Update on my Parents - Refugees from Ukraine - August 2026.

It is August, and Ukraine is celebrating the 35th anniversary of the proclamation of Independence. There are many phone calls and many memories from 35 years ago, and all the things that happened before and all the things that happened after. I see many videos online that are made along the lines of "a list of the most important moments in the 35 years since Ukraine's independence was proclaimed" - I wonder what my parents would put on that list. Though it might be a tough conversation to have - there are many opinions in the family about many different things :) 

But that is a great thing about Ukrainians and their history - there is no "one right version" - there are heated debates about things that happened hundreds of years ago, 25, 15 years ago (and sometimes 15 minutes ago). One thing I am sure about, though - we all are glad that we voted for independence. Freedom of self-determination is worth fighting for. 

Since my last update, Mom had some health-related adventures and now has a surprise new hip joint and some follow-ups in the future. Her flowers suffered during her hospital stay because my Dad was watering them 4 times a day, but otherwise he stoically took Mom's absence, played chess, drove his electric wheelchair to stores, and invented even more recipes. Family and friends rallied around him during that time, and we are truly grateful. And always grateful to all who support Ukraine and fight for it!  

You can read a whole story about this series of portraits here: War in Ukraine: Guide Through Posts on this Blog.

Update on my Parents - Refugees from Ukraine - February, 2026.

You can read a whole story about this series of portraits here: War in Ukraine: Guide Through Posts on this Blog.

Dad's birthday (and this year we celebrated a round number of 80!) is very close to the anniversary of the beginning of the war, which means that there are lots of phone calls in one week, and the war is never too far away from being mentioned in these conversations. But there is a good reason to talk about other things, too. We celebrated with a wonderful lemon cake that he made (as usual, the recipe was modified for the occasion with new ingredients) and a new artwork for their wall and table. 

He is still playing chess regularly and looking to expand the pool of adversaries. The electric wheelchair is allowing him to get out of the house regularly and explore the area in all sorts of ways. 

Mom is reading and writing a lot, and it seems that the latest prescription glasses are actually doing what Mom wants them to do - which is a huge win. New flowers blooming under her window are helping with returning to regular walks outside. Winter in California is not harsh at all, but a memory of what winter was all her life makes it hard to believe that one can go for a walk in February, especially after one reads about the destruction of infrastructure, power blackouts, and lack of heating in Ukraine. 

They talk to family members and friends in Ukraine and spread around the world every week, and try to support people with what they can. 

I collected all the portraits of my parents from four years of war in one place:

You can see them all larger and read about my conversations with my parents during this war here: 
War in Ukraine: Guide Through Posts on this Blog

Update on my Parents - Refugees from Ukraine - November, 2025.

You can read a whole story about these series of portraits here: War in Ukraine: Guide Through Posts on this Blog.

We recently celebrated Mom's 85th birthday with ice cream and a lemon pie. Lots of phone calls from all over the world and some good presents made it a good day. I got Mom an illustrated book about trees, and she is reading one little chapter a day. Her potted plants are doing great, and I think we need more pots :)

In October we had a great time visiting the pumpkin patch, where Mom got to draw with me (something that I've been trying to introduce back into her life). I think the pomegranate tree was almost as big a hit as the variety of gourds and squashes with their varied colors and textures. 

Dad got an electric wheelchair now and can get to more places around the neighborhood, which has led to some discoveries and adventures - mostly of a good kind. He plays chess with the neighbors, and we are working on getting his cataracts removed so that he can go back to playing on the phone, too.

Both my parents are watching the news about the Atlas comet with a lot of interest, which helps with my attempts at limiting their exposure to the news. However, they are staying on top of everything that is happening in Ukraine and are in touch with many friends and family members both in Ukraine and around the world. 

Update on my Parents - Refugees from Ukraine - August, 2025.

On August 24th, Ukraine celebrated its 34th Independence Day! My parents and many people around the world were sending messages of support to each other. And I will share a few sketches and updates about my parents as a part of my celebration of the country whose bravery and determination remind me every day that democracy is something we make with our own everyday actions. By not being indifferent and doing what we can when we can - even a little bit at a time. 

