Portrait of the Youth from Youth Hub – Denys Piddubnyi
Portrait of the Youth from Youth Hub: Denys Piddubnyi, a refugee from Odesa, Ukraine: “The people I met in Romania changed my life!”
Even in difficult moments, the youth show us that they are aware of everything happening around them, just as we are attentive to them. We’ve kept them so close that we didn’t know how to share their stories with you. Until now.
In their moment of eternal adolescence, we captured their portraits and invite you to discover a small piece of who the youth at the Hub are – with their passions, dreams, and memories.
Denys Piddubnyi is 17 years old. With a guitar in hand, gratitude for Romania, and Romanian expressions that make you forget he might speak another language, Denys is a discovery and a surprise. He is joyful, curious, and open to new experiences. We have no worries about him; he has all the resources to overcome any obstacle and attract good people around him.
It’s no surprise that some teenagers prefer to spend their free time at home, in their rooms, undisturbed, listening to music and playing computer games. Denys used to follow this routine when he lived with his parents and sister in their home in Odesa, Ukraine.
He might have continued the same way if he and his family hadn’t been forced to seek refuge in Romania, first in Constanța and then near Bucharest. From March 15, 2022, until mid-November 2023, he lived in Otopeni, a town in Ilfov County.
Looking back after more than a year and a half, Denys is grateful for meeting people who changed his life and helped him both professionally and personally.
“I love everyone at Youth Hub!”
Denys first heard about Youth Hub from one of our youth workers: “I was at Romexpo, and a beautiful girl asked me a question: ‘Hey, do you know what Youth Hub is?’ I said no, and she explained everything to me. It seemed interesting, and I decided to give it a try. In the early days at the Hub, there were fewer teenagers. But I kept coming, and I liked it”, recalls Denys.
We also remember him fondly. It was during one of our weekly visits to Romexpo, where we promoted the Hub’s activities. At that time, Youth Hub didn’t have its location and was hosted by our friends at the National Library of Romania.
Few teenagers came during that period. It was September, and we were working hard to find a new form and direction to meet the ever-changing needs of teenagers. Their demands were high and varied, and we were trying to find a compromise between common dreams and logistical limitations.
Fortunately, Denys wasn’t discouraged. He made friends his age here, and the hours he spent at home in his room became fewer. He was increasingly drawn to the activities at the Hub: “It became my favorite place! The girls and boys at the Hub are my friends. I love everyone here!” smiles Denys.
Sometimes, he takes his guitar and plays rock ballads for us. The first musical chords in the new space came from his hands. After all, rock defines him. He attended the Guns N’ Roses concert at the National Arena in the summer of 2023 and loved it. He already knows that next year, in 2024, he will go to Paris for the Metallica concert.
Like other young people, Denys would like to have the superpower to read minds. He also likes hamburgers and summer days, perhaps more than any other season because it’s warm. He’s a big fan of non-colors: white and black. He easily takes advice and believes he can learn from anyone. If he could change something in the world, he would change the political class.
There was a period when Denys visited the Hub less. We found out then that he had taken a job to bring in some extra money for the household. About that time, he says he liked the job he had in Otopeni, where Henri Coandă International Airport is located. He prepared food for airline passengers, and his colleagues were kind and taught him a few words and expressions in Romanian. That’s when Denys started speaking Romanian so well!
Although he’s troubled by the question of what profession to choose in the future, he hasn’t found an answer yet. We tell him he has all the time in the world to decide. At the end of November, when we interviewed him, Denys planned to leave Romania. He was going to start anew in Germany.
He said he would leave the country with the most valuable memory alongside his parents and younger sister, who is now seven: “I fondly remember our first visit to Băneasa Shopping City with my family. We took many photos and talked about everything. I think it’s the most beautiful memory we have together. My family has always supported me!”
It’s unclear why Denys didn’t make it to Germany. When we reopened the Hub in January, he was still with us. Whatever the reason behind his decision, we know that his and all the youth at the Hub’s potential isn’t limited to where they are. When we look at them, we see millions of possibilities exploding from their curiosity and openness.
At the Hub, we have the responsibility to provide them with the right tools to navigate any challenge they may face. We know we’ve done our job well when we look at them with confidence, convinced they will be okay despite adolescence, war, and global changes.
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