Valeriia Polianska, a contestant on the 15th season of the popular romantic reality show "The Bachelor," used her birthday to draw public attention to a deeply personal and tragic topic. Instead of festive posts and traditional birthday wishes, she shared the story of her family, who were forced to flee from the destroyed and occupied city of Bakhmut. This birthday marked the fifth consecutive year that the young woman has spent far from her hometown, realizing that her former life remains only in old photographs.
Archival Footage and the Pain of Loss
On her Instagram page, Valeriia published a series of unique archival photos taken in Bakhmut in the early 2000s. These pictures capture a happy family: little Valeriia with her sister and parents in their cozy home, as well as frames from her childhood birthday party in 2005. More than two decades later, she and her family attempted to recreate these scenes in new photographs taken in Kyiv in 2026. Among the valuable family relics was also a snapshot from a family vacation on the Azov Sea in Urзуf back in 2004.
However, behind these touching images lies immense pain. According to Polianska, virtually nothing is left of their former life or the city itself. "After all, neither the city nor the house exists anymore. There are only memories and photographs," the reality show participant wrote. The miraculously preserved family archives are all her parents managed to salvage from Bakhmut right before the arrival of the occupiers, turning them into internally displaced persons.
Charity Initiative and Support for Displaced Persons
Drawing on her own difficult experience of adapting to a new life in Kyiv, Valeriia Polianska deeply understands the hardships faced by thousands of Ukrainians who have lost their homes. That is why on her birthday, she launched an important charitable campaign. She urged her followers to forgo traditional gifts and instead direct funds to help internally displaced persons (IDPs) who are in critical need of support with the onset of winter.
Together with a charitable foundation, the raised funds will be used to purchase vital winter supplies. The list of necessary aid includes power banks, electric blankets, sleeping bags, thermoses, warm winter blankets, and chemical hand warmers. Such initiatives demonstrate the deep social responsibility of public figures and help unite society in the face of shared trials.
Project Context and Media Background
It is worth noting that before participating in the 15th season of "The Bachelor," Valeriia Polianska was widely known to the public as a close friend and manager of popular Ukrainian TV presenter Lesia Nikituk. By Valeriia's own admission, work took up about 98% of her time, leaving almost no room for her personal life. Participating in the romantic reality show, whose main protagonist this season is famous Ukrainian basketball player Viacheslav Kravtsov, became her chance to change that situation.
