(LEX 18) — Four years after fleeing Ukraine, Tetiana Soloshchuk is building a new life in Nicholasville.
She has opened a restaurant with her husband and is now sharing her family's story of loss, resilience, and hope.
She's one of many Ukrainian refugees who were forced to start new lives in the Commonwealth since Russia invaded Ukraine on this day four years ago.
Soloshchuk is the co-owner of Taste of Ukraine, a new restaurant in downtown Nicholasville. When she and her family left Ukraine, they brought only a few small bags of clothing, facing uncertainty and fear in the days that followed.
"They were going to bed one night, and sirens started going off, and bombs started going off," said Emily, a waitress at the restaurant who translated for Soloshchuk.
The hardship did not end there. Soloshchuk lost her brother this summer while he was defending Ukraine.
"She lost her brother in Ukraine. Everyone in Ukraine is losing cousins and brothers," Emily said.
Soloshchuk says she wants to share her family's story with Americans so no one else will endure her heartbreak.
"She heard how American citizens were supportive and their hearts were open, and she wants to thank everyone for the support they've given," Emily said.
Now, she's looking to the future and her new business venture with hope.
