U.S. asylum policy saved my Ukrainian Christian family from Soviet persecution  

In March, when the war between Ukraine and Russia began, several members of my church started asking me how they could help Ukraine. They knew my husband and I are Ukrainian and had been in touch with friends and family there. We approached our pastor about a fundraising campaign to raise funds for medicine, humanitarian aid, and refugee resettlement in Kentucky. As soon as word got out, many community members, church members and local businesses began donating.

The United States has committed to welcoming up to 100,000 Ukrainians, but there’s a snag: the humanitarian parole Ukrainians are eligible for will likely take years to process. And, those who are lucky enough to eventually be accepted will only be given temporary protections. This is incredibly short-sighted. We have no idea what will be happening in Ukraine in two years, when their parole will expire. This keeps any refugees welcomed here in a years-long limbo, waiting to see what upheaval their lives will face in 2024. There is only one long-term solution, and that is to offer parolees a pathway to permanent residency. Not all of them may wish to remain in the U.S. after the war is over. But those who do should be given every chance to succeed. In fact, my own story is an example of all the wonderful things these newcomers can achieve when welcomed here.

My family is so grateful to receive welcome here. I grew up in Lutsk, Ukraine, when it was part of the United Socialist Soviet Republic. My family has been devout Christians since the early 1900s, when American missionaries helped my great-grandfather dedicate his life to Christ. Over the generations, Christianity has brought so much joy to our lives, but it also put a target on our backs. Soviet officials suppressed and persecuted all religions, destroying churches, synagogues, mosques and harassing people of faith.

Both of my parents were straight-A students, but neither were permitted to attend college because the communists considered Christians unintelligent. My dad went to technical school and worked as an electrician. Still, he endured daily harassment from his coworkers who dismissed his beliefs as superstition. Occasionally, we’d attend an underground church as a family, but more often my dad left us at home and went by himself. It was simply too dangerous. If caught, we could be fined, arrested, or even taken away from our parents.

Then, in 1989, when I was 13 years old, a church in Pittsburgh agreed to sponsor my family’s resettlement as religious refugees. I remember walking into the two-bedroom house they’d prepared for us and seeing 13 chairs pulled up around a big table. (I have 10 siblings!) Compared to what we experienced in the USSR, their kindness and generosity was unbelievable to me. In the Soviet Union, we were told where we could go, what we could eat, and who we could be. Suddenly, we were overwhelmed by the limitless options and all the freedoms now available. It was scary for all of us, especially since we didn’t initially speak English. Thankfully, our church continued to support us. With their help, my father found work as an electrician and house painter. We got our first car and the local school hired three English Second Language (ESL) teachers so we could all start learning English.

My siblings and I were also assigned sponsor families from the congregation. They helped us communicate with our teachers, assisted with homework and even taught us how to match our clothes. Under the communist regime, we had very few choices and even less color. Later, my sponsor family attended my wedding to a fellow Ukrainian refugee, Nick Pidgorodetskiy, whom I met through church in Pittsburgh.

It’s because of this Christian generosity that all my siblings have graduated from college and have become professionals, educators, accountants, real estate inventors, business owners, and engineers. In 1996, my husband and I moved to Lexington where we opened a small vehicle dealership and started our residential rental business. Many people contributed to our American Dream—which is why I knew we had to pay it forward when our home country of Ukraine came under attack.

It’s heartbreaking to watch this war unfold, but I know that Southern hospitality and Christian altruism thrives here in Lexington. As soon as our first refugee families arrive, we’ll be ready to welcome them with open arms. The Ukrainian people are very hard working and proud. With a little help, they’ll be on their feet in no time.

Natalia Pidgorodetska is a real estate agent with Murphy Realty Group and a member of the Living Water Church in Mount Sterling.

This story was originally published May 13, 2022 at 9:00 AM.