Praying for peace
Ruslan Moshniakov (left) and his wife, Anna Moshniakov (second from left) join other Soap Lake community members in singing a few Ukrainian songs at a vigil held at East Beach Park in Soap Lake on March 6. The couple say they are worried about family members who are still in Ukraine and appreciate the support they’ve received from the community.
File Photo
Ruslan and Anna Moshniakov pose with their child during a trip to Kyiv in Ukraine before Russia invaded. The pair say they have family that is still in the country doing what they can to help and others that have left out of fear for their safety. The Soap Lake couple say they are leaning on their faith to get through the stress of worrying about family and their homeland.
Ukraine is a European nation located on the north coast of the Black Sea with Russia to its east, Moldova and Romania to the south, Hungary Slovakia and Poland to the west and Belarus to the north. Russia invaded the small nation on Feb. 24. Russia has claimed to annex both Belarus and Crimea, a region in Ukraine.
SOAP LAKE - The invasion of Ukraine by Russia has impacted many people around the world. Right here in Grant County, there is a Slavic community with personal connections to what is happening in Europe.
Ukrainian-born husband and wife Ruslan and Anna Moshniakov said they have family who are both still in Ukraine and who have fled for their safety. Those family members who stayed behind were required to stay due to a law Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy put in place that all men 18-60 years old had to stay behind to defend their country.
The couple said they rely heavily on their Christian values of faith and prayer when it comes to the situation. They said they have faith that God will let things happen the way they are supposed to.
“First and foremost, is that God, he let it happen,” Ruslan said. “Why, we don’t know.”
Anna moved to Soap Lake from Ukraine when she was only six years old so she does not have many memories of living there. Ruslan, however, only moved to Soap Lake three years ago and said his immediate family lived only two hours from Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital.
The couple traveled back to Ukraine to visit family in October. They said they saw no signs that the invasion was coming nor were there any signs of conflict between the two countries peoples.
“So when we were there, we didn't see any conflict, we didn’t see any problems. It was peaceful, it was nice,” Ruslan said.
They expressed sadness that the beautiful cities they had just visited a few months prior were now in ruins and rubble from Russian bombs.
They also said they have heard the term ‘conflict’ a lot when it comes to the situation but do not feel that it is an appropriate term. They explained that ‘conflict’ is used when two people or countries are fighting because they are on different sides of an issue or problem. In this case, there is no conflict on Ukraine’s part, the couple said, Ukrainians are just doing what they need to do in order to defend their homes and families.
Their family that remains in Ukraine don’t want to fight or take lives, so they are helping evacuate people from the country by escorting refugees from cities to the border, the pair said. Family members are also arranging supplies such as food for those that need it.
“We’re Christian people, and we pray for our governments, our president, and it says in the Bible to pray for them and the heart of a king is in the lord's hands,” said Ruslan. “And once again, the Lord is in control of everything. So living here, we can't really comment on what (Zelenskyy) does because he's in Ukraine. But, reading the news, we see that the people support him and that he’s with the people and he’s there. So, we’re praying for him and we believe that if he is in accordance to what God wants him to do then there will be peace.”
Since they have family still in the country, the couple is frequently sending money and staying in touch wherever they can. They mentioned that if anyone in the Columbia Basin would like to donate, they would be happy to be a point of contact to send money to Ukraine.
They also noted that part of their family will be moving to Soap Lake in the coming months when it is safe for them to come together. The family members that are relocating will be starting completely over and could use financial support in doing so. Those coming include six children from ages 10 months to 10 years, both parents and a grandparent. The family left all their belongings behind when fleeing Ukraine.
The couple noted that if anyone wants to help the family financially, that they would be happy to stay in touch as they figure out the details but that they are not currently accepting any donations for them until exact plans are set. Anyone who would like to get in touch are asked to reach out via Facebook and can find Ruslan under Moshniakov Ruslan, with his last name first.
The couple say they are praying for God to bring peace to Ukraine.
