Harry Styles brought a little ray of sunshine to a trio of Ukrainian refugees who fled their embattled country last year just months after the launch of Russia’s unprovoked war on its neighbor. The singer teamed with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) to invited the women to his Love on Tour show in Warsaw, Poland’s PGE Narodowy Stadium on Sunday.
According to a post from the humanitarian aid organization, 13-year-old Daria, her mother Maryna and their friend Daria Kathina fled their hometown of Mykolayiv, Ukraine in July 2022 — more than four months after Russia’s Vladimir Putin launched the war — and have rebuilt their lives in Sosnowiec, Poland.
“I’m so grateful to Harry Styles and to the IRC, which has supported me to pursue my dream career in Poland, for giving us the chance to forget our worries for a night and sing and dance at the concert,” said Maryna in a statement on IRC’s Instagram page. The IRC thanked Styles for donating the tickets and for his continued support of the organization.
In addition, Maryna told the IRC, “Since being forced to leave our home in Ukraine last year, it’s been a challenge adjusting to life in a new country – especially for my daughter, Daria, and my 10-year-old son. I’m so grateful to Harry Styles and the IRC, which has supported me to pursue my dream career in Poland, for giving us the chance to forget our worries for a night, and sing and dance at the concert.”
In an accompanying video the three women are seen attending the show loaded down with bulging Styles swag bags and enjoying the gig from their primo seats.
The IRC also noted that Maryna has been participating in the IRC’s Step to Work project for Ukrainian refugees in Poland and is pursuing her dream of being a tram driver. The three women are among the nearly 6 million Ukrainians who’ve been forced to flee their homes, including more than 94,000 who’ve landed in Poland.
The next stop on Styles’ tour is in Vienna, Austria on Saturday (July 8), with the European leg of the trek slated to wind down on July 22 in Reggio Emilia, Italy at the RCF Arena.
Check out the IRC’s post below.
