About the Icelandic language, social support, earthquakes, volcanoes, and four-hour daylight
Natalia Tkachova has been living in Iceland for two years and two months. War entered her life in 2014. She lived with her family in Luhansk, and they were forced to leave their hometown.
With the start of the full-scale war, she and her daughters went to Italy. The move to Iceland happened suddenly. They were attracted by the clear and well-established system of accepting Ukrainians in this country. At the airport, they quickly provided temporary protection, minimal support, and housing.
“When you arrive, they provide (everything changes, but this was the basis) pillows, blankets, minimal kitchenware, temporary housing. So, you have a place to cook, something to eat from, and something to cover yourself with in bed,” recalls Natalia.
Housing distribution happens randomly. During the high tourist season, you might end up in remote places. The authorities try to settle families with children in Reykjavik or its surroundings. It could be a hostel or a hotel room. But housing is provided for 8 weeks from arrival.
“If you haven’t found housing after eight weeks, there were cases when people were evicted, many went back to Ukraine. The previous two years were very difficult. I found an apartment through acquaintances by God’s mercy,” says Natalia.
She rents a small apartment in Reykjavik at her own expense. Initially, the owners wanted 2400 euros for it, but eventually agreed to 1700 euros monthly.
You also need to pay a housing deposit – this is guarantee money for 2-3 months. Ukrainians don’t have such funds. The country’s government helps. They issue a guarantee letter for damage compensation if any occurs. Additionally, social workers help during the housing search process. They can call landlords, explain how the system works, and vouch for potential tenants.
Financial Support for Ukrainians in Iceland
The state provides Ukrainian refugees with financial aid for food based on family composition.
During the first 8 weeks after arriving in the country, a person receives a “gray card” with the following amounts:
– A single person receives 8,000 Icelandic krona (about 57 euros)
– A married couple is entitled to 13,000 Icelandic krona (about 92 euros)
– Each child in the family adds 5,000 Icelandic krona (about 35 euros)
This money is for basic needs: food, hygiene, clothing.
The social service also provides a swimming pool card and a “cultural card” for museum visits. It’s crucial for them that people don’t stay alone, experiencing depression and similar conditions.
Natalia says:
“They are very afraid of people, especially those who came from conflict zones, staying in isolation. Social services will pay for psychology sessions if needed.”
How to Find Work?
The social service sends a request to the employment center. A person is assigned a specialist who helps create a resume and profile on the job search website.
“I started working part-time as a translator in two small firms. But the money wasn’t enough. Then I saw another firm that paid more. And somehow I saw a vacancy from this company. But they were looking for office managers. I dared to write to them and offered myself as a translator. It turned out they needed these workers too. To work with them, I had to register as Self-Employed. So I pay taxes as a private entrepreneur,” Natalia shares her story.
She is fluent in Ukrainian, English, and Russian, and also knows some Italian and now speaks Icelandic.
Most Ukrainians, like in other countries, work in cleaning companies, hotels, restaurants.
Icelandic Language
The Icelandic language is difficult, says Natalia. By law, during the first two years after arrival, a person has the right to attend Icelandic language courses at state expense.
By the way, Icelandic is ranked among the world’s most difficult languages. It belongs to the Scandinavian languages and has complex morphology. Words in Icelandic change in 4 cases, with many irregular declensions. Verb conjugation rules also complicate learning. Modern Icelandic’s vocabulary is close to Old Icelandic, making many words sound unusual and requiring memorization.
Volcanoes and Earthquakes
When we in European countries worry about weather cycles like snow or rain, in Iceland, they don’t pay attention to this.
“Well, volcanoes. And from the balcony I see, oh, a volcano has awakened, and you see such a glow. It has awakened many times in recent years, it didn’t behave like this before. In Grindavik, they evacuated people, and you could watch online, I saw how lava was consuming houses like that,” describes our hero’s routine life.
Locals are calm. Before a volcanic eruption, there will be an earthquake that will signal the approach of another problem.
“Sometimes I wake up at night, and you know, it’s like I’m being rocked together with the bed. The scariest was last summer. We lived on the third floor. And there were such tremors, furniture was jumping,” summarizes Natalia.
The scariest storm Natalia experienced was in January this year. Wind speed was 52 km/hour, with gusts up to 92 km/hour.
Icelanders. Is it Easy to Live with Them?
Icelanders are cultured, educated, and ready to help when needed. But they’re not too talkative or sociable. They don’t open their soul to every stranger – you need to build trust with them. The main help for Ukrainians is provided by the state. But Icelanders themselves, as volunteers, provide comprehensive support to Ukrainians in all areas.
They also love pools. These are large complexes with hot tubs, hot springs, and more. Daylight in winter is four hours. You wake up – it’s dark, and after a few hours, it’s dark again. Therefore, Icelanders spend most of their free time enjoying life in pool complexes.
What Inspires
“There’s beauty around every corner,” Natalia’s eyes shine when she talks about it. “Everything here is built around nature. When the sun sets, pink snow, bright pink. And the sky here is low, it’s right above you. When the sun sets, the sky is pink or red.”
Geysers shoot fountains of hot water. Dense fogs suddenly disperse, revealing stunning panoramas of cliffs that drop steeply into the Atlantic.
Iceland’s waterfalls are separate magic. They don’t just flow, but fall with incredible force, creating rainbow mists.
The Northern Lights are a separate wonder. When darkness envelops the winter island, the sky bursts into incredible green, pink, and purple waves, creating the most fascinating natural show.
Iceland is not just an island, it’s a living organism. Somewhere here, at the edge of the world, you feel the maximum breathing of the planet…
