On March 5, 2024, we celebrated the second anniversary of Pristanište. For two years, we have been building a world where Ukrainians, Russians, and Belarusians live in neighboring rooms. Where we celebrate the New Year together and dream of peace.
We recall the beginning of our community’s story and summarize the work of 2 years:
- 2873 people reached out to us and received help. 1036 of them were provided with temporary housing, food, and SIM cards. 27 cats, 13 dogs, 3 parrots stayed with us along with their families. 4 groups of military and volunteer families rested in Montenegro and returned back to Ukraine.
- Volunteer psychologists conducted 130 hours of consultations, group sessions, and training. Volunteers held 500+ meetings — lectures, workshops, and classes
- €57 636 in targeted assistance was transferred to refugees in particularly difficult situations
- 44 children had their attendance at Russian-language kindergartens, schools, and clubs paid for
- 157 events in Podrum. Over 50+ artists, musicians, and lecturers performed in different cities of Montenegro. €52 243 in donations were collected at events.
In February 2022, a team of people in Montenegro began to gather, unable to stand aside when the world suddenly collapsed. How to help those who lost everything? We focused on the essentials first: rented housing and bought food. People arrived, and it became clear what other help was needed: information support, language courses, adaptation.
Initially, we doubted whether it was right to place Ukrainians next to Russians. We thought, perhaps it’s better to have separate houses for each. The decision came to us with the first mixed couple.
Diana and Sasha came from Kharkov: she is a Ukrainian citizen, he is a Russian with an anti-war stance. They helped us realize our mission: we create a space where humanistic values are more important than the color of a passport. This couple still remains with us as a foundation employee and volunteer.
Why do many refugees choose Montenegro specifically?
It’s much «more understandable and closer» here than in Western European countries. This is especially important for those who have never been abroad. Therefore, we believe it is important to help right here.
Another direction of our work is to provide respite to those who are very needed in Ukraine and cannot leave permanently. These people stay with us for 2 weeks in quiet, safety, surrounded by the nature of the Adriatic.
