One year on, Ukrainians in Canada reflect on Russia’s war: ‘You feel like a traitor’ | 24CA News

The day Russia started its unlawful invasion of Ukraine, 19-year-old worldwide relations scholar Andrian Makhnachov was in his residence in Kyiv, quick asleep. It was February the twenty fourth.

He was woke up by a telephone name from his college buddy within the early hours of the morning.

“Look through your window,” his buddy stated.

“The war has started.”

It’s been a yr since and whereas Makhnachov is now dwelling in Canada, he says he struggles with guilt.

He moved in together with his brother, a resident of Regina, Saskatchewan in May 2022, whereas his father stayed behind in Ukraine to assist with “territorial defence,” whereby Ukrainians work 24 hours in rotating shifts throughout all districts, arrange roadblocks and defend the areas they stay in.

“They check cars, patrol the territory of the city, make sure that nothing strange happens,” Makhnachov informed Global News.

“When I arrived (in) Canada, everything was so strange to me – so stressful. I was really depressed,” he stated.

While Makhnachov is ready to really feel at house generally, dwelling in Canada has additionally left him with a way of guilt.

“I was expecting the situation in Ukraine would (get) better… but it’s really worse and worse every day,” he stated. “I feel like I can’t be happy while what’s happening in Ukraine.”

Makhnachov hopes he’ll at some point be capable of return to his house nation – however because the battle continues, he’s not sure how quickly that might occur.

“It will be a year soon… and I still feel like it was yesterday,” he stated. “In Canada, I don’t know what I’ll do tomorrow.”

These days, Makhnachov spends his time in Regina posting about his experiences on TikTook. By documenting his tackle Canada’s poutine, Nanaimo bars, ketchup chips and even the job market, Makhnachov has garnered over 230,000 followers on the platform.

After Russia invaded Ukraine final yr, Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau introduced the primary of what would go on to turn out to be successive rounds of sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin and members of his prime workers, together with supporters and industrial entities.

In March 2022, the Canadian authorities opened up a program with the potential to welcome tens of millions of Ukrainians fleeing the battle.

The program is designed to permit limitless numbers of accepted Ukrainians into Canada for 3 years whereas they determine their subsequent steps. The authorities additionally provided eligibility to members of the family of Ukrainian nationals, no matter their very own nationality.

Around that very same time, the Russian military started to encompass Mariupol. And, it was then that 32-year-old Iryna Kuznetsova misplaced contact together with her dad and mom.

Born in Kyiv, Kuznetsova has been residing in Vancouver, British Columbia for over 9 years, whereas most of her household nonetheless lives in Ukraine.

She was lastly capable of get in contact together with her mom on March 24 after almost a month solely to be taught that her father had handed away the day earlier than from a stroke — on his sixty fifth birthday.

“I lost contact with them on March 1. That was the last day I spoke to my dad, and I don’t remember what I said,” Kuznetsova informed Global News.

“She (her mother) said she was begging (Russian) soldiers who were there with guns for medical help, and they said no,” stated Kuznetsova.

With the assistance of a neighbour, Kuznetsova’s mom, who was preventing terminal most cancers, was capable of dig a grave for her husband of 47 years to be laid to relaxation.

On May 19, 2022, Kuznetsova was capable of carry her mom to Vancouver with assist from the Canadian embassy.

“My mom did have a very short window of time when she was able to fly. It’s a very long flight and she needed to fly with a doctor,” Kuznetsova stated.

“The Canadian embassy helped greatly and sped up her visa. This visa allowed us to fly to Turkey… and (embassy staff) made sure we didn’t have any problems crossing the borders,” she stated.

Kuznetsova’s mom spent two weeks within the Vancouver General Hospital earlier than she was introduced house however succumbed to most cancers on July 10, 2022.

“I was not able to save my mom because it was too late for that but I was able to bring her here. She saw me. She saw my friends,” Kuznetsova stated. “My mom was very grateful for everyone’s support and I was very privileged to get her here, to show her the quiet life and say goodbye to her.”

“But I don’t have parents anymore. You close your eyes for a second and you think that it’s just a horrible dream, but it’s reality.”

Reflecting on the battle hitting one yr, Kuznetsova stated it’s been “surreal” thus far.

“It feels like you’re watching your family being murdered online every day,” she stated. “It’s like two parallel universes. You look around and everything is so normal, but you’re constantly glued to your phone to see what’s happening, reading about what’s being bombed.”

Her group chat with buddies from house that was full of gossip on who’s getting divorced or having a baby has become messages of terror about bombings and the losses of family members.

“We were counting days. None of us thought it would last this long,” she stated of their unique expectations for the invasion.

“The war is not over. Please do not look away. It’s real people. They’re hurting and they’re dying, and their lives are being broken into pieces.”

She has a easy message for Canadians: “We all don’t need to change the world. Be kind. Stop spreading misinformation. Help to the best of your abilities.”

Semion Kremeniuk, 36, nonetheless has the boarding passes he, his 4 youngsters and spouse used when transferring to Canada from Ukraine.

“I’m going to be showing them to my grandkids,” he informed Global News.

The household moved to the Northumberland space of Ontario with their canine on April 23, 2022.

“We only had a few hours to pack and when we were leaving, we thought that we were going to go back in a week or two,” stated Kremeniuk, who spent his entire life in Kyiv earlier than the transfer.

“We ended up never going back.”

In Canada, the very first thing Kremeniuk does when he wakes up within the morning is examine to news to see what’s taking place in Ukraine.

“It influences your day. It becomes the only thing you’re discussing. If you read that there’s been another shooting or more rockets headed toward a residential building, it means that day is ruined,” he stated.

“The only thing you can do is just wait for the day to be over and (hope that) the next day will be better. The worst part of being here is that you feel like a traitor. You feel like you left your country and your people.”

For Kremeniuk, though the one-year mark of the battle shall be a day he “counts his blessings” in Canada, it would even be a “a very, very sad day to reflect.”

“It’s something to reflect on because one day you’re living your life at home and then in one year, not only you, but your whole family is very far building a new life,” he stated.

Making the choice to maneuver again to Ukraine when the battle ends shall be tough for Kremeniuk and his household, he says.

“It was really stressful for the kids to change everything, to leave everything behind. To go back anywhere would mean probably the same thing. They have friends here. They’re learning the language so quickly,” stated Kremeniuk.

But as Russia’s battle drags on, Kremeniuk is urging the world to not overlook.

“It’s not getting any better in Ukraine. The war is still going on. People are still dying,” he stated.