Donetsk, Ukraine
Moved in 2014
Moved in 2014
My name is Yana Feiganova. I am from Donetsk. I moved here on July 17, 2014.
I have a very beautiful family. Dad is an entrepreneur, he has been doing something all his life. He has had a large company in recent years selling building materials. Mom took care of herself, dad, and us.
In general, Donetsk is a very multicultural city. More than thirty-three thousand Jews lived in Donetsk. I worked in the Jewish community, I also worked in my father's family business. I traveled a lot, studied. I‘ve got three higher education degrees from Ukraine: a specialist in International Economics, then I completed a bachelor's degree in Psychology and received a Master's degree in Business Economics.
I have a very beautiful family. Dad is an entrepreneur, he has been doing something all his life. He has had a large company in recent years selling building materials. Mom took care of herself, dad, and us.
In general, Donetsk is a very multicultural city. More than thirty-three thousand Jews lived in Donetsk. I worked in the Jewish community, I also worked in my father's family business. I traveled a lot, studied. I‘ve got three higher education degrees from Ukraine: a specialist in International Economics, then I completed a bachelor's degree in Psychology and received a Master's degree in Business Economics.
Yana talks about the move and things as a keepsake
Everything had been very nice and beautiful in Donetsk before the war started. In 2014, in January, the first impulses began and it seemed like very big changes were coming in Donetsk and Ukraine. And at that time, my friend was a manager of Moishe House* in Chicago, as far as I understood that, and I saw on his Facebook that Moyshe House in Chicago was looking for a resident, and I thought that this was about me and there was a war here and there is nothing to lose, so I decided to take this opportunity and just move. I left home very easily. There was no such strain, really... I had nothing to lose.
* an international non-profit organization made up of many homes around the world that serve as centers for Jewish youth.
* an international non-profit organization made up of many homes around the world that serve as centers for Jewish youth.
Well, thank God, I knew English, I can't say that at some high level, but it was pretty average. And my first job was in an American bar, I wrote phrases with which I could speak with clients. It was very funny when clients, it was a bar, asked for some specific drinks they wanted, with or without ice, or squeeze a lemon for them, or something else like that. I just looked at them, I don’t know, how Lenin looked at the bourgeoisie, I didn’t understand what they wanted from me! And then I learned.
For the first year, I probably did not communicate with anyone in Russian at all. I spoke Russian only with my mother on the phone, and somehow I quickly merged into American culture and the language, and for me, it was not such a big barrier.
For the first year, I probably did not communicate with anyone in Russian at all. I spoke Russian only with my mother on the phone, and somehow I quickly merged into American culture and the language, and for me, it was not such a big barrier.
I didn’t come to stay in this country. But, probably, staying is a childhood dream. I really like this country, it conquered my heart from the first day. Do you want me to tell you? Probably, on the second day after arrival, like everyone else here, I felt jet-lagged: you wake up at 5 a.m., and you don’t know what to do. And I went for a run. And I saw a girl walking the dog who had only two legs. And she supported her, you know, with like a suitcase handle, and this dog walked like that. And I thought that in Ukraine you would never see such a thing, when people treat their animals so kindly, with such tremendous love. And everyone smiles, especially in the morning, when everyone is jogging and the city is buzzing.
And all this happened, this scene with the dog, near the chocolate factory. And when, you know, at 6 a.m. it still smells of chocolate, and you see this dog, and you're just - damn it... I want to live here! And besides, in Donetsk, where I lived, there was a chocolate factory not far from my house.
And all this happened, this scene with the dog, near the chocolate factory. And when, you know, at 6 a.m. it still smells of chocolate, and you see this dog, and you're just - damn it... I want to live here! And besides, in Donetsk, where I lived, there was a chocolate factory not far from my house.
