The ongoing war in Ukraine has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Ukrainians. One of those victims of the Russian invasion was the wife of Serhii Puzniovskyi, who recently left his home in Ukraine in early May, and with the help of the US government’s Uniting for Ukraine program is now safely living with his two children in Dearborn.
Sophia and her brother, Nikita Puzniovskyi
with their father, Serhii, in Dearborn.
While it was extremely difficult for Puzniovskyi to leave his home and extended family and friends behind, he knew he had to save his children, Sophia, 19 and son, Nikita 11, from the fate suffered by his wife.
Dearborn residents, Chris Shove and his wife, Ilona, as sponsors for Uniting for Ukraine, were instrumental in helping the Puzniovskyi family escape the deadly war in their homeland.
“My wife and I thought we should do something for the millions of Ukrainian families and children fleeing war,” Chris said.
“I was worried about my kids being safe because Russians are bombing Ukraine and kids must move to bomb shelters to be safe,” Puzniovskyi said.
He had never been to the United States before, and while he and his children faced leaving their life-long homeland behind and starting over in a culture they were unfamiliar with, Dearborn residents welcomed them literally with open arms.
“I was impressed in two ways,” Puzniovskyi said. “First, people who we met kept smiling and were friendly; people in Ukraine are different. Second, people from church and Pastor Elizabeth started hugging me and my kids and welcomed us to America and gave to me and my kids moral support. I feel like I am at home because a lot of people support me and my kids, and make their life easy and comfortable.”
Dearborn Community Church members donated household goods to the family and they helped to find a job for Puzniovskyi at a local farm.
“I am overwhelmed how generous Dearborn folk have been,” Chris said. “Many hands made a big difference. Some donated blankets, others donated dishes, others toys, etc. And the North Platte Community food network gave food.”
Chris, who has lived in Dearborn for about 18 years, worked overseas during that time, including in Ukraine.
“I received my doctorate in 1988 in economic development planning, that was in demand after the fall of communism,” Chris said.
Before moving to Dearborn, Puzniovskyi was the regional manager of a large grocery store in Ukraine. When the war began, he brought food and supplies to soldiers and helped people evacuate from dangerous war zones.
“It is very hard how kids see this terrible war,” Puzniovskyi said. “And very hard to see kids who have lost arms or legs, but they did not lose their positive attitude.”
He said that fears about the war depend on people’s locations in Ukraine.
“If they are in combat positions, then people have no fear of death at all. They fight for the sake of the people who are behind them, and because of this they have no fear, because they know that they have to fight. Those people who live in those cities where there is no fighting, they live their lives, and they have no fear at all. The only fear they have is when they arrive home at night, because when they sleep they don’t know what will happen, if they will be alive or die.”
While the Puzniovskyis miss their family and friends in Ukraine, the most difficult challenge has been understanding and accepting that they left their city, country and homeland, where they have grown up - everything they treasured - and they are unsure if they will ever have the chance to see it again.
The family is adapting to life in the U.S. Puzniovskyi said everything is like new for them and much different than in Ukraine and Europe. “America has people that positively enjoy life. You Americans rejoice if you help other people and you participate in their life. When I was in Ukraine, we watched Western movies and when we came to Dearborn, downtown Dearborn made me feel like I was in a Western movie. Dearborn is a natural town and I like to wake up hearing birds and at night we like to watch lightening bugs.”
He is very grateful to Dearborn resident Larry Furbeck. “He was very nice to me, and waited for me for a couple of months and gave me the chance to have a job,” Puzniovskyi said. “I am very thankful to the whole community, and Dearborn church. They have huge, bright hearts because they gave us all the things for a comfortable life. And, when we went to church people asked how they can help more.”
Chris believes it’s important for the U.S. and other countries to continue to help Ukraine during this ongoing conflict. “Many international experts and historians say what is happening in Ukraine today is like Hitler in 1939, and he later kept invading more countries until the whole world was at war.”
The most rewarding parts of the help he and his wife, Ilona, who is also from Ukraine, have given to the Puzniovskyi family has been seeing them enjoy peace. “They can now enjoy life, and have a few things they never dreamed of having before, like the boy’s bicycle (for Nikita),” Chris said.
Sophia will turn 19 on July 4, and Chris and Ilona have promised her the best ever birthday fireworks.
Puzniovskyi is very grateful for the Uniting for Ukraine program, which since April, 2022, has provided a streamlined process to provide Ukrainian citizens who have fled the war opportunities to come to the U.S.
After two months of living in the U.S. His son and daughter are beginning to smile and laugh again. He loves to see all the houses in Dearborn flying the American flag.
“I am very happy about this program,” Puzniovskyi said. “And how Chris and Ilona Shove, together with this program, helped me come here, and sometimes I just want to climb onto the roof of the house and shout ‘thank you.’”