Ukrainian refugees make a new life in Whitefish

Yurii and Vitalina Zinchenko never dreamed of living in America. Now, they hope to never have to leave.

Born and raised in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, less than 30 miles from the Russian border, the pair of successful lawyers are making new life in Whitefish after watching their beloved home systematically destroyed by missile strikes and bombing since the Russian invasion began in February.

The couple, along with their 3-year-old daughter Anastasia, fled their apartment Feb. 24, the first day of fighting, but no matter how many times they moved, the war was a constant, unwanted companion.

“We never dreamed of leaving our home. It was amazing and beautiful,” Yurii said. “We were born there. We spent all of our lives there and our child was born there. It’s an amazing city that was very clean and beautiful. It had recently been named the most comfortable place to live in Ukraine. Now look at it. It is not a safe place for us. It’s not a safe place for anyone.”

At first, the family took shelter with Vitalina’s parents 15 miles outside Kharkiv, but there was no escaping the advancing Russian attack.

“The first few weeks were horrible. We were being bombed with missiles, with artillery and by planes. Each time, we would tell Anastasia it was some kind of fireworks. We would tell her the sirens she was hearing were music. We would tell her it was anything but a war,” Yurii said. “You try to sleep, but you can only sleep for maybe one hour. You are always listening because the missiles keep hitting and your windows are always shaking. I was always worried about the glass shattering, so I would sleep in a way where I could use my body to shield my family. We had to keep moving, because that is no way to live.”

The next stop for the Zinchenkos was a house in the neighboring state of Poltava, where they took shelter along with three other families as well as a number of individuals, but even that was not a haven for long.

The family continued to seek safety, never knowing what each day would bring and when the missiles would once again force them to flee. For five months they wandered the Ukrainian countryside.

“Each time we thought we had found somewhere that was safe. The war would follow us. The missiles would begin falling around us and we would have to move further west,” Yurii said.

And so the Zinchenkos’ plight continued.

Despite the desire to remain in their home country, Yurii began calling friends outside of Ukraine searching for help. He called Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Germany and more, but the answer was always the same. Everyone would love to help, but their countries were already brimming with Ukrainian refugees.

Roughly a quarter of Ukraine’s population has been displaced from their homes by the conflict. With more than eight million seeking shelter outside of the country, asylum in Europe is hard to find. Determined to protect his family, Yurii directed his efforts elsewhere.

Having heard about the Uniting for Ukraine program in the United States, Yurii sent emails to every U.S. Senator, along with several immigration lawyers, asking for help.

Much like it had been with his calls around Europe, the answers were all the same: Everyone would like to help, but the family would have to reach the U.S. first.

When Yurii’s cell phone rang with the caller ID showing an unknown American number, his hope was rekindled. A former Ukrainian living in the U.S. offered to help find the family a sponsor.

It was not long before a sponsor was found in Alaska, but Yurii had his reservations.

After the Bolshevik Revolution a century ago, Russians had forced his great-grandparents into labor camps in Siberia and killed his grandfather when he refused to go.

“I told him we had history in Siberia, so Alaska doesn’t frighten me, but maybe we can find somewhere a bit warmer,” Yurii laughed.

The “warmer” place they found was Whitefish.

“I got off the phone and told Vitalina they had found us a place to live. She asked where and I said Montana. She asked, ‘Where is that?’ I said, ‘I have no idea, let’s Google it,’” Yurii said. “I had studied America in high school, so I knew a lot of states and a lot about them. I did not know much about Montana. I was thinking Montana was somewhere in the middle. I knew Montana had a lot to do with cowboys and Indians, so I figured it must be somewhere near Texas. I was very wrong.”

AFTER A month-long stop in Normandy, France waiting for airline prices to drop, the family finally made their way to America and found their first experiences with the country astonishing.

“Our flight from Paris to Dallas was delayed and we missed our flight to Missoula. The airline not only got us new tickets on another flight, they also got us a hotel room and paid for our meals,” Yurii said. “That would never happen in Ukraine. Our first impression was that, in this country, a lot of things are done to help people.”

Now settled in Whitefish for more than a month, the Zinchenkos are getting used to their new life as they plan their future.

The family is supported by a core Sponsor Circle made up of five members who serve as a participatory board of directors, overseeing financing for rent, food, education, vocational preparation, medical care and more.

A GoFundMe account has also been set up for those wishing to help the family at https://www.gofundme.com/f/7j473-zinchenko-family?qid=7e861aaedc2432b442c96d6bf0b24420.

While Yurii says he is willing to work as a truck driver or do whatever it takes to support his family, he hopes to be able to eventually put his knowledge of law to work. If possible, he would like to help other Ukrainian people make the same journey his family has.

Vitalina hopes to follow her dreams of helping others by studying to become a physician’s assistant.

“If you have opportunity, and America is the land of opportunity, then anyone can be anything they want,” Yurii said.

WHILE YURII, Vitalina and Anastasia found their way out, they worry about friends and family back home, including Vitalina’s brother, who has three times already narrowly escaped death during the fighting.

The first incident came when a missile struck his apartment just 15 minutes after he had left. The second came 10 minutes after he left his shift with the territory defense force and a missile struck the building where he had been, killing all inside.

The last, and closest call, came when a missile struck just 15 meters from him, leaving him covered in dirt, dust and debris.

“Each morning, we wake up, take out our phones and read what has happened back home and check in with our friends and family to see if they are OK,” Vitalina said. “Our hearts and souls are still back there with them.”

“You can’t imagine what war is like until you are going through it. When it hits your house, it shatters all your preconceptions. After all Europe went through with World War I and World War II, it’s hard to imagine that it is happening again,” Yurii added. “But, our people are stronger than everyone thought. NATO was afraid of Russia, but we are encouraging Europe with the way we are fighting back. Those who are fighting, they are heroes.”

The family hopes Vitalina’s brother will reconsider leaving the country when his first child is born later this year.

“You think differently when you are a father,” Yurii said. “When you have a child, you have a responsibility to think about what happens next. I’ve learned that first hand.”

WHILE THE family was finally able to find safety in America, their future is once again uncertain.

The Zinchenkos have been granted humanitarian parolee status for two years, but they are unsure what happens next.

“We thought about the possibility of moving back when we first got here, but the more time we live here and discover for ourselves how beautiful this country is, we are learning how great a place it would be for us and for Anastasia’s future,” Yurii said. “When you pay taxes here, you see all these facilities built with them — hospitals and schools. Taxes here pay for things instead of just being stolen and put in politician’s pockets. America is very different from what we have known before. We are not sure what our future will be, but we will continue to keep searching for a way that we can stay. This is an amazing country.”