Regarding progressive ideas, I strongly disagree with the claim that everyone back home is unprogressive. People who were born and raised in large cities are very progressive. You can also look at the demographic map and see that we have a large number of cities. In addition, a significant part of the population from eastern Ukraine is generally atheist. Those who identify as Orthodox are, in practice, not really religious, and many people there do not even celebrate Christmas. Overall, the country is secular on all sides.
There are also historical and social facts that are often ignored. Women in Ukraine gained access to higher education relatively early compared to many European societies, and women’s participation in education, science, and the workforce has long been normalized. Urban society was shaped by industrialization, strong scientific institutions, and a tradition of secular education. Even today, attitudes toward gender roles, education, and personal freedoms in major cities are closer to what is usually called “progressive” than people from outside often assume.
I have better chances here, because I still plan to complete higher education, as I have some opportunities for this and the age to do so. I should note that I already have a higher education degree, which I obtained in Ukraine. I understand that I mentioned examples of professions that are difficult to integrate into society. But believe me, in many cases language is not the problem, because all these people, regardless of age, learn the language well. They all have B2 or C1.
I should also say that Austria does not allow us to complete language courses at B2 level or higher for free; those have to be paid for out of pocket. In addition, we are not allowed to train for professions where there are many locals.
I’ll give an example. My best friend, after graduating from university in Ukraine, went to her caseworker, who asked her what she wanted to work as here. She said she wanted to work as a Bürofrau. She was told that this was impossible because only Germans work there. She didn’t just face resistance — she was effectively pushed into becoming a caregiver for the elderly. Her diploma was completely ignored. And these stories are the same for almost all Ukrainians.