'High-level adventure': how a family from Donetsk managed to escape to the USA and buy a house by installments

This move 37-year-old Andrei Vlezko from Makeyevka calls a high-level adventure. Since 2015, together with his family, he has been in the United States of America. He told about new challenges in a foreign country, job search, expenses and American medicine Svoi.Sity

Photos from personal archive.

About the former life

Until 2014, he lived like everyone else. I had an advertising agency, purchased new equipment for work, built a house for a large family, expanded my business, was glad that everything worked out and worked out. When the tanks stopped, it became, of course, scary. My wife and I have three children, so we made a decision to go to my brother in Kiev. We thought we would stay in the capital for a short time and return home. The new president, Petro Poroshenko, inspired hope, who promised that in a few weeks the situation in the Donbas would be settled.

But time passed, and the situation there only got worse. In the fall it became quieter, and we returned home to Makeevka. There were unanswered questions regarding work, clients called, and projects needed to be completed. But that trip made it possible to realize that there was no longer a normal life in my native land, especially since I had to communicate with the invaders. Apparently, one of the ill-wishers “tipped” me.

One day, so-called “representatives of the new government” came to me. Threatening, demanding money and dictating their own business conditions in the “DPR”.

After refusing to start beating. They kicked me on the floor, as a result they broke my jaw. And warned that they will be back soon.

Subsequently, I realized that I got off very easily, did not take them “to the basement” (apparently, at that time they were overcrowded) or could just kill.

We left everything on the same day and went to see my brother in Kiev. Fortunately, it turned out to drive all the checkpoint "DNR", although "DNRovtsy" assured that I definitely can not go. When we reached Kiev, we realized that our former life had ended forever for us. Thank God, survived.

About the decision to change the country

In Kyiv they tried to establish a new life - rent an apartment, then an industrial premises and subsequently move the remains of the business. But everything turned out to be not so simple. They didn’t want to rent out apartments to Donetsk people, and when they found out that they were a family with three small children, they hung up on the phone. It didn’t work out with the production premises either.

Pang problems just drove crazy. Brother allowed to stay in his house. We decided to take a short break from active activities and take time to rest. Frankly, hoping for a miracle.

In winter, 2015, having recovered a bit from the beatings, decided to go at the invitation of friends to the USA.

Once in the States, we met with another of the Pitmen, who at that time lived in the US for more than 25 years. They offered to stay with them, and not spend money on a hotel. They have a big apartment, but the children still left.

After spending some time in the States, we learned about new problems in our homeland - the bank took away my brother’s apartment and we could no longer return to him. On the advice of friends, we decided to ask for political asylum from the authorities of the United States of America.

Photos from personal archive.

In Ukraine, I worked in good positions, and here I was, as a student after the institute: no car, no money.

Our path was hard. Another culture, English did not know, money was spent instantly. To obtain a work permit, you need to wait for time. If there is no work permit, you can’t do it. This is a very small circle of problems at that time.

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We had to take the subway, and in New York it is not the cleanest. Plus, Brooklyn (district in New York. - Ed.), Where we lived, did not like: dirty, concrete, no green. But all Russian-speaking immigrants begin their journey to America from there.

The car was not there, but the family was big, I had to buy a lot of products. I took a cart, which we used in 1990-e, and went to the supermarkets for shopping. Kravchuchka was a shock to me. At some moments, I wanted to quit and go home, despair flooded. But friends said - be patient.

About work

Appeared first job. Russian-speaking agency needed a specialist in the advertising field, and I began to install signs. The boss was from Odessa, and his attitude towards the employees was worse than in Ukraine. This person literally scoffed at people, believing that since he had a difficult time in his time, then everyone else should have a full sip.

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Then he accidentally found an advertisement in the Russian-language newspaper "New York Advertising" about finding an electrical engineer. And this is my specialty, in Ukraine I worked for DTEK.

Called without much hope. They took me. I still work here. We have a great team. The company employs employees of all races and nationalities. I love this job.

About moving, buying a house and expenses

We moved from Brooklyn to New Jersey, the city of Hackensack. This is a small town, where many rivers, greenery, fields, fresh air, animals walk. Recently bought a house. Cost in 190 thousands of dollars. But we paid only a third of the amount, the rest - installments for 30 years. They considered that it was more profitable to have their own housing than to rent. Although here people rent for life and do not worry about it.

Photos from personal archive.

Everyday life goes somewhere up to 5 of thousands of dollars along with utilities, food, entertainment, insurance and so on.

Life began to improve, and my wife and I can no longer survive, but enjoy. Our twins Ksyusha and Liza have grown up. They are on 6 years, went to kindergarten. She started to work as a wife, she got a job in a cafeteria at school. Before that I was sitting with children at home, since kindergartens are very expensive, and we had to give 2,5 thousands of dollars for two. Then they could not allow it. The eldest daughter Christina, her 10 years, also goes to school. She adapted the fastest, although she did not know English. She was even afraid to ask the toilet because she didn’t know how.

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About medicine

Back in Ukraine, a rare health problem was discovered in one of our twins. They applied to all hospitals of all levels, but everywhere the doctors shrugged, saying that the disease was serious and they could not help. In Kiev, the child issued a disability. Some hope was given in the metropolitan hospital “Okhmatdet”. They said that an operation is necessary, but they cannot give guarantees. We prescribed supportive therapy and sent to a private clinic where we paid 600 $ for an appointment.

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And only once in New York, did the child have the necessary operation in a specialized department of one of the best hospitals in the world. The operation lasted more than six hours, and then a long rehabilitation, but everything went well. And later, 4, it is safe to say that the girl is completely healthy, lives a full life, goes in for sports and is ahead of her peers in some development indicators.

And by the way, before the operation, the doctor in New York said that the supporting therapy in Kiev was absolutely useless.

About feelings for America

Our political petition has not yet been considered, although it was filed in 2015. Every time the rules of waiting in the embassy change. Good friends appeared. They are Russians. Always offer help.

Photos from personal archive.

We adjusted to American life. We adore this country. All laws work here. People know and respect democratic principles. Rescue, ambulance, police always work clearly and will help at any moment. And America is a paradise for children, ranging from education, freedom for them and ending with medicine.

This is not the case in Ukraine: whether you work or not, you still won’t earn anything. It is only necessary to steal or have friends in high positions.

In America, it does not matter who you are, whose you are godfather, brother, matchmaker. If you study, you work a lot, you improve, you can achieve everything. I know stories when people in five years became millionaires, having come here with a couple thousand dollars.

I was really lucky here. But if asked to repeat all this, I could not. It was a high-level gamble.

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