Ukrainian woman who spent a month underground “drinking radiator water” with 32 strangers now hoping to fund £128k Harvard dream

A UKRAINIAN woman who escaped the war after hiding for a month in a crowded basement, “drinking radiator water” and cooking over open fires is now aiming to fund her £128k Harvard dream.

Alina Beskrovna spent nearly a month in a dark basement with her mum, three cats and 32 other strangers whilst their city of Mariupol, Eastern Ukraine was shelled above their heads by Russian forces.

The 33-year-old was forced to “drink radiator water” and cook on an open fire as electricity and gas supplies in the besieged city were cut off.

Miraculously, Alina and her family managed to survive and escape the destroyed city, fleeing to the US, where she had previously graduated from Lehigh University, Pennsylvania.

Not stopping there, Alina instead went on to enroll in a Master’s programme at the world-renowned Harvard University, Massachusetts.

Once a finance worker, Alina says she hopes she can now get a degree in international development to one day help rebuild her war-torn country.

Despite being awarded a full-tuition scholarship, Alina says the head-spinning rent prices and other indirect expenses towards her studying are more than she can financially bear.

With her two parents relying on her to get around the foreign country and translate, and having lost all their savings and possessions in the war, Alina is looking to others for help to achieve her dream.

In a GoFundMe set up four days ago (30 JUNE), Alina wrote: “Last year I managed to escape from my hometown of Mariupol in Eastern Ukraine.

“My mother and I (plus our three cats) shared a basement with 32 strangers in the besieged city for the longest month of my life.

“Overnight I went from developing financial models and pitch decks for tech startups to cooking on open fire under shelling, drinking radiator water, surviving multiple carpet bombings, and finally escaping on March 23, 2022 through 16 Russian checkpoints towards Zaporizhzhia.

“The worst part of it all was the fact that I didn’t know if my father was alive.

“He got stranded on the other side of the city, and I lost contact with him in the first days of the war, as soon as cell phone towers were bombed.

“For almost three months I thought he had been killed. Only in late May I managed to locate him and smuggle him out.

“Now all of us are safe in the US. My plan is to spend the next two years on preparing to rebuild Ukraine.

“After winning the war Ukraine will be in desperate need of international development experts.

“I want to make a career switch from math and finance to international development, where I can be of most use.

“This year I became the only Ukrainian to be admitted to Harvard Kennedy School for the Masters in International Development program. I was also awarded a full-tuition scholarship.

“However, I am still looking for funding for indirect expenses: housing and utilities, food, books, clothing, and basic necessities.

“We lost all our savings and property due to war. Neither of my parents speak English or drive and are fully reliant on me for their needs, so I need to bring my family with me to Cambridge.

“My father suffered a massive stroke in April 2023. I simply cannot rely on my parents to be breadwinners for the next two years.

“Additionally, I was advised by Harvard against working during the first year due to the rigor of the program.

“As much as I hate being in this position, I am hoping to crowdsource our living expenses for the duration of the program, so I can focus on preparing to rebuild my war-torn home.

“Please consider contributing to rebuilding Ukraine by enabling me to get the education, resources, and contacts I need.”

Alina also listed a breakdown of her expenses, including rent and utilities alone costing her over £3,300 a month and a further £400 on food.

So far, she has managed to raise a little over £1,400.

To donate, please visit: https://gofund.me/673506d9