Elina came to Knaresborough in March 2022 as a result of the war in Ukraine. Fluent in English, she quickly settled into the town and its community life. Born in Sumy, Ukraine she studied at the Pedagogical Institute at the department of foreign languages, graduating in 1992.  After graduation she started  work as an English teacher where she taught for 8 years. This was followed by work at Sumy National Agrarian University as a tutor of English. In 2017 she became self-employed so that she could combine working and caring for a relative.

Elina joined the team at Chain Lane in April 2022 and is the key link between the new Ukrainian community and the support, advice and assistance they can access as they settle into the area. She also provides conversational English classes in Knaresborough and Harrogate to complement the formal ESOL learning our Ukrainian guests are undertaking.