From Donetsk To Odessa
Maria Romanchenko, Ukraine
My name is Maria Romanchenko, I am 17 years old and originally from Enakievo in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine. I am a player for FC Chernomorets Odessa women’s team in the first division of Ukraine. Since childhood I loved football, I always played with the boys in the yard, though basically I stood at the gate. But after moving, life turned out differently and now I am a striker.
At 11, I moved to Odessa and for two years I did not realize that there was professional women's football in Ukraine. But in the 7th grade, at a physical education lesson, a girl noticed me during a game and suggested that I practice professionally. After a while, I met my coach and started going to training. After 2 months, I was part of the team that went to the Under-14 Ukrainian Championship. I scored my first goal and took the team to the final. In this Championship, I was awarded the title of “Best Striker”. This started my professional career in football. My goal is to get a contract with and play for a European or American team in the future.
Why did you leave your home?
I left my home due to the situation in my hometown of Enakievo in the Donetsk region. My parents did not want me to be in danger and saw everything that was happening there. But sometimes I go there to visit my friends and relatives. I go home once every six months. I look forward to every meeting with my relatives and friends, because we miss each other very much, but we often call and chat on the Internet.
At the moment everything is ok in my city, but I'm still worried. The main difficulty is that it is hard to get there.
Where were the photos taken?
Many photos were taken during a training session on the FC Chernomorets Odessa football field. Other photos were captured on the streets of Odessa. You can see the Odessa Academic Theatre of Musical Comedy named after M. Vodyanogo, the Odessa National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre, the new Istanbul Park, and the Vorontsov Palace Colonnade.
The photos were taken during lockdown. Since everything in the city was closed, I mainly trained at home. Of course, you can’t run around with the ball at home, so sometimes I went out into the yard and practiced shots.
What did you try to show with the photos? Was there any wider meaning with the photos?
I wanted to show the main attractions of my adopted city and the stadium where my training takes place. Every place is very important to me. I wanted to show my city, where I study, where I improve my skills, and where I formed as an athlete. In Odessa I fulfilled my dream - I started playing football at a professional level.
Why is football important to you and your community?
Football is my passion. Each workout is important to me. I love to feel the power in myself and give it my all in every game. Football gave me a lot: friends, endurance, character and determination. This is something that I will never tire of doing. With the help of football, I maintain my physical and spiritual health.
When I first joined the team, I immediately started talking with the girls and we became very good friends. My team and I love to get together with other people from different schools, universities or even cities and compete with them.
Series edited by Emma Walley.
