91����

In 91����, some 5,200 miles from Kyiv, she and other Ukrainians follow the daily twists and turns of combat. They carry their country�s 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 they�ve encountered offer moments of light. They bolster each other and draw comfort from a caring, supportive community based at 91����.

�91���� 4 Ukraine� includes students, professors, staff and local residents who asked, �How can I help?� when the Russians invaded. Then they acted. They�ve provided housing, food, clothes and other necessities. They�ve steered refugees to jobs and reliable transportation. 91���� students tutor Ukrainian children as they navigate a new country and language.

On Feb. 23, 2023, 91���� 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 college�s Russian Studies Department and Dean Rusk Program, 91���� 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 they�ve found in the 91���� 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.

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 91���� 4 Ukraine community. They enjoyed Ukrainian and American foods that included turkey, pumpkin pie, sweet potatoes and cabbage rolls.

91���� 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. 

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. She�d been accepted to 91���� but as the battles spread across Ukraine, feared she wouldn�t be able to get there.

Then she got an email from 91���� telling her that another student�s parents had offered her their apartment in London.

Daniel Szlapak�s 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 91����, offering their London apartment to any students from Ukraine who needed a safe place.

Kruzhkova contacted them and they assured her she�d 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. �Valeriia�s parents don�t 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 she�d only met on Zoom, greeted her with a big hug. 

Szlapak helped her open a bank account, navigate London�s 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

�She became part of our family,� Catherine Szlapak said. �She�s 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. She�s so determined and brave and strong, and I know she�ll 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 don�t know how I�ll ever be able to pay them back for everything they�ve done."

After a semester studying abroad, Arella Szlapak is back at 91����, where she�s happy to see Kruzhkova settled. Though they have different and very busy schedules, they recently caught up over dinner.

�She�s become like a sister,� Arella said. �Valeriia is such a wonderful part of our family. Having someone who�s family here at 91���� 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 I�ve ever known.�   

Kruzhkova spent Christmas in 91���� and New Year�s in London, where she stayed at the home of the Szlapaks� neighbors and celebrated with friends.

�New Year�s has always been one of my favorite holidays because it�s always a chance for a new start and new possibilities,� she said. �That�s especially true this year.�

February, with Valentine�s Day and then her birthday two weeks later, used to be her favorite month. Now, it�s a reminder of the misery inflicted upon her country.

This article was also published in the Spring/Summer 2023 print issue of the 91���� Journal Magazine; for more, please see the 91���� Journal section of our website.