee their home country by two kind Edinburgh locals who heard about the emergency situation through a friend.
Firstly Edinburgh Live spoke to Diana and Kirsty, the two friends from Moredun who helped the family every step of the way as they fled from their home in Lviv to Scotland.
Despite neither of the pair speaking Ukrainian they have navigated the move through the help of 15-year-old Nazarii who speaks fluent English after learning it in school.
After spending more time with the family since they arrived in Edinburgh, the friends are considering learning the language to help more families from Ukraine.
Kirsty explained: “A friend of Natalia’s came into the Yes Hub and he was very distressed knowing the family were stuck in Lviv.
“We don’t really do that kind of thing but we knew we had to do something, so he passed us Natalia’s number and we took it from there.
“We contacted our MP for Edinburgh North and she advised us who to contact at the Home Office and they helped us find the forms we needed online.
“Their son, the only English speaking member of their family, has had such a lot of forms to fill in since he got here.
“The council confirmed that we would be able to get a home for the family when they arrived.
“I watched the news at the time and knew I needed to do something and Diana happened to be there on the same day so we both decided to help.”
“I was in contact with Natalia every day, so I knew where they were - exactly where they were because I spoke to them through the whole trip all the way from Lviv to here.
“They were initially going to get a bus that didn’t work out so, their neighbours who were also travelling offered to give them a lift.
“Natalia had hurt her hand while shielding in the basement so she wasn’t able to carry any of her belongings and that delayed their journey."
Kirsty continued: “We had started the process way before they even left Ukraine. It was March when they got the visas.
"The process was horrific. I lost track of how long it took to get the visas.
"I couldn’t believe it was going the normal course. We thought something had gone wrong because it took so long.
"When we did hear back it was just a case of getting them from Lviv to Poland, and then from Poland to the UK.
"Natalia got ill in the meantime because they had to shield in the basement.
"She got really cold and her shoulder was frozen so she had to go into hospital and get injections so they had to postpone leaving.
"They managed to get treatment in Ukraine before they left to Poland."
The fleeing family travelled by van from Ukraine to Poland, and then Poland to Edinburgh through the help of Malcolm Moore who works for a charity in the UK.
Kirsty the family friend, continued: "Malcolm then drove the family to the UK, they got their dog to the UK but it was taken off them when they arrived in Lincoln."
The family dog Kelvin is now stuck in the kennels in a quarantining process, and has been there for the last ten days.
The pomeranian pooch is under control of the Department of Environment, Food and Environmental Affairs after being seized when the family crossed into the UK.
The family and their friends are trying desperately to reunite the dog with it's owners but it is a complicated process.
Diana explained: “Their dog is still in the kennels, in Lincoln, Lancashire.
"It was captured and taken to kennels although it had all of its vacations and paperwork as soon as they got off the ferry.
“The dog is still there now and the family haven’t seen it in over a week, he is just over one-year-old and they are very worried about him.
Next we spoke to 15-year-old Nazarii, the youngest of the Ukrainian family and only English speaker.
He said: “The most difficult thing is being without our dog, as I was excited to spend my whole summer with him and its so difficult without him.
"I'm the main translator for my family but I don't mind as I know how important the role is to them.
"Tomorrow I will go and speak to the headteacher at the high school here.
"School has been online for us since the war but I can keep in touch with my friends online and I want to continue my studies in Scotland.
"My friends from home have also had to leave Ukraine, most are in other countries, like Poland, Germany, and Holland."
The school boy has had the tough job of translating for his mum, grandma and sister throughout the visa application process.
But also throughout the journey from Ukraine to Scotland and now in every day situations as they settle into life here.
Although it is a tough role the teen has adjusted well and says he does not mind as he knows how important it is to be able to help his family.
The 15-year-old also thinks in two months his older sister Iryna who was a paediatrician back in Ukraine will have the same level of English as him.
"I learnt English in school in Ukraine, it's tiring but I know how important my role is in this family so I must do it.
"In this building there are a lot of Ukrainians and we have a lot of good neighbours.
"There are a lot of good people here, it's not far from the Ukrainian Church and Ukrainian Centre.
"There we have met very good people like Mr Vasyl and Mrs Hanna who have helped us with our new home.
"People are very good here, all people I have met in Edinburgh have been very good."
Despite not knowing much English and arriving a week ago mum Natalie has already got a job in a cafe on Thistle Street and will be helped by Polish staff also working there.
Her 25-year-old daughter is a qualified doctor back home and is looking into applying for a license here but it will take time as it is a different system.
The family got £50 each when they arrived, and will eventually get Universal Credit but that will take time so the family are keen to work to support themselves.
15-year-old Nazarii is set to start Leith Academy nearby and will meet the headteacher tomorrow.
When we arrived to the two bedroom apartment, the family put out a delightful spread with traditional tea and Ukrainian food for us, and offered the warmest of welcomes.
Ukrainians celebrate Orthodox Easter so marked the celebration away from home by making traditional Paska which Natalia insisted we tried the dish.
While we spent the afternoon getting an eye opening insight into their journey and the devastating events that have unfolded this year, the family showed us mementos of life in Ukraine.
First the siblings showed us a glossy book filled with stunning pictures of their historic hometown of Lviv.
One day they hope to go back and told us we must visit and see the city in person.
Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox
Sadly the only updates the family now receive are pictures of destruction shared by their town mayor on social media.
Nazarii showed me the images and said that some airstrikes hit buildings while residents were still inside.
Although many have fled the city there are still a lot of people there. The family still have relatives living in different parts of Ukraine.
The 15-year-old added: "Nobody is safe in Ukraine just now.
"We still have family there who we text everyday."
Despite everything the family have been through they are in good spirits and have praised the welcome they have received from the Edinburgh community so far.
They are so grateful for the accommodation, food and clothes given to them but still long to return to their home and city as soon as the war is over.
