On September 17, Ukraine traditionally observes Adoption Day — a date that reminds us that a family can be built not only through blood, but also through choice, love, and responsibility. On this day, it is especially fitting to talk about public figures who have taken the step of adopting and openly share their experience: from the first steps in handling paperwork to the difficult period of a child's adjustment to a new home. According to the parents themselves, it is precisely such stories that help prospective adoptive parents understand what lies beyond the paper procedure.
Timur and Inna Mishchenko: Two Adopted Children and an Open Dialogue About the Challenges
The family of host Timur and Inna Mishchenko has four children, two of whom are adopted. In June 2023, the couple welcomed Marcel into the family — a boy who was born prematurely and needed long-term rehabilitation. In September 2024, the family grew with another adopted girl, Angelina. Inna Mishchenko openly shares her experience on Instagram and emphasizes that the decision to adopt must be made with understanding: a child may need a great deal of time to adjust to a new family and feel safe in it.
Lilia Podkopeieva and Natalia Mohylevska: Adoption Before and During the War
Figure skater Lilia Podkopeieva adopted her son Vadim in 2006, when the boy was about six months old. According to her, during the procedure itself she learned of her own pregnancy, but this did not change her decision to bring Vadim into the family; later, the athlete gave birth to a daughter, Karolina, and today Lilia maintains a close bond with her son. Singer Natalia Mohylevska, for her part, became the mother of two biological sisters — Michelle and Sofia — whom she adopted during the full-scale war. The artist publicly spoke about her daughters only in early 2024, explaining that the children needed time to adjust. Now the older, Michelle, studies at a lyceum, and Sofia turned six in 2026.
Alex and Alya Yakutov: Almost Two Years from the First Step to Home
Chef Alex Yakutov and his wife Alya recently welcomed four-year-old Kiryusha into their family. Before that, the couple visited the boy for about a month and a half so that they could gradually get to know each other and grow accustomed to one another. On the eve of Adoption Day, Alya shared that almost two years passed from the first step to Kiryusha appearing at home, and she noted that she interprets the child's emotional outbursts as a sign that he feels safe enough in the family to express his emotions.
Oliva and Baba Dasha: Bloggers Sharing Their Adjustment Experience
Blogger Oliva and her husband Dmitry adopted four-year-old Liya during the full-scale war: according to Oliva, the couple had been thinking about adoption as early as 2019, and the family officially grew in 2025. She shows on social media how Liya is adjusting to her new life and does not hide that the adjustment was not easy — with her stories, the blogger wants to show prospective adoptive parents what happens not only at the paperwork stage but also after the child comes home. Blogger Daria Pazjuk, known as Baba Dasha, is raising three sons with her husband Alexander and has repeatedly spoken about her desire to adopt a child, admitting in 2024 that she does not plan to have a fourth but wants to welcome an adopted child into the family. Recently, she showed her "heart-born" daughter Angelina and shared that the trigger for the decision was meeting a child at one of the medical facilities.
Why Public Stories Matter
The common thread in all these stories is the understanding that adoption does not end the moment the documents are signed. Parents who openly talk about rehabilitation, adjustment, and emotional difficulties dispel the myth of a "easy" procedure and provide a reference point for other families. On Adoption Day, such accounts remind us: a new family for a child is not a formality, but a long path of trust, in which publicity can be both a source of support and a factor requiring a careful attitude toward the children's private lives.
