Three Ukrainian women running for European Parliament in Italy

The women's stories were shared by the Ukrainian project Strichka, a digital community of Ukrainians abroad.

The women moved to Italy many years ago and have been involved in local activities related to Ukraine. Now, they are running for the European Parliament. 

Maryna Sorina has lived in Italy for over 28 years. She works as a translator and tour guide in Verona and since 2014 has been a member of the association, which helps Ukrainians integrate into Italian society. 

Maryna has always been interested in the political situation in Ukraine and Italy, taking part in protests and elections. In 2022, while demonstrating in support of Ukraine, she connected with members of the Più Europa party and decided to join them. In this year's European Parliament elections, Maryna is running for Stati Uniti d'Europa, a coalition of parties that includes Più Europa and other liberal parties.

"At the local level, we need to combat hostile propaganda in all its forms, ranging from biased geography textbooks to cultural events involving Russians. Additionally, there are specific issues concerning Ukrainian immigrants in Italy, such as diploma verification, residency permit extensions, housing searches, and finding skilled employment," Maryna explained.

Kateryna Shmorhay is also running for the Stati Uniti d'Europa, namely the +Europa party. She has been living in Italy since 2006 and works as a sanitary officer in a social service in Ravenna. At the same time, Kateryna is the president of the NGO Malva, which aims to introduce the Italian society to the Ukrainian view of the war with Russia. 

"It's important to realize that our region of Emilia Romagna is governed by the Democratic Party and the 5 Star Movement. Without our pro-Ukrainian projects, the local population would only receive pacifist narratives about the need to negotiate," Kateryna emphasized. 

Natalia Kudryk, a journalist with years of experience, moved to Italy in 2005. She covered Ukraine's ties with the EU for Radio Liberty after the Orange Revolution. Since 2022, she's been commenting on Russia's invasion of Ukraine in Italian media and events.

The opposition party Azione (Action), known for supporting Ukraine and emphasizing backing Ukraine, asked Natalia to join their election campaign. The woman says she decided to accept this challenge because during the war, it's not enough to just report - you need fresh words and active steps.

"I'm not a politician; I'm a journalist. I see the facts. Right now, the biggest fact is that millions in Ukraine suffer due to Russian aggression. They strive to be Europeans and pay a high price—many sacrificing their lives for family and freedom," Natalia explains.

All photos provided by the Strichka project