Ukrainian couple tell of fleeing war-torn country to resettle in Eau Claire

Sep. 15—EAU CLAIRE — At 5 a.m. on Feb. 24, Andrii and Marina Sabazov were awoken in their Khrakiv, Ukraine home by the sound of explosions outside.

With their young son, they fled into the large city's subway system to seek refuge from the damage being wrought by the start of Russia's attack on its neighboring country.

The Sabazovs slept on the floor of a train car that night, among other people who also used the city's underground to escape the shelling.

For many years neighboring Ukraine had heard of Russian intentions to invade, but now it was actually happening.

"On February the 24th, all life was changed because we didn't expect it," Andrii Sobazov, 36, said Wednesday afternoon in a presentation in Eau Claire.

With his wife, Marina, 31, by his side, Andrii spoke about his family's experiences to about two dozen residents of Dove Healthcare — Orchard Hills Assisted Living.

A computer slide show showed photos of Kharkiv, a city of 1.5 million people close to Ukraine's border with Russia. Gleaming churches, gigantic town squares and other picturesque scenes of the city were contrasted by columns of smoke and fires coming from buildings destroyed by Russian forces.

After the first night of attacks, the Sabazovs spent the next week in a basement bomb shelter, sharing the space with other families. It quickly became apparent that food, water and safety were becoming harder to find in the besieged city.

So the Sabazovs headed west, part of a mass exodus away from the warzone that left roads jammed with cars. The 680-mile drive took the family six days due to the gridlock, Andrii recalls.

For months they lived in the western Ukraine city of Ivano-Frankivisk, until hearing news that Kharkiv's city leaders declared it safe to return.

When the Sabazovs went home in June, they found the city was still being bombed daily. Both water and power were also unreliable at that point due to damage done to that infrastructure.

After a few weeks of living there, the family decided it was time to leave the country they'd spent their entire lives in.

Andrii spread the story of his family's situation through a church organization's website in hopes of attracting a sponsor to bring them somewhere safe.

After a few weeks, his plea was answered and the process of connecting the Sabazovs with a sponsor began.

When asked where they might want to live in the United States, the family didn't know where to begin as they weren't very familiar with the country's geography.

Wisconsin was among the places suggested to them, so they looked it up.

"We just opened the map and saw that Ukraine and Eau Claire, Wisconsin are on the same latitude," Andrii recalled.

Figuring that would lead to similar weather — especially winters — the family decided to move here with the help of Haven Christian Church in Eau Claire.

The family drove across Ukraine's border with Poland. From there they took flights to the Netherlands and finally into the United States.

For about a month, they've been getting used to life in Eau Claire.

They've found the city to be clean, beautiful, green and full of nice places where children can play. People have been friendly, too, though some of the customs initially took the family off-guard.

"In Ukraine, if you don't know each other, you don't say 'hello.' It's strange," Andrii said. They've since gotten used to being greeted by random people they'll see when out for a walk. "It's strange for us at first, but it's cool," Andrii added.

Andrii and Marina's 8-year-old son started third grade about two weeks ago in an Eau Claire school.

"He's very happy. It's a new experience for him," Andrii said.

While their son had learned some English as part of his education in Ukraine, he's also now being tutored in the language here.

Andrii and Marina Sabazov both speak some English and are learning more through Chippewa Valley Technical College. Both are also seeking work permits. Prior to the Russian invasion, the couple had careers in law enforcement in Ukraine.

Recent news that Ukraine's armed forces had pushed back Russian troops buoyed the Sabazovs' hopes of someday returning to their hometown.

If the war ends, the family will probably return to Ukraine, but Andrii said there is a lot of rebuilding that needs to be done before that could happen.

"Even if Ukraine wins tomorrow, we can't go to Kharkiv because it's a broken city," he said. "It's all in ruins."

While their home was not destroyed by shelling, Andrii said it was damaged. That's the case for much of the city where schools, hospitals, parks and many homes have been hit by explosions.

Few of the Sabazovs' friends and family remained in Kharkiv, the vast majority fleeing to safer parts of Ukraine, across the border to Poland or other countries in Europe, Andrii said.

Tami Nowak, who usually visits Orchard Hills each month to play the piano, tell stores and share jokes with residents, arranged for the Sabazovs to visit.

She's a member of Haven Christian Church and felt that the assisted living residents would like to hear a first-hand account of what the family experienced while escaping a war zone.

"I think it's important the story of supporting Ukraine gets out there," Nowak said.