By Giselle Lubeck

PRAGUE, Czech Republic.- As Russia’s war in Ukraine enters its fourth year, refugees are redefining what home means as they rebuild their lives in Prague.

After over a decade in Prague, 40-year-old Volodymyr Burtnyk’s memories of home in Ukraine now exist alongside the life he’s built in the Czech Republic.

“I think about going home, but I’m in between in my mind.” Burtnyk said. “What would I do there? My home is always Ukraine, but my world is in Prague now.”

Burtnyk moved to Prague following the 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea in search of a safer future. His journey began before 350,000 Ukrainians living under temporary protection arrived in the Czech Republic after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

His experience between two homes reflects a growing reality for many Ukrainians in the Czech Republic and across Europe who are creating new lives in countries they once expected to leave.

In Prague and across Central Europe, Ukrainian refugees have waited for signs that going home is a viable option. As the war rages on, teens and young adults are learning to find the Czech Republic as a safe place to rebuild their lives.

Despite the hardship that comes with displacement, Ukrainians across the city continue to resist the war fatigue that often weakens public resolve during prolonged conflicts.

Ukraine’s Unique defiance

Historically, long wars tend to erode public morale and support for continued fighting. This pattern of rising war fatigue has been studied across many conflicts, but today, Ukrainians have maintained high levels of public support.

In March 2025, the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology reported that 82 percent of Ukrainians overall said that Ukraine should continue to fight even if U.S. military support ends.

Additionally, the Migration Policy Institute reported that in a survey of 61,000 refugees across Europe, 91 percent of Ukrainians planned to return to Ukraine one day. Only 15 percent had concrete plans for the near future.

Despite wanting to return, the long-lasting war has created a new way of life for many Ukrainians as they find a more permanent community in Central Europe

Twenty-three-year-old Ukrainian refugee Olena Mykhailenko arrived in Prague shortly after the war began in 2022. She believes that the resilient nationalism and support among Ukrainian youth acts as a second army backing the country, keeping them in the fight.

She states, “The government is not the biggest force. It’s the people. We fight for our country and believe it will end well.”

Mykhailenko says that as a Ukrainian, it’s hard to feel at home anywhere. Even when she returned to her hometown of Odesa in Ukraine, what used to be a small town where everyone knew one another has turned into a new home for other Ukrainian refugees that fled Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine.

When asked about the most difficult part of living in Prague now, she says that her answer has not changed since the beginning of the conflict.

Mykhailenko worries that limited housing in the Czech Republic makes it so that you have to start looking for an apartment months before they plan to move.

She remembers that planning just two weeks ahead was once a daunting task as a newcomer to Prague, but now, she feels that chaos in her life is becoming less of a reality.

“Now I can plan ahead and I feel more stable. I’m getting better at this.”

New Impacts

Mykhailenko’s worries about limited housing for those living in Prague is a reality that many Czechs face now, regardless of where they are from originally.

The housing problem was not solely caused by the influx of immigrants from Ukraine, but rather is a result of compounded problems that are now coming to a head.

A combination of lengthy permitting processes for housing, internal migration in the Czech Republic, and new construction not keeping up with rising population numbers puts stress on the housing market.

These factors have driven housing prices up, with Prague now ranking as the 3rd least affordable capital in Europe for buying a home according to the 2025 Deloitte Property Index.

On top of this, Mykhailenko and other refugees may face discrimination and challenges in the housing or employment processes as they learn to speak Czech fluently.

To combat discrimination and confusion for Ukrainian immigrants, organizations like Svitlo and Kryla Wings, aid local Ukrainians with navigating housing contracts, resumes, and how to spot illegal employment offers that are sometimes target unsuspecting Ukrainian refugees who don’t yet speak Czech.

Twenty-two-year-old Kryla Wings founder Sofia Gustas started the organization. As a young Ukrainian refugee, she recognized a need for community and practical skill education among young Ukrainians new to Prague.

She remembers, “We created this because we were struggling too. You don’t have friends who know who to ask for help when you first come here.”

She says that as a young immigrant from Chernihiv, Ukraine, she was too shy to ask for help and didn’t know who to rely on. She believes that Kryla Wings fosters a community of young people who can help one another emotionally and practically through both community games and workshops.

Kryla Wings’ approach to education focuses on efficiency while still being fun, as the age demographic for the organization ranges from late teens to late twenties. To help pique the interest of young people that might have been too shy to participate, the organization’s small game nights encourage these Ukrainian refugees to get out of their shell.

“They’re already confused if you add more confusion they’ll explode! We want to give them information in the fun way.”

Her main concern for the future is that the Czech government would stop issuing visas for refugees. Despite this, Gustas remains hopeful for the future and sees promise as Ukrainians are integrating into the Czech Republic.

Gustas relates to the young people seeking help in her organization, and says that many of them would go home today if the war ended. However, she says that for her and many other refugees, the feeling of being a temporary visitor is fading as time goes on.

“Home is in two places now, both Prague and Ukraine.” she said.