“I hope that we can be useful for Stockholm University, and that we will produce good studies and articles. Maybe we can contribute to new innovations in materials chemistry and apply for patents to be able to create new products”, says Alla Brychka, who since November 2022 has been working as a researcher at the Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry.
Both she and her colleague Serhii are chemists in materials research with extensive expertise in, among other things, nanocomposite materials. At the department, they are part of Niklas Hedin’s research group, which focuses on sustainable materials and materials that can have improved functions in various ways and, for example, be used in the manufacturing industry.
“I work in corrosion research and will research materials that do not corrode or rust, for example steel. I have previously worked on developing products for the industry, such as new generations of sun protection cream where we used nanoparticles that provide stronger protection against UV radiation”, says Serhii.
Alla Brychka says that she works with various nanocomposite materials, such as nanotubes of carbon and aluminum silicate.
“It’s materials that improve the function of various surface coatings such as skin creams, paint and wood preservatives”, says Alla Brychka.
Research in chemistry in Ukraine
Before the war broke out, both lived in Kyiv and worked at The National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Both did research in chemistry and Serhii also taught undergraduate and graduate students. Their daughter is living in France since a few years, where she is doing research in biology.
A colleague and chemist at the same department, Ievgen Pylypchuk, is also attending the meeting in the premises in the Arrhenius laboratory in the beginning of December. He is also from Ukraine and has worked in Sweden since 2017 and at Stockholm University since 2021. He helps to translate from Ukrainian to English sometimes during the conversation. Alla apologizes that her English is not good enough to speak fluently and she has prepared a page where she has written a text in English about herself and her research.
“For us, the war has been going on since 2014 with Russia’s annexation of Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine. We were quite prepared for Russia to attack again”, says Serhii.
In the months leading up to the February 2022 attack, they followed the news closely and received information about what was going on, from news abroad and from Ukraine.
“They told us that the war will come at any moment now, so we were prepared. A few days before the outbreak of war, we left Kyiv and made our way to a place near Poland in western Ukraine”, says Serhii.
Early in the morning on February 24, the same day as the war broke out, they crossed the border to Poland where they spent the night with relatives, then went on to Germany.
“We thought that our child is in France so we go in that direction, it only takes two days, and Germany is on the way”, says Serhii.
In Germany, some friends let them borrow an apartment in Mainz and they stayed there for six months. Both found work in different research groups at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz.
“We looked for jobs as researchers in chemistry and sent around our CVs, it was important for us to be able to work, not just live on support”, says Serhii.
In the long term, they wanted to be able to continue working with their own research for a longer period of time and that is why they went to Sweden.
“Here we have received research funding for two years and it feels good that we can focus on research within our own areas and at the same time contribute to society”, says Serhii.
“Stockholm is similar to Kyiv”
“My first impression of Sweden when we arrived in the fall was that it is so green, and there is a lot of space here. In many ways, Stockholm is similar to Kyiv: It’s a big city with a subway and it has the same temperature and weather”, says Alla.
The research group to which they belong includes ten researchers, and Alla and Serhii share office space and labs with various colleagues. They follow the news from Ukraine and are in daily contact with relatives and friends who remain in the country. Sometimes it feels difficult.
“In the first months after the outbreak of war, I couldn’t think about anything else but the war. I enjoy being surrounded by colleagues now, in a workplace and having an everyday life. It’s nice to be able to focus on research”, says Alla.
“Yes, it feels good to work, it helps to keep your mind off the war”, Serhii adds.
They have noticed a certain difference between the institutes in Ukraine and Stockholm University.
“Our institutes in Kyiv are probably a little more hierarchical in their organization. And we don’t have the same access to instruments as you do here. In Kyiv, I have to pay for materials and chemicals myself, sometimes I have had five or six other jobs alongside my research to be able to finance it”, says Serhii.
“The academic level is the same in both countries, but there is a big difference when it comes to resources. There seem to be more opportunities to do research here in Sweden”, he adds.
They hope to return to Ukraine eventually, but only if it is possible to work there.
“Otherwise, we might stay here if possible, Sweden is a good country to do research in. Thank you for all the support”, says Alla.