Mother reunited with daughter in B.C. after war traps her in Ukraine

A B.C. woman has finally been reunited with her mother who was unwilling to leave Kyiv, Ukraine, during the pandemic and then trapped by Russia's invasion of its neighbour. 

"It feels really surreal," said Natalia Polchenko after embracing her 84-year-old mother at the Kelowna airport Saturday for the first time since 2019. 

Polchenko's mother Anna Solyanyk, who is a permanent resident of Canada, went to Ukraine to visit family in November 2019. Solyanyk's original flight back to Canada in April 2020 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Concerned about traveling internationally during the pandemic, Solyanyk remained in Ukraine for over two years until she got vaccinated and booked a flight back to Canada for Feb. 25. 

But on Feb. 24, Solyanyk was awoken in the early hours of the morning to the sound of three bombs dropping close to her home. Russian forces had attacked the Kyiv airport and all flights were cancelled. 

"She said everything was scary in Kyiv, she was scared all the time," Polchenko said, translating for her mother.

For the past few months trains out of Ukraine have been overfilled with people trying to flee, said Polchenko. Additionally, the journey out of Ukraine required walking long distances. 

"It's difficult for her, she moves slowly so it was very unsafe… We were afraid that she physically wouldn't be able to do it," said Polchenko. 

Solyanyk was finally able to take a train to Warsaw, Poland, a few days ago. She flew to Canada from there. 

Polchenko said her mother had lots of help from volunteers during her journey back to Canada. 

"All the way people were very welcoming, lots of volunteers met her everywhere so I'm really thrilled the whole world supports us."

Solyanyk said the first thing she will do when she gets home is update herself on the news, and then get a good night's sleep. 

Polchenko said while she is relieved her mother has finally made it home, she and her mother will remain on edge until the war is over. Her brother Kostyantyn is still in Ukraine, fighting on the frontline. 

"It's very bittersweet because we have her here and safe and one less thing to worry. But we still have so many worries because of the war."

Canadian support

The Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) is running a program to help Ukrainians transition to life in Canada, including finding housing and connecting them to resources. 

Yuliya Shokalyuk, vice-president of the Vancouver branch of the UCC, said the group has set up a booth at the Vancouver International Airport to meet Ukrainians arriving in B.C. 

"We see them reunite with their families, we help give them a bit of orientation about what to expect here in B.C. We're giving them resources and places to reach out to." 

Shokalyuk said more than 80,000 Ukrainians have applied for the federal government's Canada-Ukraine emergency travel visa. She expects to see an influx of Ukrainians coming to the province over the next few months. 

"It's such a relief. You see people break down crying because they know they feel safe now that they're here," said Shokalyuk.