The Rykov family is pictured, left, in the Shaffers’ Blue Earth home. Left to right are Alesia, Alexander, Luka, Julia, and their dog, Noah.

A little over a week ago, Alexander and Julia Rykov – their possessions stuffed in four suitcases and four backpacks - boarded a plane in Frankfurt, Germany, with their two children and their dog, Noah.

After a nine-hour flight and several more hours in customs, the family finally arrived at the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport on Friday, Sept. 16. There, they were greeted by Kim and Jan Shaffer, and completed the two-hour drive from Minneapolis to the Shaffers’ home in Blue Earth.

The considerable journey was the last in a long series of relocations which the Rykovs have made over the past eight years.

The family has been on the move constantly ever since 2014. When Russia invaded and annexed Crimea that year, it also invaded a portion of the Donbas region of southeastern Ukraine; essentially initiating a regional conflict in the Rykovs’ backyard.

Prior to 2014, the Rykovs’ home was in Chystiakove, a city in the Donetsk Region of Ukraine.

They lived as many families might; spending their free time biking and enjoying other outdoor activities. Julia also enjoyed cooking and baking, hobbies which she has passed down to her daughter, Alesia.

Assuming the conflict would soon be resolved, Alexander and Julia relocated their family to Berdyanks’k – a nearby port city in the Zaporizhzhia District, located southwest of Mariupol.

“We stayed about a month, because we thought the war would end so soon,” Alexander explains. At that point, they still cherished plans for a swift return to Chystiakove.

Soon, however, they realized the conflict would likely last much longer than they had thought.

That realization came crashing down upon them in the wake of an attack upon Malaysia Airlines Flight 17. The Boeing plane was shot down over eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014, causing the deaths of 283 passengers and 15 crew members.

Subsequent investigations concluded that the Russian government was responsible for launching the missile which downed the aircraft.

“After the Boeing crash, we realized the Russian army was coming to the Donetsk Region,” Alexander recalls, adding he and Julia suspected a large number of the troops would be deployed to Chystiakove.

So followed years of continuous migration. As Russia pushed its way further into Ukraine, the Rykovs fled further and further west to safety.

Julia observes that between 2014 and 2022, “We changed the place where we lived in Ukraine 15 times. Then, we stopped counting.” 

At the outset of the war, Julia’s uncle gave the Rykovs an opportunity to relocate to Kharkiv, where they stayed between 2014 and 2017.

Their living situation remained unstable and dangerous, however.

Alexander recalls, “We had to spend the night in the garage when they bombed the city. Many of our friends were killed when the war began.” 

Their hopes of returning to Chystiakove further diminished as the war continued. Eventually, the family received another opportunity to relocate.

The Rykovs had friends in Kharkiv, who in turn had friends in Odesa. They made Alexander a job offer, and he accepted.

The family lived in Odesa for four years, until conflict reached their doorstep once more. The Rykovs’ home was again threatened when Russian forces renewed their push westward last February.

Six months ago, they made yet another move to Ozerne, a small Ukrainian village, praying that they would simply be able to stay in their home country.

“We hoped that this  would end soon, so we (wouldn’t) have to leave Ukraine,” Alexander says.

Unfortunately, the conflict continued to escalate.

“I woke up and screamed. There was no normal,” Julia recalls.

With much sadness, the Rykovs contemplated their biggest move yet.

In May, they discovered Uniting for Ukraine, a program which provides a pathway for Ukrainian citizens and their immediate family members to come to the United States and stay, temporarily, in a two-year period of parole.

Around this time, Kim and Jan had also discovered the site, and decided to apply to become supporters. The role would allow them to provide a Ukrainian family with financial support for the duration of their stay in the United States.

The Rykovs finally connected with an American family who was willing to host two children and a dog – the Shaffers – in July.

The Rykovs and Shaffers initially got to know each other via a messaging portal.

“It’s like a dating site,” Jan explains.

After exchanging several messages and emails with the Shaffers, the Rykovs invited them to be their sponsors.

The Shaffers accepted.

In the lead-up to the Rykovs’ long journey to America, Jan provided them with as much information as possible about their home-to-be.

She sent the Rykovs photographs of the roomy basement where they would be staying, and answered Julia’s questions about Blue Earth’s healthcare and school systems.

Meanwhile, the Rykovs prepared for their most daunting relocation yet.

Julia’s parents had previously moved to safety in Lastrup, Germany, and the Rykovs decided to visit them on their way to the United States.

The family piled into the car with their possessions and their dog, and commenced an exhausting four-day drive from Moldova, Ukraine, to Lastrup.

“Our flight from Germany to America was much faster than our drive from Ukraine to Germany,” Alexander observes, chuckling.

A few weeks later, the Rykovs sold their car to Julia’s father and boarded a flight in Frankfurt which would take them to Minneapolis in nine hours’ time.

A couple hours of driving later, and, as Jan puts it, “Here you are!” 

Still quite new to Blue Earth, the Rykovs are in the process of adjusting to life in America.

The family toured Blue Earth Area Elementary School last Monday, and Alesia, age 10, and her brother Luka, age three, started classes last Wednesday.

“We had a very warm welcome,” Alexander reflected.

Alesia is already hard at work studying English vocabulary words. Jan proudly shows off a binder filled with Alesia’s worksheets on English terms for colors, shapes and seasons.

The Rykovs admit it will probably be a long time before they are used to their new home.

“Even when we have traveled through so many countries, it’s hard to understand – you don’t have full awareness,” Julia says. She adds, “(It’s hard) to just leave, and understand that you and your children will be safe from explosions and sirens, and there will be peace.” 

“When I wake up, I wonder where I am,” Alexander agrees.

The family is still unsure what their future will hold.

Jan notes, “We don’t know what will happen in two years.” She goes on to explain that once the Rykovs’ two-year parole period in the United States comes to an end, it is hard to predict what the status of the conflict in Ukraine will be.

When asked if he and his family will stay in the United States if they are able to, Alexander responds, “That is a difficult question.” 

Ukraine’s Donetsk Region is the Rykovs’ home, but Alexander explains that if they are to return, the region will need help to rebuild its infrastructure so it can support a population again.

“We like how people live here (in the United States), but we don’t know what we need to do in the future,” Alexander says.

He adds he has brothers who currently live in territory controlled by Russia.

“They call me and say, ‘Come to the Russian Federation,'” Alexander says. “I say, ‘It will be the end of the world before I join the Russian Federation. These are the people who started the war.'” 

“They destroyed our city, our region, now it’s Ukraine itself,” Alexander continues. “They are not interested in peace; they are interested in the territory. Why do I think so? Because they did nothing to renew life in the region.”