Ukrainian refugee builds new life in Somerset through music

Marina Kalachova, 55, arrived in the UK on May 6, 2022, after Russia invaded Ukraine, finding refuge with a host family in Taunton through the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

Speaking to the Somerset County Gazette, Marina shares her journey in Taunton from arriving as a refugee to building a musical community and successful business.

Marina said: "I arrived here with one small bag. When the war began in Ukraine, I've seen about the programme Homes for Ukraine and I found a sponsor.

"Here in Taunton, for three years I lived with this family, a very nice, very kind family. When I developed my business, I moved [to my studio] last year."

Marina said moving to the UK on her own was initially challenging, as she spoke little English and was afraid to travel independently.

However, with the support of her sponsor family and her friend Lindsay Toy, she began to find her footing: "Step by step, little by little, I adapted."

Lindsay, who organised a Ukrainian social group through the Salvation Army where she met Marina, said: "If you hear Marina play, she is a magnificent pianist. She is so expressive through her music.

"You can feel the anger, you can feel the love, you can feel every emotion through when she plays that piano."

Marina explained: "I always, from early in my childhood, I always played the piano."

Marina trained at a government music school in Ukraine and worked as a piano teacher for more than 30 years before moving to the UK.

She said she initially hired spaces in local churches more than two years ago to host her lessons.

As word of her music teaching spread, more churches offered her affordable practice space, helping her establish herself until she was able to rent her own studio.

"I would like to say thank you to all the people who've met with me [and] always helped me," Marina says, adding that local churches, organisations and individuals have supported her whenever she reached out.

Last December, Marina said her old piano suddenly broke. Lindsay suggested setting up an online fundraiser to buy a replacement, which raised more than £1,500 within weeks - enough to purchase a new Yamaha piano for her studio.

Marina said: "People who surround me are just always kind, always help me, always.

"I'm very grateful for this country. I'm very grateful to all people who help me."

She now teaches more than 30 students from across the county, the youngest being 6 years and the oldest student 82.

Recently, Marina and her students hosted her largest summer concert to date in Taunton, held on Thursday, July 16 at Temple Methodist Church, and featuring 21 student performers.

The concert included a duet between Marina and Anastasiia, a local student also from Ukraine, performing a piece Marina says is often used in Ukrainian television reports accompanying coverage of the war.

While Marina has found a new home in Somerset, the consequences of the ongoing war are still very real for her. She said her adult son volunteered to fight, and has been serving on the frontlines in Ukraine for the past two years.

Marina added that her old flat and her parents’ house in Ukraine have both been taken over by Russian forces, and her hometown of Svatove in the eastern Luhansk region is now under occupation.

Looking to her future in Somerset, Marina says she's starting a college course this autumn to polish her English language skills, and hopes to learn to play the organ at her local church.

As well as teaching her students, Marina hopes to get involved in more local musical events and projects in the community across Somerset.