Community fundraises for Ukrainian war widow

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This article was published 11/10/2023 (767 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

When Yana Kostiukova and her husband Viacheslav decided it was safest for her to move to Canada from Ukraine with their children to Canada while he fought against Russian invaders, the idea was made tolerable by the hope that separation would be temporary.

That dream was shattered on Aug. 9 when ‘Slava’ was killed in a missile strike in southern Ukraine. Suddenly, the single mother of 15-year-old son Pasha and six-year-old daughter Anastasia had just hours to book flights to Ukraine for his funeral. The trip cost her $10,000, and friends in Winnipeg are asking for help to cover those costs.

The Kostiukovas lived in the southern city of Mykolaiv, near Odesa and Kherson. Yana and Slava owned businesses. They had many friends.

“Those were nice years,” Yana said. “We always supported each other.”

That changed on Feb. 24, 2022, with a 5 a.m. call informing them that Ukraine was being invaded. The family first moved to the countryside, but essential decisions loomed.

“He said, ‘I feel I need to go to the army and defend the country’,” Yana recalled. “I said, ‘It’s your decision because Ukrainian men should do this for our country.’ I never argued with him; I appreciated his choice.”

After spending a few months in Italy, Yana, Pasha, and Anastasia came to Winnipeg, settling in North Kildonan. Slava sent money, Yana found work, and the children attended Immaculate Heart of Mary, a Ukrainian school which has supported them.

“I didn’t have any friends here, I didn’t have anything here,” Yana said. “It was a new country for me. It was pretty hard.”

Yana and Slava spoke twice per week, mainly about the kids and their new life in Canada. Slava told Yana how proud he was of her. He shared little, as his work as a drone operator was secretive, but he was in hotspots around Mykolaiv and Kherson.

“I joked about this,” Yana said. “I really believed he was immortal. He was very proud of what he did. It allowed Ukraine to make some very successful operations.”

Slava got a week’s leave to visit Yana and the kids. Their last day together was spent on the shores of Lake Manitoba, which they loved. Slava said it was strange seeing people freely swimming. In Ukraine, many waterways are mined, so swimming is forbidden.

He believed the war would end and dreamed of the family reuniting in Ukraine. Yana was more uncertain and was torn between her desire to be with him and the need to keep her kids safe. She contended with friends scolding her for leaving Ukraine.

Yana learned of the missile strike just hours after it occurred Aug. 10. Notified by Slava’s sister, she was in shock. But there was no time for that because it was a Thursday and the funeral was on Monday in Ukraine.

Yana flew to Toronto, Frankfurt and Krakow, Poland, with multiple flight delays. A friend met her in Krakow and drove her to the border, where she was greeted by lineups and further delays. Somehow, she managed to reach Slava’s funeral 10 minutes before it started.

“I wanted to make a point to myself to prove that he really passed away,” Yana said.

It was a closed-casket service, owing to the missile strike. Yana was robbed of her chance to say goodbye to her beloved Slava. But she was comforted by stories of Slava’s generosity to his friends, how he organized events his friends had to attend and his love of playing charades.

“He had this special ability to convince people,” Yana said. “A lot of people said he was a spark.”

Again, Yana had no time to grieve because she had to fly back to Canada. After grabbing some important documents, it was time to leave.

“It’s a strange feeling,” Yana admitted. “You still live in your previous life, but you must set up your new one. You need to shift your mind… I don’t know how people do this. For me, it’s pretty hard.

“I miss the person who believes in me, who knows that Yana is incredible.”

Yana’s friends are accepting PayPal donations at alisa16042018@gmail.com and e-transfers at fly.principal@gmail.com