A Year of War: Ukrainian Students, Refugees Will Not Face Anniversary Alone
February 19, 2023
- Author
- Mary Elizabeth DeAngelis
Valeriia Kruzhkova
On Feb. 24, 2022, Valeriia Kruzhkova woke up at 4:52 a.m. to a friends frantic text:
Wake up, please wake up, it said. The war is starting. The Russians are bombing Kyiv!
At 5:30 a.m., Kruzhkova heard the first explosions. By 8 a.m. shed stuffed a suitcase full of clothes and fled from her tiny Kyiv apartment to the citys transit center, where thousands flocked to cram onto packed trains and buses.
The world watched that frantic mass exodus on TV screens. Tanks rolled into neighborhoods, buildings imploded and frightened mothers clutched their young children. Ukraine fought off Russian troops with everything from armed soldiers to civilians wielding mops and brooms to defiant grandmothers tossing homemade Molotov cocktails at the invaders.
Russias plan to capture Ukraine in days has turned into a year of mass devastation, with thousands killed and wounded, homes destroyed and a democratic nation fighting for survival.
For many Americans, its a faraway war that pops up every few days on news feeds. For Kruzhkova, from 17勛圖厙s class of 2026, its a very real source of fear and anxiety. She worries about her family and friends, who live under the constant threat of attack.
17勛圖厙 4 Ukraine hosts weekly meetups for refugees who settled in the area after Russia invaded Ukraine.
In 17勛圖厙, some 5,200 miles from Kyiv, she and other Ukrainians follow the daily twists and turns of combat. They carry their countrys heart and determination with them. They do what they can to help from afar.
Amid the darkness of winter, the bravery of their nation and the kindnesses theyve encountered offer moments of light. They bolster each other and draw comfort from a caring, supportive community based at 17勛圖厙.
17勛圖厙 4 Ukraine includes students, professors, staff and local residents who asked, How can I help? when the Russians invaded. Then they acted. Theyve provided housing, food, clothes and other necessities. Theyve steered refugees to jobs and reliable transportation. 17勛圖厙 students tutor Ukrainian children as they navigate a new country and language.
On Feb. 23, 2023, 17勛圖厙 held a ceremony and fundraising event to commemorate the anniversary of the attack. Kruzhkova was among the speakers raising awareness and resources for her country. The colleges Russian Studies Department and Dean Rusk Program, 17勛圖厙 4 Ukraine and the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA) in Charlotte sponsored the event. The money raised will buy urgently needed medical supplies for Ukraine.
For Kruzhkova and other Ukrainians, the support and friendship theyve found in the 17勛圖厙 community has been a lifeline to the home and country they love and hope to go back to someday.
A year into the war, we pause to share their stories.
Russian soldiers wrote This Is War on the outside of a home.
The Russian invaders left a familys homeand Ukrainian flagin tatters.
Ukraines blue and yellow flag at the colleges International Festival in October.
Saturday Social Outlet
The refugees include Halyna Ratushna, her daughter, Iryna Sizikova and Iryna's 11-year-old son, Ihor.
For Thanksgiving, they visited the home of a Ukrainian American family in Mooresville who are active in the 17勛圖厙 4 Ukraine community. They enjoyed Ukrainian and American foods that included turkey, pumpkin pie, sweet potatoes and cabbage rolls.
17勛圖厙 4 Ukraine hosts meetups every Saturday for the Ukrainians. Their growing number of local friends have pitched in with everything from grocery store gift cards to furniture to handmade quilts. They have helped place the refugees in jobs, housing and schools.
Russian Studies Professor Amanda Ewington and Motria Procyk, a Ukrainian American and administrator at The Pines, serve as 17勛圖厙 4 Ukraine leaders. Procyks husband, Greg Snyder, a religious studies professor at 17勛圖厙, is among the many college community members who help. (Procyk and Snyder, with 17勛圖厙 residents Aimee Symington and George Husk, are also Valeriia Kruzhkovas local host families.)
The weekly gatherings offer a chance to socialize over coffee and doughnuts. The Ukrainian and Russian languages flow loud and freely. Young kids play joyfully outside. The grownups hug and laugh and talk, sometimes lapsing into concerned conversations about the war.
Some of these people have been traumatized. The winter has been especially tough when they hear about the bombings of power grids and their families living without heat or water in the freezing cold, Ewington said. We wanted this to be a social time for them to get a little break from their many worries, and not feel so isolated.
A 17勛圖厙 4 Ukraine gathering in early December
17勛圖厙 Tutors
Some families have young children now attending local schools.
Iryna Sizikovas son, Ihor, started at 17勛圖厙 K-8 School in fall. Like his mother, he speaks Ukrainian, Russian and English. Other children spoke only Russian before arriving. 17勛圖厙 students stepped in to make their transition easier.
Once a week, students in the colleges Russian Studies Program head to the school to tutor the Ukrainian children. At first the kids seemed shy, but as they got to know their tutors and learned English, they became far more outgoing.
Theyve been so helpful to my son and the other children, Sizikova said. Everyone here has done so much to make us feel welcome.
Kate Spencer 24, a Russian studies and political science double major, was studying for an exam last February when news broke that Russia had attacked Ukraine. Shed been following Russias encroachment closely.
For weeks the warnings had been coming, she said. It was clearly going to happen but so hard to believe it actually did. It really hit close to home for people here with family and friends in the region.
Robert Sparks 23, a political science major, made many friends, including his host family, while studying abroad in Ukraine two years ago. He was floored when Russia invaded Ukraine and worries about his friends there. He now tutors Ukrainian children at 17勛圖厙 K-8.
