BOSTON, Mass. — The war in Ukraine is impacting both Russian and Ukrainian Americans. Dr. Julia Ivy is a college professor in Boston and can not figure out how to get her sister out of Ukraine. “My sister is in the middle of everything, in Kiev, she is scared very much,” Ivy said.
Her parents are there too and she is worried as the war intensifies. “Right now yes physically they are but emotionally it is different”. Professor Ivy says her family is connected to the area in several different ways. “I am Belarusian, I am Russian, or am I Ukrainian or I am Jewish. Actually I am American right now but I am all four of this,” Ivy said. She says from a Russian perspective, what President Vladimir Putin did does not make any sense. “I don’t know anybody who would support the war but Russia is divided. All my friends are shocked. All my friends are shocked,” Ivy said.
For Professor Ivy, getting her family to safety is focus right now. “I want to take them in America, if there is a chance. I’m ready to buy their tickets, provide my house but they don’t have visas right now,” Ivy said.
The Russian School of Mathematics is run by two Americans who were born in the Ukraine. In a statement, they say they are heartbroken about the invasion and they are trying to reach out to people who may need help over there. The school writes in part, “Russia’s invasion into Ukraine is a source of great, real, and concrete pain for all of us. We have a strong and connected network of individuals in Bulgaria, Armenia, and other countries in the region ready and waiting to house any Ukrainian refugees who can make it to the Ukrainian border.”
Professor Ivy believes in the end her homeland will be liberated. “He (Putin) made a huge mistake when he started to target Kiev and beyond,” Ivy said.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW