UKRAINIAN circus performers in Southampton have told of the horrors of war in their home country. 

Tatiana Kundyk and her family endured freezing temperatures during their journey to escape the war-torn nation.

Fleeing by car with her husband, Henry, and son, Leonardo, she drove through fields and the wrong way down roads.

They had been visiting Tatiana’s parents in Kyiv when Putin's army invaded.

They trekked the final seven miles of their journey on foot but had to wait hours to cross the Polish border to safety.

Thankfully, volunteers in Poland were able to take the family to a hotel in Warsaw, however, Tatiana's parents and extended family are still in Ukraine.

Now in the UK, Tatiana, 37, and Henry are performing with Circus Extreme at Mayflower Park, Southampton, until Sunday. 

Their fellow entertainer, Liudmyla Vrinceanu, is also Ukrainian.

Her parents were unable to flee the country due to her mother's health issues, and they vowed to not leave their homeland.

They spend most of their time in a basement bunker with no water, no electricity, and very little food. They have been surviving on a store of potatoes they have.

However, in the UK, Liudmyla said that she finds circus life "very interesting" and described her colleagues as "family".

"We are always travelling, and we are never in the same place," she said.

She performs as part of a team of dancers made up of Viktoria, Libby, Katie and Rose. 

Katie explained: "I have never worked with such a diverse group of people, I don't know how to explain it. 

"There is such a huge range of people and talent, it is really amazing."

Rose added: "You can expect anything and everything. If you like dancing, come for the dancing. But you also have so much more you can experience."

Circus Extreme is in Southampton at Mayflower Park until May 8.