On a morning when rain was about to pour down in Istanbul, we met with the Ukrainian Consul General Roman Nedilsky and his wife Liudmyla Nedilska on Istiklal Street, one of Istanbul’s busiest and most historic streets. Of course, this street holds a special significance for the consul general as it reminds him of Khreshchatyk Street, the main street of Kyiv, the capital city of Ukraine.

"My family and I came to Istanbul for posting on Nov. 1, 2022. Together with me is my wife Liudmyla, who is also a diplomat, and two sons. The youngest was only 10 months old at the time of our arrival. The adaptation was quite easy for three reasons: First, Istanbul is a city of energy, a city in which a huge number of activities and events take place every day and we work in the same rhythm; second – my family and I felt very comfortable here from the first day of our stay. Of course, we have a difference in the religious aspect because Ukraine is mainly a Christian country. Türkiye is a Muslim, but our people also share many common values, such as respect for elders and love for children. And we observe this everywhere in Türkiye," he explained.

"We Ukrainians also share these values. And the third reason: of course, three months after our arrival, the Russian invasion of Ukraine began. It caused the fleeing of tens of thousands of women and children who needed help and assistance. Likewise, a humanitarian hub was organized in Istanbul, where humanitarian aid from all over Türkiye, which we sent to Ukraine, arrived."

Bond between Ukraine, Türkiye

As their settling period coincided with a seismic event back in Ukraine, Istanbul became a focal point for humanitarian aid to assist the fleeing masses from Ukraine. The Consulate General became a nexus for relief efforts, channeling aid from Türkiye to Ukraine.

"More than 150 trucks were sent to Ukraine through our hub alone. This is invaluable help from our Turkish brothers, which we will always remember. We received a huge amount of food and clothing that ordinary Turks brought for their Ukrainian brothers. Still, I will remember for the rest of my life two cans of baby food that we received by cargo as an aid for Ukrainian children. I think that the postal services were more expensive than the cost of the food cans themselves, but these two cans are a symbol of humanity and support from our Turkish brothers," Nedilsky elaborated.

Before their tenure in Istanbul, Roman Nedilsky had dedicated a decade to various roles within Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, culminating in the position of deputy director general of the Consular Service Department. Liudmyla Nedilska, on the other hand, had her own diplomatic journey, working across different consular roles, including managing the Consulate General of Ukraine in Toronto.

Despite the demanding diplomatic responsibilities, the family now discovered a sense of familiarity in Türkiye. Engaging with Turkish families, even amid language barriers, evoked a feeling of sharing daily life with fellow Ukrainians rather than navigating interactions with strangers.

Interaction with Turkish culture

The consul general’s appreciation for Turkish culture extended to music. "We love Turkish music and traditional rhythms. We are also fans of Ms. Sertap Erener, the Eurovision Song Contest 2003 winner. Ms. Erener brought Eurovision to Istanbul and the next song context in 2004 was victorious for Ukraine. Ukrainian singer Ruslana won it with her hit ‘Wild Dances.’ We dream that one day, we will organize a joint concert of Ruslana and Sertap Erener, Eurovision winners from Ukraine and Türkiye."

Reflecting on distinctive Turkish customs, the tradition of iftar, a dinner to mark the breaking of the daily fast, during Ramadan stood out for him.

"We admire the Turkish tradition of iftar, traditional meetings between family and friends during the holy month of Ramadan. It is a beautiful tradition! We have to estimate, respect and care about our nearest and dearest every single day of our lives and it’s very precious that in Türkıye, there is a tradition that reminds us about it during that time," he said.

Amid their diplomatic duties, the family embraced Turkish cuisine. "I love Turkish traditional ‘ayva tatlısı’ (oven-baked quince in thick syrup) with kaymak. I don’t cook it myself, but my wife Liudmyla does. We love the quince season in Istanbul," he said.

Regarding the TV series: "Of course, we watched ‘Magnificent Century!’ It is devoted to our joint page in history – the beginning of the ‘sultanate of woman’ in the Ottoman Empire and the amazing Hürrem Sultan, who was of Ukrainian origin. Truth to say, my wife and I have two small children, so we stopped watching TV and movies after the birth of our first son. But we are already missing watching some shows or some movies. In a little while, they will grow up and we can watch a movie or show before going to bed. So far, the entire airwaves at home have been filled with cartoons," he said.

Learning Turkish

His linguistic journey in Turkish commenced with the universal expression of gratitude – "Teşekkür ederim," which translates to thank you.

"Gratitude is one of those features that unite our peoples, so we should thank each other for the shoulder of help that we receive in difficult times: this shoulder of help from Türkiye at the beginning of the Russian aggression and this shoulder of help from Ukraine when the terrible and devastating earthquake in Türkiye in February this year. Then Ukraine sent almost the largest international rescue team. And this is at a time when rescuers are in high demand in Ukraine due to the Russians’ constant shelling of civilian and infrastructure facilities," he elaborated.

Also, he narrated a humorous anecdote in Türkiye that revolves around an event invitation with an amusing error related to his name. Upon attending the event following the invitation, he noticed that his name was written as "Novel Sunday." This discovery surprised him, prompting a few minutes of contemplation about the potential meaning behind this unusual name combination. Eventually, he realized that his first name, "Roman," translates to "novel" in Turkish and has been directly translated into English. Additionally, his surname "Nedilsky," which means "Sunday" in Ukrainian, was translated into English.

As a result of the responsibilities assigned by the consulate, he has also learned the phrase "imza lütfen" ("please sign") due to the constant need to sign official documents.

Nedilsky believes that Türkiye is an incredibly fascinating country with its history and everything about it. They have only been to Bursa, Izmir and Ankara for work within the country and were quite impressed by the Sumela Monastery.

"Unfortunately, during our two years in Turkey, we did not have the opportunity to travel the country. The key reason is the Russian aggression. Here in Turkey, our citizens really need our help right now. That’s why we work without weekends and holidays," he explained.