Announcement
The Svieshnikova family has worked to rebuild their life after war broke out in Ukraine in February 2022. They now call Utah “home,” but the past year turned the family’s world upside down.
The family recounts the days leading up to the invasion as being “very tense,” as Ukrainians all around the country had no idea if Russia was serious about beginning a war. Olha, the oldest of this two sisters, her mother and her son, rushed to get out Kyiv, the city they were raised in, to find refuge in the suburbs. Only days after moving out of Kyiv, bombs dropped on a military base just two miles away from their home in the suburbs.
“We were sitting in hallways with no windows, and lined mattresses along the walls of our home to protect ourselves. We were terrified, and felt like we were waiting for bombs to fall on our heads,” said Olha’s mother. The family remained barricaded in their home for four days, working on a plan to escape the bombs to safety. There was no time to mourn for the lives they had in Ukraine, they knew that the safest thing they could do was leave.
The family’s escape to safety took them through forests and backroads, routes that took 36 hours to reach the nearest border crossing, they stayed in three different countries over the course of two months and finally purchased plane tickets to unite with Olha’s sister, Mira, who had been living in Utah for over a decade.
Mira and her husband came to Utah in 2010 as immigrants. They know the hard work and difficulties that come with being new to the United States: “It almost feels that you have to work twice as hard to be successful when it comes to language, careers, etc.,” said Mira. Over a decade later, Mira and her husband have built a life for themselves in the Beehive State and knew they needed to provide a safe home for relatives facing war in their home country. They now have nine family members staying in their home.
Over the past ten months, the family has faced a number of challenges, the most acute being language access and finding work. Though Olha spoke little English upon arriving to the U.S., she remained resilient and creative, bridging the gap between language and culture through the start of her business Heart Of Ukraine, where she makes traditional Oreshki cookies. “Every time I get an order, there is joy in my heart,” says Olha. “I am someone who has always been driven, I have always had a purpose. This business makes me feel like I have a purpose here. It has given me light in the darkness. ” Olha has been able to take her business to the next level through the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Salt Lake City’s small business program.
Heart of Ukraine is Olha's cookie business, where she makes traditional Ukrainian cookies!
Photo: James Roh
When people move to a new place, friends and neighbors become like your family. The Svieshnikova family had also felt the overwhelming generosity of their community in Utah. Mira recounts, “When my neighbors found out I would be housing my family they asked if I had enough beds for them all. Well, I hadn’t even thought about that. The next day people from my neighborhood were dropping off mattresses, bed sheets, and supplies for the anticipation of my family members arriving in Utah.” Their neighbors have also been integral in helping the kids enroll in school, the adults find language classes and extending a hand to help whenever and wherever it might be needed.
It is amazing what can be accomplished when a community works toward a common friendship and understanding. Olha and Mira were recently recognized in the International Rescue Committee & Craft Lake City, public art exhibit: Together We Welcome, located along Broadway (300 South) between 200 West and 200 East through the end of February. Join us as we listen and learn from stories like the Svieshnikova family’s, in order to be better welcomers in our neighborhoods, schools, cities, and state.
You can support Olha’s business, Heart of Ukraine, by following them on Instagram »