LocationsMeditation in the shelter
How the SES’s psychological unit helps staff stay resilient
Andrii Samusin always knew he wanted to work with people. So, when the time came to choose his university major, he decided to study psychology. Since 2015, he has worked in the psychological unit of the State Emergency Service (SES) in Donetsk Oblast.
“I’ve seen a lot and been to many places. I have no regrets. Since the full-scale war began, the SES has lost many people and units. But now we have the opportunity to create new work formats, and the quality is improving,” Andrii shared.
Andrii and his colleagues have a tradition: when they return to base from a deployment, they sing loudly to release tension.
His colleagues say that during evacuations, children and older people naturally gravitate toward him.
“They’re more anxious than younger people. They need everything explained in detail — and then they start to feel calmer,” Andrii noted.
He has often had to persuade evacuees from Kurakhove and Novosilky not to return home, even when they were desperate to go back. He made every effort to explain the danger, and was successful.
Even getting to the evacuation assembly point was often a challenge. Previously, psychologists had no dedicated emergency vehicle and had to rely on those from other units. But with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine and the European Union (EU) through the flagship “EU4Recovery — Empowering Communities in Ukraine” partnership, Andrii’s team received a vehicle of their own. Now the team uses it in their day-to-day work, in emergencies, and in sessions for internally displaced people (IDPs) at humanitarian hubs across Donetsk Oblast. It also transports them to evacuation collection points, where armoured vehicles then take over.
In general, thanks to the EU and UNDP partnership, psychologists in three more oblasts — Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia — have also received vehicles. In Mykolaiv, another was provided with financial support from the Government of Denmark.
“This is our main means of transport, and we can’t imagine our lives without it. Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, Dobropillia, Rodynske, Pokrovsk — thanks to the vehicle, we’re more mobile and able to help more people,” Andrii said.
The work is extremely demanding. During evacuations from Avdiivka, the SES evacuated up to 1,500 people a day. One woman refused to leave because she had just bought two pedigree goats and couldn’t abandon them. Another wouldn’t go without her six cats — she eventually took them all, plus two neighbours’ dogs.
“Once, we managed to hold a train for 35 minutes because people couldn’t make it on time. Now the evacuation process is better organized, but at the start of the full-scale invasion, we had just 10 carriages for everyone. Sometimes 200 people boarded, sometimes even 2,000,” Andrii recalled.
He understands how critical psychological support is for Ukrainians under constant stress. A few years ago, with support from UNDP and the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Andrii opened a psychological consultation room in Pokrovsk.
Now, he and his colleagues are developing new ways to help emergency workers manage psychological pressure. For instance, with support from UNDP and the EU, they acquired noise-cancelling headphones, allowing staff to relax and meditate under the supervision of a psychologist. Sessions are held in shelters.
“In my opinion, tension in Donetsk Oblast is ever-present — you never know where the next strike will land. That stress builds up. So, if you can relax for even 20 to 30 minutes, it’s phenomenal,” Andrii said.
At first, the headphones were seen as a gimmick — something odd or even playful. But gradually, the team grew used to them and discovered that meditation truly helped them switch off and improve their emotional state.
“Sometimes, before I’d even step into a unit, someone would ask, ‘Mr. Samusin, are we having meditation today?’” the psychologist said with a smile.
Now Andrii and his colleagues are planning to introduce VR headsets to deepen the meditation experiences for the staff. They’re also working on recording guided meditations in both male and female voices, because in difficult times you have to do as much as you can, especially when your work is with people.
The material was prepared as part of the flagship “EU4Recovery — Empowering Communities in Ukraine” partnership between UNDP and the EU.
Photo credit: Oleh Samoilenko / Reporters / UNDP in Ukraine
