Ukraine

One Year Later: Couple Reflects on Escaping Ukraine and Transitioning to Life in CT

Simon and Dasha, a newly married couple, were two of the first Ukrainian refugees to come to Connecticut. Today, that number has grown to 88 with three more on the way.

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A couple from Ukraine is living in Connecticut and they are sharing what the last year has been like.

Friday marks exactly one year since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Like other nations, the United States has taken in men, women and children seeking asylum from the war-torn country. This includes Connecticut.

Since April, the state has hosted more than 80 Ukrainian refugees thanks to immigration lawyer Dana Bucin. 

NBC Connecticut followed up with her along with a couple who faced n unique set of challenges during their escape.

"There was a lot of uncertainty,” Simon Bobrovskii said, describing the beginning of the war.

"It was like a dream, you know,” added his wife Dasha Sakahnyeuk.

Dasha and Simon said they lived a normal life before the war.

"All our thoughts were like going to work, planning our day, just like, you know, the regular basics,” Simon said.

But the inseparable couple from Kyiv said that all changed overnight.

"We were really scared. We didn’t know where to be. These people were really angry. And they just kill civilians. Just because you're out, they just kill you,” Dasha said.

About a month into Russia's unprovoked attack, Dasha and Simon left Ukraine. Together, they escaped to Moldova, Turkey and Amsterdam, before stopping at a refugee camp in Tijuana, Mexico.

But the couple, whose life had changed so quickly, was about to change again.

"We were together for four years already, but it was not officially recognized. We should have been married to go through the border,” Simon said.

While Dasha could enter the U.S., it was Simon's Russian citizenship that held him back. However, officials were able to help them cross the border together.

"They did wedding for us,” Dasha said.

Dasha and Simon got married in the refugee camp. Not the wedding date or venue they had originally planned, but they knew it was the first step in starting a new life together.

"What we will tell our kids and grandkids,” Dasha said as she gazed at her wedding band that she was gifted by officials from the refugee camp.

Their story is one of strength, survival and resilience. But also, one of compassion from those who live in Connecticut. 

"When I heard that my neighbors, the Ukrainians, are coming to a border near me, I couldn't help but just go there and help them in person,” said Dana Bucin, immigration lawyer at Murtha Cullina LLC in Hartford.

Bucin is also the honorary council of Romania to Connecticut and the founder of the Connecticut for Ukraine matching program.

“I am originally from Romania and lived through communism and oppression there, including Russian-provoked oppression. And so, I fully and deeply understand people running away from oppression and becoming refugees in another country,” Bucin said.

In April, she helped 2,000 people cross into the U.S. from Tijuana, Mexico, including Dasha and Simon. In fact, they were two of the first Ukrainian refugees she brought back to Connecticut.

Today, that number has grown to 88 with three more refugees on the way. But Bucin explains adjusting to life in the states was not easy for refugees.

"They need, first, a work permit. And that work permit used to take months. Then, the other issue is obtaining a Connecticut driver's license,” Bucin said.

For a long time, Dasha and Simon could not work or drive.

"We were getting here, but we didn't have a social, meaning no banking accounts, nothing. You can't just buy stuff,” Simon said.

Bucin says this process is getting better at the federal level. Today, the couple lives and works in Cromwell with their host mom, Janet Argenta, who welcomed them in like family.

"I've said this before, if you have room in your home, room in your life, and room in your heart, it's a wonderful thing to do,” Argenta said.

From her living room, Dasha and Simon share their story of escape. They say they could not be more grateful for the love and support they have received along the way.

"It's helped me just, just live. I really stand for people and what they're doing for us,” Dasha said.

Because Dasha and Simon arrived between April 11, 2022 and April 25, 2022, they were not eligible for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). 

This group of refugees was granted permission to stay in the country for one year, but this means their Humanitarian Parole expires in April.

But Bucin says she is working to make sure they can continue calling Connecticut their home.

She also encourages more Connecticut families to host Ukrainian refugees, as there are more than 300 families on her list wanting to start a new life in the states.

"I'm having a harder time with finding Connecticut sponsors which is why I want to talk to them and tell them please, if you have any empty space in your house consider hosting for a few months a Ukrainian family,” Bucin said.

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