A thief in St. John's stole a Ukrainian girl's figure skates. The neighbourhood is trying to get them back

A pair of figure skates is the only thing 11-year-old Lisa Martynenko brought with her when she and her family fled the war in Ukraine.

She kept them with her from there to Italy, to Poland, and finally to St. John's where someone stole them and the pink skate bag holding them from the back of her mother's car.

"That was her special thing that she took with her, and to lose that is you know, I can't imagine how devastating it is for a kid," said Michael Holden, a friend of the family.

Lisa and her family arrived in St. John's in June. Her mother, Anastasiia, works with the Association for New Canadians, and had just spent a long Tuesday helping the latest planeload of refugees arrive in Newfoundland.

She got home at 1 a.m., and parked outside their house in the city's Georgetown neighbourhoodbut forgot to lock the door.

Sometime over the next five hours, someone opened the car and stole the skates.

A security camera in a neighbouring house caught the person walking by, pink skate bag in one hand.

Lisa has a passion for figure skating, and was heading to practice at 6 a.m. Wednesday morning, which is when she and her mother found out someone had stolen the skates from the vehicle.

"These wereher pride and joy," said Holden, who described the girl as "absolutely devastated."

Holden and other volunteers are putting up posters inthe area, hoping someone finds the skatesor knows where they are.

"Hopefully, out of the goodness of someone's heart, if they see them or see being sold or if they find them anywhere they'll see the special meaning for this girl," he said.

The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary is investigating the theft, and Holden says a lot of people have been in touch, saying they'll buy her new skates, or have an unused pair.

But he says there's an emotional value to this pair that can't be replaced.

Their return would "seriously put a smile on her face before Christmas," he said.

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