Oleksii and Kseniia Levchenko.
We continue the story of Oleksii and Kseniia Levchenko. The story of the Ukrainian husband and wife refugees is an arduous tale of the strength of the human spirit.
We fast forward to 2023. In the city of Mariupol, Oleksii’s friend got him a job as a forensics expert for the police department. Kseniia was teaching kids English online. The two were able to overcome the hardship of 2014 and things were going well for them. But with the looming threats of another invasion by Russian President Vladimir Putin, things were looking scary. “We knew the war will grow. We were sure about it,” Kseniia said. “I bought lots of food, exchanged domestic money for dollars. We expected the currency would go down.”
It was very obvious to both that Putin was going to invade. “It was not a shock for us as he grew his army near the border,” Oleksii said. “Our president told us from television ‘Don’t worry it’s under control.’” Eventually, their government left the city of Mariupol. The humanitarian missions left and then the Levchenko’s had to fend for themselves.
Oleksii was able to a makeshift generator that they used to listen to the radio for updates on what was happening in the Ukraine. They heard the Russian army wasn’t letting people leave. The two tried to leave the city on foot but didn’t make it far. As they made their trek they came across bodies of people that had been killed by bombshells. This horrific sight made them turn back around for fear of their lives. “It was scary,” Kseniia said.
Every day was a nightmare. Kseniia was suffering from panic attacks. Hearing bombs go off every night was taking a toll on them. “It felt like an earthquake,” Oleskii said. They knew they had to figure out a way to get out of Ukraine.
They left their apartment and connected with a friend they met at a church. They moved in with their friend who was living in an apartment with six other people. It was through their friend they found out about a refugee group on Facebook. It was a group that could give them the chance to connect with someone who could maybe sponsor them and get them out of Ukraine.
In June 2023 they made a Facebook post on the group page. This is what they wrote:
“Hi there! My name is Oleksii. My wife Kseniia and I are looking for a sponsor. We are 26 and 25 years old. We are still pretty young but already have been through a lot. Originally we come from Donetsk city but had to flee when russia had occupied it. We moved a lot inside Ukraine until we found a new home in Mariupol. I worked with police as a forensic expert, my wife worked as an English teacher while getting a degree. We played video games, rode bikes, and developed new skills. But war has found us again. One month of hell. We were able to escape the city after a month. We lost there not only home but family. Even though we got out of Mariupol we still don’t feel safe, whole. We have to build our life from scratch and we need your help to do it. We want a simple life, to work, have home and kids. It’s in your power to give as this chance. We are in need of accommodation and advice. P.S. we edited a short video so you could have a quick peek in our life.”
They did receive an answer and it was from Reg Herman who oversees City Plaza. They first communicated through email, and then through WhatsApp. Everyone got to know each other and then Herman offered a sponsorship and jobs for the two. The Levchenko’s eventually knew this wasn’t a scam.
They first made their way to a refugee camp in Germany for a few months while they waited for their papers to get approved. Time passed and they then got some great news that their papers had been approved. From Frankfurt, they boarded a plane to Minneapolis 10 hours later. “I didn’t feel like it was real,” Kseniia said. “It was all surreal.”
They made Devils Lake their home when they arrived in the US. Thanks to Herman, he got them work at Dunn’s Coffee at City Plaza. They have upgraded from a bike to a car to travel.
After living a few months here, they moved to Chicago where Oleskii got a job at a university.
