One year after the Russian invasion began in Ukraine, hundreds of people marched to protest the war and to honor the lives lost on Saturday in Washington, D.C.
The rally was one led with pride for the resilience of Ukrainians, but also heartache and grief.
One of the family’s present at the march came to the U.S. from Mariupol, Ukraine, to start a new life after losing everything. Olena Naumenko was moved to tears when she remembered being forced to flee and leave behind a home in the rubble.
Her son, Kirill Naumenko, also talked about the horrors of the invasion.
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“A few days before our house was bombarded completely, they rescued [us],” he said.
Alongside hundreds of Ukrainians, activists and supporters, the Naumenkos marched with the crowd from the National Mall, passing by the White House and coming to a stop at the residence of the Russian ambassador on 16th Street NW.
The family and others chanted in front of the ambassador’s house.
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Though overwhelmed by her bittersweet reality, leaving some loved ones behind in her home country, she’s thankful for her new home and a new beginning for her family.
“I feel like at home… here this day,” she said.
“We already started working here. We got our documents we need, like social security and work authorizations,” Kirill Naumenko said.
Olena Naumenko worked as a pharmacist in Ukraine, but in the U.S., she started working at a daycare, taking care of infants and toddlers.
When asked if she enjoyed it, she said her new job came easy to her because affection and caring for others is universal language.