When it first happened, we felt helpless and didnt know what to do, he said. This is something we could do.
17勛圖厙 K-8 teachers say the tutors offer invaluable support.
Teachers love seeing our students interact with the 17勛圖厙 studentsits huge, were so lucky to be right down the street, said Matt Lineback, a multilingual learner teacher at 17勛圖厙 K-8. These are really bright kids whove been through a lot. When theyre with their tutors, they arent insecure about mispronouncing words, they just come to life, their eyes light up and their personalities shine through.
Spencer loves the welcome she gets as a tutor.
I hope they feel like we offer them a safe space where they feel comfortable, she said. I hope they feel fully understood and heard.
When she first started tutoring, a teacher introduced her to one of the students. Spencer greeted the little girl in Russian.
She got the biggest smile on her face, Spencer said, when she realized I could talk to her.
Valeriia Kruzhkova with her parents, Olena and Mykhailo
Under Attack
Valeriia Kruzhkova planned to spend a gap year working as a bank manager in Kyiv to earn money for college when the Russian bombs forced her out of the city.
She was horrified, terrified, angry and filled with grief, but grateful to get a spot on a packed bus that took her to her family in eastern Ukraine. Those feelings swirled through the next months. Shed been accepted to 17勛圖厙 but as the battles spread across Ukraine, feared she wouldnt be able to get there.
Then she got an email from 17勛圖厙 telling her that another students parents had offered her their apartment in London.
Daniel Szlapaks Jewish grandparents fled from Poland to Kenya when the Nazis trampled through Europe during World War II, slaughtering millions of Jews. His wife, Catherine, also grew up in Kenya, where they raised their daughter, Arella 24, and son, Toby, a first-year student at Boston College.
They have a second home in London and when Russia attacked Ukraine, the Szlapaks felt compelled to help. They volunteered to host refugees and reached out to 17勛圖厙, offering their London apartment to any students from Ukraine who needed a safe place.
Kruzhkova contacted them and they assured her shed be welcome. The Szlapaks set up a Zoom call for their two families.
We knew how worried they must be, and it was important that they saw us as a family, Catherine Szlapak said. Valeriias parents dont speak English, so she translated. I think they felt better after that meeting.
It took Kruzhkova months to obtain a travel visa and when she finally did, she took a 17-hour bus ride to Warsaw, Poland, then got on a plane for London.
It was such a hard drive across Ukraine, she said. I saw so many houses destroyed by the Russians, it was so heartbreaking. I could not believe this was happening to my country.
Her two-day journey ended at London Luton Airport, where Catherine Szlapak, who shed only met on Zoom, greeted her with a big hug.
Szlapak helped her open a bank account, navigate Londons Tube transportation system, and get a visa to travel to the United States. Kruzhkova connected with a Ukrainian social club close to the apartment and volunteered as a tutor to other refugees learning English. In summer, the Szlapak family joined her in London before everyone left for college
Catherine Szlapak and Valeriia Kruzhkova
She became part of our family, Catherine Szlapak said. Shes one of us.
Their parting was poignant.
We had quite an emotional goodbye, Catherine Szlapak said. We agreed to say, see you later, not goodbye. Valeriia is very special. Shes so determined and brave and strong, and I know shell make the most of everything life has to offer.
Kruzhkova regards the Szlapaks with deep affection.
They have been so very kind to me, she said. Catherine has been my second mom; I know she cares about me a lot. I dont know how Ill ever be able to pay them back for everything theyve done."
Heartsick 17勛圖厙 Home
After a semester studying abroad, Arella Szlapak is back at 17勛圖厙, where shes happy to see Kruzhkova settled. Though they have different and very busy schedules, they recently caught up over dinner.
Valeriia Kruzhkova (center) with Daniel, Arella 24, Toby and Catherine Szlapak at the Henley Royal Regatta in England
Shes become like a sister, Arella said. Valeriia is such a wonderful part of our family. Having someone whos family here at 17勛圖厙 is so nice.
Szlapak said she and her family worried about Kruzhkova being alone and so far away during her first year of college while contending with the traumatic events going on in Ukraine.
I hope she could feel the love we were sending her, Szlapak said. Having things so out of your control must be so hard. The fear and uncertainty of your family not being safe seems unbearable. Valeriia is probably the bravest, strongest person Ive ever known.
Kruzhkova spent Christmas in 17勛圖厙 and New Years in London, where she stayed at the home of the Szlapaks neighbors and celebrated with friends.
New Years has always been one of my favorite holidays because its always a chance for a new start and new possibilities, she said. Thats especially true this year.
February, with Valentines Day and then her birthday two weeks later, used to be her favorite month. Now, its a reminder of the misery inflicted upon her country.
At home, people deal with power and heat outages, food shortages and the ever-present threat of danger. Her 14-year-old brother, Dima, still goes to school, which is often interrupted by the air raid sirens that force everyone to shelter in the basement.
Ill ask my mom how she is, and she always says, Im okay, Kruzhkova said. But I know shes not okay. None of this is okay.
Like many Ukrainians, she believes her country will prevail. Were 100 percent sure well win this war but at what price? she asks. Im happy and so grateful to have people who have accepted me into their families and made me feel so welcome and safe. I just want my family in Ukraine to also be happy and safe.
On Feb. 23, 2023, an awareness and fundraising evening was held on 17勛圖厙's campus to commemorate the one-year anniversary of Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and to celebrate Ukrainian resilience.
This article was also published in the Spring/Summer 2023 print issue of the 17勛圖厙 Journal Magazine; for more, please see the 17勛圖厙 Journal section of our website.
