On February 24, 20 Russian helicopters attacked Butsha, Danil’s hometown, which is a small town near the capital Kyiv in Ukraine. On the same day, Danil fled with his mother and a younger sister. Danil thought in advance that there might be war, but could not imagine that it really would. Before the war, he went to school, was with friends, and was interested in data, as many young people are. The war turned everything upside down. Danil, mother and sister first went to family in the west of the country, then to Poland before they decided to travel to Båtsfjord in Finnmark, where they also have family. Danil went to Båtsfjord where his Russian grandfather Alexander Geatkinski has lived for over 20 years Photo: Bård Wormdal Tough meeting with Finnmark Danil’s grandfather is Alexander Geatkinski, a Russian who has lived in Båtsfjord with his wife since 1998. He has for many years worked as a mechanic at Barents Skipsservice in the fishing village. Danil says that during the first month in Båtsfjord he was unable to do anything. He was completely exhausted. Shattered, he sat inside all day. It was dark. It was cold. He also heard about several new atrocities in his home country. He learned that a comrade was among the civilians found in one of the mass graves in his hometown. Danil says nothing more about it. Danil says that he was unable to go out in the first month in Båtsfjord. It was a tough encounter with darkness and cold in Finnmark. Photo: Stian Sætermo Got his first job in Båtsfjord One day the 17-year-old visited his grandfather at work at Barents Ship Service. The Russian part-owner of the workshop, Nikolay Vaguyne, then offered Danil a job. Nikolay Vaguyne is originally from Murmansk, but has lived in Båtsfjord since the 1990s. Russian fishing vessels characterize the quay area of Barents Skipsservice in Båtsfjord Photo: Bård Wormdal For Danil, the mechanical workshop – where people with Ukrainian, Russian, Norwegian and other backgrounds worked together – was something completely new. He began to enjoy painting and other work he was assigned. Danil had never had a job before. He wanted to continue with this. According to Danil, the job is part of what is needed for him to return to prison. Then it may be that the mechanical workshop with around 20 employees accepts Russian fishing boats, which is a matter of dispute, and which Danil does not like at all. – I do not support it. At the same time, it is not good if there is a no to Russian fishing boats in Norwegian ports. It will mean loss of work and less money for the company I work for, says Danil Biev. The Ukrainian refugee Danil Biev is being trained by the Russian part-owner of Barents Skipsservice Nikolay Vaguyne. Receives training from a Russian Today, Danil receives training from Nikolay Vaguyne in using a lathe. It is the Russian who is responsible for much of the training that takes place in Russian. Danil can speak Russian. In his first years at school, the 17-year-old learned Russian before Ukraine became more Western-oriented, and there was less Russian teaching in the school system in the country. Nikolay Vaguyne is clear that he does not fully agree with the Western view of the Ukraine war. – It is important to understand why the war broke out. Both parties have a responsibility for the war, he says. Nikolay Vaguyne says that there is talk of the war at work, although he avoids talking to Danil about the war. Danil doesn’t want to talk much about it. – All I want to say about that is that all the Russians I work with at the workshop are nice people, says Danil. For Danil, the job at the mechanical workshop has meant a new start. Photo: Bård Wormdal Wants to return to Ukraine Ulf Kristiansen is another part owner of the company, who also works in the mechanical workshop. He says that several nationalities under the same roof do not cause problems. – We are discussing the problems of the war. But it has not caused any problems between employees because of that, says Kristiansen. Technical manager of Barents Skipsservice Ulf Kristiansen says that the war is discussed, but does not cause problems between the employees Photo: Bård Wormdal Danil Biev says that as a newcomer to the north he has experienced being met by a friendliness that he has not been used to from his hometown in Ukraine. Nevertheless, his dream is that one day there will be peace in Ukraine, and that he can go back and help build up his homeland.
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Danil (17) works in a workshop with Russian fishing boats – news Troms and Finnmark