Last time I wrote an update on my parents was in February of this year, and I was lamenting the fact that my Dad is not happy when I draw him, so there were more portraits of Mom. Since then, Dad had significantly more medical appointments than Mom and, this time I have way more portraits of him than of Mom - hopefully by the time I make the next update, I will find a balance :)

Mom got new glasses, which are not perfect but an improvement. She enjoys her pots of flowers and takes pictures of all kinds of insects that come to visit. She cooks many new things (from Dad's recipes, so the results vary) and plays word games with her new friend. They also read aloud to each other and watch lots of movies together. She is excitedly reading "Everything Is Tuberculosis" by John Green in English at the moment. 

Dad plays chess every day and uses google translate to communicate with his chess buddies. He is inventing many new recipes for Mom to try. And watching the movies as well. And he is hoping to get some assistance with his mobility soon, but for now, he takes short trips between benches near the house. 

They keep in touch with the family and friends in Ukraine and around the world, and try to support people with their care and strong belief that the world will get better - perhaps not as fast as we wish, but believing in this is part of making it better.

To read the whole story: https://blog.apple-pine.com/2022/08/war-in-ukraine-guide-through-posts-on.html

Three Years of War

This week marks three years since a full-scale invasion of russian army into a sovereign Ukraine began.  Three years ago we did not believe in what was happening. Three years ago we did not believe it could last this long. Three years ago my parents were living in their apartment in the center of Kharkiv and heard the first explosions in their city. My Mom was still working at the University where she started to work in 1963. She lived in this apartment all her life - since she returned with her parents from the evacuation in 1943 during World War II. Dad lived in this apartment since 1973. Because of health reasons, they could not go to the shelter when the bombing started. Kharkiv received a daily bombing during the first year of the war and continues to be pummeled to this day. My parents stayed home for as long as they could but as it was harder and harder to support them with food, medicine, and basic needs, as the power grid was targeted and electricity and heating became uneven, they joined thousands of people displaced by this war and eventually came to the United States on United for Ukraine Program.

In the last three years, they moved from one temporary home to another 6 times. Their beloved Ukraine was attacked a countless number of times. An unimaginable number of people died. Every Ukrainian lost someone, everyone was displaced in some way. And everybody wants the war to end and tries to do something - even from afar. My parents try to do something too - they pay their utilities as if they live in the apartment - to support the budget of Ukraine, they support friends and family members by calling, texting, and sending what little money they have, what little hope they can master. They keep Ukrainian language alive, they have Ukrainian flag on their walker and outside their window. They stay on top of all the news and never stop believing in Ukraine, and its right to exist and defend itself. 

Nobody wants this war to end as Ukrainians do. But submitting to the aggressor will not end this war - just delay of continued aggression.

The image below is a look at my drawn history of this war - through my parents. I started drawing them during our video calls when the war began. You can see all of these and read transcripts here: 

https://blog.apple-pine.com/2022/08/war-in-ukraine-guide-through-posts-on.html

Update on my Parents - Refugees from Ukraine - February, 2025.

Since my last update in November 2024, we found a different housing solution for my parents. It is more suitable for older people (wider doors for people who use wheelchairs/walkers, handles to help move throughout the apartment, and there is an elevator). There are more people of their age around - so more chances for connection though most of the residents do not have a common language. Still - people are caring for plants, playing chess, celebrating birthdays, and sharing benches - and you do not need a common language for many of those activities. 

My Mom has new hearing aids which help a lot with whatever language she is hearing. We are three more steps closer to getting her new glasses. She reads an art book with both French and English text for each drawing and enjoys finding discrepancies and sharing them with us. She stays in touch with family and friends dispersed throughout Ukraine and the world. And she writes in her diary.

My Dad plays chess every day - in the morning on his phone, in the afternoon - in person in their building. He continues to try all the new foods that cross his pass and if something tastes not exactly how he expected he adds some cayenne pepper to it - lately, I've seen him mix it into grape jelly, and orange juice and put some on the marshmallows. His new favorite vegetable is bok choy. His knees and back bother him a lot but we are trying some new meds and hoping that he will agree to go to physical therapy one of these days. 

