From Russia, with his love

Nick Kuznetsov has lived in Winnipeg for nearly 14 years, but on Thursday was finally able to call himself a Canadian citizen.

Kuznetsov moved to Canada by himself when he was 17 years old to study. He knew no one. A few years later, he met Val Shevchenko, also originally from Moscow, through a friend. They began dating and when their parents met, the couple discovered they had been born in the same hospital.

“It was quite the discovery, and now we’re here,” Kuznetsov said at Winnipeg City Hall Thursday afternoon, minutes after he took the oath of citizenship and officially became a Canadian.

Kuznetsov was one of 27 new Canadians from 18 different countries to receive their citizenship at the ceremony. Some had been in Canada for a year or two, while others, like Kuznetsov, built a whole life before seeking citizenship.

Between school and going into the workforce, it took Kuznetsov awhile to apply for permanent residency status. Shevchenko received her citizenship five years ago.

The couple now work for the same company, Kuznetsov in computer science and Shevchenko in web development. Kuznetsov says its comforting to have a little bit of his old home with him in his new home.

The 31 year old remembered landing in Winnipeg and remarked at how white the roads looked, blanketed in snow.

“Because there’s so much traffic in Moscow that (the roads) get dirty. And here I arrived, it was -30 C, but it was shining white everywhere. It was beautiful,” he said.

Landing in a foreign country as a teen was tough, but the generosity of the city eased the process, he said.

“It was a little bit scary, you know, not having anyone in the city, but people here were welcoming, so I quickly found my way around,” Kuznetsov said.

Mayor Scott Gillingham attended the ceremony and thanked attendees for choosing Winnipeg as their landing pad, but encouraged the newly minted citizens stay true to their culture.

“When I have the opportunity to travel around Winnipeg and meet with different communities who are representative of different backgrounds and countries, what I say consistently to people is, please do not become a melting pot: continue to maintain and pass on your family and your cultural traditions to future generations, whether it’s the dress, the stories, the history, the recipes — don’t forget the recipes,” he said with a smile.

Leslie Spillett, a traditional knowledge keeper from Opaskwayak Cree Nation, spoke at Thursday’s event and gave attendees a bit of homework. On their journey to becoming Canadians, Spillett asked they learn about Indigenous culture and history and attend traditional ceremonies to better understand the relationships between Indigenous people and the Crown.

“It’s really important to understand the history of this country, because without understanding the history of this country, we won’t understand the current social, economic and political conditions of these territories,” she said.

This week marks citizenship week across Canada. Winnipeg held seven other citizenship ceremonies throughout April, and more than 100 in-person events were held nationwide.

Now that Kuznetsov is officially Canadian, his first order of business is to get his passport so he and Shevchenko can do a bit of travelling to celebrate.

“It’s nice having a permanent base here, you know, being able to to know that tomorrow will not change things when we come home,” he said.

nicole.buffie@freepress.mb.ca