The Soviet-Polish border was closed because of the Solidarity movement in Poland, so everyone leaving Belarus had to go through Ukraine. as a refugee with my parents at the age of 12 in 1981 back in the Soviet period. I think that in Ukraine, friendship is built around joy. I’m not saying that Russians are not good at friendship, but that the strength of friendships is tested by misfortune. In Russia we develop friendships over shared problems. Nonetheless, they have this quality of hospitality, as if you are at the home of a very close friend. I’m certain Ukrainians have many problems. I’m not saying that it’s an ideal country. You land and there are banners everywhere welcoming you. I never remember there being bad weather. When you arrive in Ukraine, you are filled with happiness. I’ve visited Ukraine many times, including Kyiv and Lviv. It takes great intellectual courage to stand up and say, “Please forgive me.” It saved Japan to an extent, although they are still in the process. We have to begin to ask Ukrainians for forgiveness, and then the world, and then our own people. I’m not a religious person, but I believe in the power of repentance. To be silent is to be complicit in the crime. I have lost many friends, as have many others. You don’t have a right to an opinion.” But I cannot remain silent. Friends in Russia tell me, “You emigrated a long time ago. I’ve always taken my constitutional right to vote very seriously and wherever I’ve lived, I’ve always voted in Russian elections. If Russia supposedly wanted to “liberate” Donbas or Luhansk, then why did the Russian troops keep going into Ukraine? Then there are others who refuse to understand and really see what’s going on. Some people are entirely on my side and think this is the end of the world, that you cannot attack another country, regardless of the reason. In my social group in Russia, everyone has divided into two camps. Every day we have dramatic phone conversations with him, trying to convince him to return to LA. He is currently finishing his degree there, with only three months to go.
My son left LA to study computer science and the Russian language in Moscow. After living in France for a long time, we were transferred for work to Japan from there we moved to LA in 2012 for work in the entertainment industry. What follows are reflections from Ukrainians, Russians, and a Belarusian who now live in Southern California and grapple with the events unfolding back home. Three people who were originally set to be photographed withdrew, citing concerns over Russia's fifteen year prison sentence for those who criticize the state, and repercussions for family members. Others lost friends in arguments about the war. Some struggled to make contact as relatives lost electricity they waited for news from those in battle zones or from those who had fled.
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Many people Stella spoke to for the series worried about family in Ukraine and Russia. This is the second in a series of five stories. Russian-Ukrainian American photographer Stella Kalinina interviewed Ukrainians, Russians and others from former Soviet states living in Southern California about their personal experiences and reflections on the war. This story was originally published by KCET and is republished here by permission.Ĭalifornia is home to roughly 112,000 people of Ukrainian descent, and about 26,000 live in LA County.
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