Dad is not happy when I draw him lately - so there are mostly portraits of Mom - but I think I have an idea for an argument that I might present to fix this for the next update :)

A year, a birthday and 1000 days. Update on my Parents - Refugees from Ukraine - November, 2024

This week we celebrated my Mom's 84th birthday (Happy birthday, Mom!), and this week is exactly one year since she and my Dad arrived in the USA as Ukrainian Refugees. A few days ago also marked ONE THOUSAND DAYS since the first bombs fell on the city where my parents lived their whole life (Kharkiv, Ukraine) and a full-scale invasion of russian forces began. It was a week filled with many memories and emotions. But also lots of little things that make up the magic of everyday life. It is a perfect time to give you an update on my parents. 

My Mom underwent a cataract removal surgery and will soon own a new pair of glasses! Her experience with the medical system was not without some glitches yet her optimism prevailed over everything! She tried to speak to all the medical personnel in English, read all the signs in every room we went in, asked a thousand questions about everything, and enjoyed me sketching through all the adventures. She even participated in an online drawing event from an operation waiting room! She is working through my library of art history books and biographies and enjoys taking photos of all sorts of animal and plant life to discuss with me. She regularly talks to her friends and family who are dispersed around the world, many refugees like she is - and tries to find a good topic with each one - to stay in touch and keep the connection going despite some differences in worldviews. However there are some things she is not willing to compromise on - the idea of supporting putin is a hard no. 

My Dad continues his lifelong experimentation with mixing things - his drinks often contain something unusual (when was the last time you put cayenne pepper and peeled grapes in your coffee?) and he is making lots of salads that are truly an inspiration in color if not in taste! His knees and shoulders had a nice reprieve during summer when he enjoyed swimming but the season is over and we are trying to find him alternative ways to gently work arthritic joints. His interest in finding things and making things out of stuff he finds resulted in a large art installation on their patio (see photos below). There are bottles, frying pans, flowers, cups, plates, toys, pens, unidentified objects, a little mural we made, and Ukrainian flags. A daily war with the squirrel population guarantees that something will be broken or moved in the morning which means that he works on this wall of wonders every day. He plays chess daily and is responsible for keeping a strict schedule of not watching war news before breakfast and after dinner. 

They met some people on the street and are developing some new relationships. Now that they are vaccinated I hope to introduce some more interaction with people and outings to places. They miss their home, the life that they understood, their city, and the country they love. But they speak less about all of it these days - I think because they are trying to not worry me too much. It is a wonderful thing to witness their resilient spirit and utmost care for their family.

(For more background on their story please visit: War in Ukraine: Guide Through Posts on this Blog)

Mom's been a champion in medical appointments lately so I grew her more than Dad for a change - here are some out of many many sketches that I did - these represent the most "iconic" faces that she makes  :)

Update on my Parents - Refugees from Ukraine - August, 2024. The war is still going on.

An update on my parents - who are refugees from Kharkiv, Ukraine, and have been living in California for over 6 months now. 

My parents counted the number of humans they interact with in person here in California and the number of dogs and decided that the ratio is 1 to 18. I have some plans to change it a little :) Being away from their home is very hard. Still, they are living a life without constant russian bombing on their city and away from the everyday problems of war (like getting food, medicine, and general support) and that is what we all are very grateful for. Of course, we all dream about the time when the war will be over.

The big event this month was the painting of a little mural for them. The story of the project is very typical for my Dad - there was a part of the patio border that was falling apart and when he decided to fix it, it fell with dramatic results. So after a few foraging expeditions on the streets where stuff with the "free" signs could be obtained Dad fixed the fence somehow. However, the new part was white and looked odd and boring. And a request was placed to paint something on it. When we showed up with paints my parents art-directed the whole thing - Dad was explaining the concept and Mom was encouraging us to stop early and "not overwork it". There request was for typical Ukrainian flowers: Mallows and Sunflowers, a rainbow over Ukrainian flags and two owls. 

Here are some photos of the results of this family project: