“This second night was a nightmare and we were tired and talking and I said, okay, let’s get married when we leave here,” Ilchanka said. These marriage plans are currently in the works, as the couple, along with Samorodova’s seven-year-old son Noah, the two cats and a dog settle into a new life in Toronto, more than 7,000 kilometers away from the deadly violence in Ukraine . With the help of friends in the city, they managed to secure an apartment in a house in the Beach area where they could stay for free until September. Although they came to Canada with almost nothing, their local donations provided plenty of food and clothing, as well as toys for Noah, who is enrolled in a street school. 7-year-old Noah, who left Ukraine with his mother and her partner, is pictured in his bedroom in an apartment in Toronto on April 1. (Evan Mitsui / CBC)
Samorodova and Ilchanka are now trying to help others in Ukraine navigate security. Both animal lovers are also trying to find Canadian homes for pets that have been abandoned in Ukraine by fugitives.

A bag and clothes on their back

On February 24, the couple was forced to leave their apartment in the center of Kiev, waking up around 5:30 in the morning from the sound of explosions. “We do not know what to do because we can not believe this is really happening,” Ilchanka said. “And then we realized… that it started, the war started.” The couple lived on the 25th floor of their apartment building and were worried about their safety. They gave themselves 35 minutes to quickly pick up a bag, using half of it for pet food and paperwork, and with only the clothes on their backs they left the apartment. They took Noah, who was with his father at the time, and headed to an underground car park in the city center, where many other city residents had moved to escape the bombing. The parking lot had electricity and a toilet and Samorodova, Ilchanka, Noah and the pets were forced to sleep in their Mini car. But the explosions they heard at night made them realize that they were not safe and that they had to leave the area. Hundreds gather at Kiev’s train station to evacuate the city. (Submitted by Oleksandra Samorodova and Irene Ilchanka)
When they left the lot, they could not believe how much the city had changed in just two days. “Not because of the bombing, but because of the whole atmosphere,” Ilchanka said. “It was in the city center and it was empty,” Samorodova added. They drove about half an hour away, stayed with friends for a few days, but thought they had to head west and decided to take the evacuation train. The scene at the station in central Kiev was “catastrophic,” Ilchanka said. “There were burned cars and all these people with their animals and backpacks were going to the train station. “I have never seen the train station so crowded. It was crowded everywhere and everyone was trying to get in any direction.” The train itself was full, with no food or water. They also had to turn off the lights so that the train could not be seen from the sky, Ilchanka said. Kiev passengers crowded on the train. (Submitted by Oleksandra Samorodova and Irene Ilchanka)

Escape to Canada

Their journey took 18 hours and they arrived in Rakhiv, in western Ukraine. From there they crossed the border into Romania and decided that Canada would be their final destination. Noah was born there. Samorodova had lived in Toronto in the past and had obtained Canadian citizenship. Ilchanka, meanwhile, had a tourist visa that allowed her to stay for six months. “It was a sensible decision,” Ilchanka said. Samorodova was a radiologist back in Ukraine, but also worked for a medical IT company, a job she may pursue in Toronto. Ilchanka worked for an advertising company but is currently looking for work and has applied for a work permit. They want to finally get their own apartment, but for now they are grateful for the support they have received. “We were shocked. We were surprised. We did not even know how many kind people there are in this world,” Samorodova said.