Peters Township family welcomes loved ones from war-torn Ukraine
Courtesy of Kateryna Zhykharska
Artem Zhykharsky of Peters Township, second from right, greets his parents, Tetyana and Volodymyr, and niece, Darya, and nephew, Illia, at the BWI Airport in Baltimore, Md. The family arrived on Friday, after fleeing their home in Ukraine.
Courtesy of Kateryna Zhykharska
Volodymyr Zhykharsky relaxes with his grandchildren, Darya, middle, and Illia, right, in the Peters Township home of Artem Zhykharsky and Kateryna Zhykharska.
Courtesy of Kateryna Zhykharska
Volodymyr Zhykharsky, in front of the Peters Township home of his son, Artem Zhykharsky, where a Ukrainian flag flies in support of their war-torn country
Courtesy of Kateryna Zhykharska
Kateryna Zhykharska with her nephew, Illia, as he starts his first day of school in the Peters Township School District on Monday
Courtesy of Kateryna Zhykharska
Teachers Gena Kashak, left, and John Lovett, right, welcome Illia Zhykharskyi on his first day of school at McMurray Elementary School in the Peters Township School District. Illia and his family fled their home in Ukraine and are staying with his aunt and uncle.
Courtesy of Kateryna Zhykharska
Kateryna Zhykharska, middle, surrounded by her family and parents in their Peters Township home during a 2019 visit. Front row are her sons, Michael and Pavlo. Far left is her husband, Artem Zhykharsky. Her father, Oleksandr Kotelevski, is right, and her mother, Natalia Kotelevska, is in the back.
A Peters Township family from Ukraine is breathing a sigh of relief after reuniting Friday with relatives who fled their home in a suburb of Kyiv.
A relieved Artem Zhykharsky drove to Baltimore, Md., to meet his parents and his brother Roman’s two children, and bring them to his home.
“I am happy they are safe and sound,” said Zhykharsky’s wife, Kateryna Zhykharska, who feared she and her husband might never see their loved ones again.
Zhykharsky’s family fled by car to Poland on March 9, as shelling by Russian troops intensified near their town on the outskirts of the capital.
They left almost all of their possessions behind, packing only one suitcase that contained some medication, documents, and a small amount of money.
It took the family five days to reach the Polish border, where lines of cars stretched for miles and displaced Ukrainians arrived on foot carrying bags and suitcases.
There, Zhykharsky’s sister-in-law, also named Kateryna, made a difficult decision: she hugged her children good-bye and returned to Ukraine to be with Roman, who stayed behind because men aged 18 to 60 are not allowed to leave under martial law.
After arriving in Poland, Artem Zhykharsky’s family traveled to Warsaw, and then were able to use their visitor visas to fly to Miami and on to Baltimore, where Zhykharsky was waiting for them.
Zhykharska and Artem bought them all new clothing.
Zhykharska and her husband’s nephew, Illia, a fourth-grader, started school in the Peters Township School District on Monday. Their niece, Darya, who is in 11th grade, is not yet starting public school.
She misses her country, her parents and friends, and the life she left behind, says Zhykharska.
“She will need some time to cope,” Zhykharska said. “She had her old life, and now she is in a completely new environment. It’s been tough for her.”
Her in-laws, Volodymyr Zhykharsky and Tetyana Zhykharska, too, are grappling with shock and grief of being forced from their homeland.
“They will need some time to recover, and my husband and I will do our best to help them heal and to recover after all of these horrendous events,” said Zhykharska.
Zhykharska and Artem are happy his family is safe, but they are frightened for their family members who remain in Ukraine as conditions continue to deteriorate in the country.
Among them are Zhykharska’s parents, her sister, Anna, Anna’s husband, Maksym, who is an oncologist, and their young daughter.
They are staying with Maxsym’s cousins in western Ukraine in a village that has, so far, escaped the Russian bombardment and has electricity, food, and water.
Zhykharska has been able to talk with her parents and Anna at least once a day.
“I am so grateful they are alive. I feel better when I hear their voices,” said Zhykharska.
Zhykharska’s parents are hoping to cross into Poland sometime this week, and plan to stay with her and Artem.
But Zhykharska doesn’t know when that will be.
She is trying to arrange for her cousin’s family, who live in a small town near Donetsk, to leave the country, too.
Zhykharska is distraught as she watches the death and destruction that has unfolded in Ukraine since Russia invaded on Feb. 24.
“Sometimes when I watch television or read some stories about what is happening, I can’t hold my tears. I don’t know those people who I see, but they are my people,” said Zhykharska. “I pray every day for my people and my country. I want as much as possible for lives to be saved.”
Zhykharska said her mother cannot bring herself to share details of her and Zhykharska’s father’s escape from their apartment complex, which was surrounded by Russian troops when they fled.
“My parents witnessed a lot of awful things. They looked out their window and there were Russian soldiers in the streets. It was a lucky chance that they were able to escape. My mom, she’s not quite ready to tell,” said Zhykharska. “That’s why I want them here, where it’s quiet, where they will have their grandkids around them and they can do everyday activities like cooking and gardening. I hope what surrounds them here will help them heal and overcome. I hope these things bring them comfort.”