Canadian woman stays behind in Kyiv to help others, spread message of hope in warzone

This is a story of incredible resilience and hope as a Canadian woman with Ukrainian heritage refuses to leave the capital under siege. She came to Ukraine to study and teach dance and fell in love with the people and culture and now believes it’s her purpose to tangibly help others, while also spreading light and love in Ukraine’s hardest days. 

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In the midst of so much destruction and desperation, a Canadian woman in the middle of Kyiv shares with us what resilience and love for one’s neighbours looks like. W5 reached Lana Nicole Niland in the heart of the capital, while the outskirts of the city is still surrounded by a Russian military convoy that poses a grave threat.

But Lana is not moving.

“(Do) you run from the bully just because he's a bit scary?” she asks. “What does that tell [Putin] that he can continue to terrorize the neighborhoods? At some point, he needs to be stopped.”

Born and raised in Saskatoon, Niland is Ukrainian by ethnic heritage and moved to the country to study and teach Ukrainian dance. She fell in love with the culture, the people and the simplicity of life.

Lana with some of her Ukrainian dance students (Courtesy: Lana Nicole Niland)

Lana with some of her Ukrainian dance students (Courtesy: Lana Nicole Niland)

“I see things differently here since I left Canada. My life is different. My perspective is very different. I take for granted very little anymore, if anything. I'm so grateful for every day,” Niland says. “And I think that that's something that we lose sight of in first world countries where we don't have to worry about where our next meal is coming from or whether we'll have a roof over our heads or if there's bullets flying at us.”

The war has literally hit close to home for Niland. She has heard the shelling from inside her home. She says there are moments of fear, but she doesn’t fixate on them. When security allows her to go outside, she travels to grocery stores to find food and water for her neighbours who are too scared to venture out. She’s also rescued pets left behind by people fleeing the capital.

Her daily Facebook posts are full of positivity, telling her followers that light and love will win out. She admits she may be naive but she’s still hopeful that Russian soldiers will lay down their weapons and retreat from this invasion. Still her family in Saskatchewan, longs for her to come home. Niland understands the risk, but feels compelled to stay.

“This is the person I'm supposed to be. I'm supposed to be here,” Niland says. “I'm supposed to be a channel for whatever's happening here and however I can help.”

Lana (on the far left) with friends, Ukrainian dancing in better times (Courtesy: Lana Nicole Niland)

Lana (on the far left) with friends, Ukrainian dancing in better times (Courtesy: Lana Nicole Niland)

Niland finishes all her Facebook posts the same way. In Ukrainian, she says “Slava Ukraini, Slava Natsiy,” which means “Glory to Ukraine, Glory to the Nation,” adding “love and light” in English.

“The love and light is what I hope that we share and spread as as a people, as we interact with each other, because that's what we need. We don't need the darkness. We don't need to panic, or the fear. It doesn't do anything and actually it rips us apart,” Niland explained.