The wail of an air-raid siren has become part of the soundtrack of Svitlana

The wail of an air-raid siren has become part of the soundtrack of Svitlana Matviyenko's life. The first time she heard the blaring alarm indicating she was along the trajectory of a Russian rocket, Matviyenko panicked.

Hina Alam, The Canadian Press

34 minutes ago

29 minutes ago

VANCOUVER — The wail of an air-raid siren has become part of the soundtrack of Svitlana Matviyenko's life.

The first time she heard the blaring alarm indicating she was along the trajectory of a Russian rocket, Matviyenko panicked. Now, the assistant professor at Simon Fraser University's school of communicationhas something of a routine.

She calls her parents, who are in their 80s and live a block away from her in the western Ukraine city of Kamianets-Podilskyi, to let them know to go into a "safe room" — a windowless space that's easier for them to access than their basement — until she gives them the all-clear.

Then, she monitors various apps and messaging groups to check how long it's expected to last.

The sirens can go on for 15 minutes, or as long as two hours. One Saturday-night alarm lasted three hours. The sirens go off two or three times a day, but so far, the city has been spared any bombings.

"I'm very, very happy I'm here. I think I would have absolutely lost my mind if I were (in Canada)," Matviyenko said. "Here I feel like I at least control some situation."

A permanent resident of Canada, Matviyenko went to Ukraine a little over a year ago to care for her mother, who had a broken spine.

She has also been able to continue teaching a graduate seminar on the history of communication theory to students back home in Metro Vancouver, but only when the internet is accessible, she said.

Before Russia began its invasion of Ukraine late last month, she said she had a "bad habit" of leaving the television on while she slept. But the habit broke just after the first day of the invasion, she said.

"I only want silence," she said.

"My feelings changed several times during the first week of war. When I woke up and heard silence, I felt almost a warm wave running through my body, like absolute pleasure. Almost orgasmic feeling. I was surprised by such a visceral reaction to just the fact that I hear it's quiet."

Matviyenko said she keeps herself busy all day between teaching a class and writing a book.

It's "too strong" to say that she lives everyday as it may be her last but there is a "subtle feeling" that it might be a possibility

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