Liudmyla Kyrychenko is from Obukhiv. After school, she trained as a dietary cook and worked in her profession at a jewellery factory until she went on maternity leave. When she returned to work, she chose a completely different path — police security. She worked at a cardboard and paper mill, guarding facilities, and remembers that experience well as a job that required attentiveness and readiness for different situations.
After being made redundant, Liudmyla spent very little time at the employment office. She stayed at the mill, but moved into another area: first receiving and dispatching cardboard, and later transferring to the company’s in-house gas station. It did not serve outside customers — it only fuelled the mill’s vehicles. Liudmyla received fuel according to requests, kept records, issued oils and reconciled the accounts at the end of each month.
A separate stage in her career began around 12 years ago, when she joined a network gas station as a cashier. Liudmyla quickly remembered regular customers: some would come in for coffee every morning, while others would refuel with the same amount each time. “I like people. Talking to them, helping them, giving advice,” our colleague says.
She remembers the first days of the full-scale war largely through what was happening at work. At the time, many people could not get to their shifts, while queues at the gas station were enormous. Liudmyla and her colleagues stayed at the gas station for several days at a time. It was then that she learnt to work at the pumps. She recalls that, at that time, it was not only important to refuel cars, but also to be there for people: to help, explain and support them.
A month ago, she moved to a new position and now works as a gas station operator. During the day, she walks a lot, helps drivers, answers questions and tells customers about current promotions. The job has its own rhythm: constant movement, live communication and many familiar faces. Liudmyla says customers often thank her not only with words. Sometimes they leave tips — for help at the pump, a useful prompt or simply a warm conversation. For her, this is about the feeling that people see her work and return to the place where they are treated with care.
Liudmyla’s life is not limited to work, although she honestly admits that sometimes it feels as though work is her main outlet. At home, her cat Sioma is waiting for her — peach-coloured, fluffy and, as Liudmyla jokes, very demanding when it comes to attention and food. And when she has a chance to take a longer break, she enjoys travelling and discovering new places and countries.
