The fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine reawakens the nightmare of refugee Tania Mayorova’s uprooting of her life.

Although she will be forever very grateful to her host family and to Tavistock for welcoming her and her son Hordii, 12, into the community’s heart, she longs to return to Ukraine to live with her husband Alex once more.

Tania, a former corporate solicitor and advertising manager, remembers waking up to the glare of a huge building fire in her hometown of Kharkiv.

“I was woken up early by the fire in the distance and woke Alex up. We then heard the very loud bangs that the city was being bombed or shelled. Alex said it was war, we were being attacked. I didn’t want to believe it because we’d have to leave.

“We really didn’t know what to do. The first thing we could think of was to put a few things in a suitcase - medicine, documents and clothes. But we had no plan after.

“We were in a black hole for news, there was no social media or broadcast for two days, so we didn’t know what was happening or where.

“I called our friends and family to check they were ok and to ask them. Most of my friends in Kiev were fleeing to west Ukraine.

“All the time we could hear the bombing some way away, but getting nearer. My first thought, which was very silly, was that I didn’t want to die with dirty hair, so I had a shower.”

After they reassured their son they would all be alright, Alex went to the shop to get food to take if they decided to travel to safety, but the queues were so long. Their friends offered them one of their two cars to flee. However, initially Tania resisted while the whole city appeared to be driving westwards, choking the roads.

Meanwhile, neighbours in their block of flats organised a bomb shelter in the basement and in between shelling, Tania rushed to her kitchen to cook for some normality.

Eventually Tania realised the bombing was a proper war with no imminent end. So, they drove to Alex’s family home in mid-Ukraine where water was from a well and the bath was a tub: “But Hordii was safe and there were no bombs or shells.”

Then Tania accepted an invitation to live in Tavistock with a host couple: “I believed Ukraine would win and Russia would run out of shells. But this was a dream only. I agreed to go when Hordii, surprisingly, also said he was happy to leave. I knew it made sense.”

Now Tania is starting a new catering job in Yelverton and rents a small flat.

“Even though it is my hope to go back home to Alex, Hordii does not want to start another life again. All his previous kindergarten friends are spread over several countries and he is doing well at school and has other after school interests.”

Meanwhile, they visit Alex twice a year as all men of fighting age cannot leave and Tania prays for peace.