Ukrainian refugee shares life in the UK on TikTok

Iryna Hordiienko came to the UK alone unable to speak English

A Ukrainian refugee who fled to the UK has swapped Kharkiv for Margate, where she now makes TikTok videos about British life.

Iryna Hordiienko, 25, fled her hometown after Russian forces bombed her city in February 2022.

She later applied for the Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme and moved to Ramsgate, Kent, in April 2022.

Now living in Margate, she told PA Real Life that the UK “feels like home”.

Ms Hordiienko arrived to the UK on April 25

When Russia invaded Ukraine, Ms Hordiienko was working as a photo editor in the country’s second largest city.

She remembers seeing reports on the Telegram app warning people that “Russia was coming”.

Ms Hordiienko said: “We never imagined that Russia could attack Kharkiv.

“All of my friends were saying 'Iryna why are you worried? Nothing will happen.'"

On 23 February 2022, she was shaken awake by the sound of explosions. Her school and university had been reduced to rubble.

She later fled to the Polish border with six others.

Iryna Hordiienko now documents her life in the UK, discussing the British culture

After arriving to the UK, she began working three jobs and learning English.

In her spare time she started a TikTok channel @irisssskai discussing her experience in the UK and how it compares to her previous life in Ukraine.

The videos highlight the differences between the two countries.

Her channel has amassed 24,000 followers and 430,000 likes – which she hopes will help her pursue a career in digital marketing and modelling.

Ms Hordiienko said she was happy in the UK and though she likes Ukraine, her life was "really, really hard there."

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