As they prepare for their third Christmas in Calgary, Oleksiy Sychuk and Yana Volosianko are gripped by a chilling fear: this holiday season could be their last in Canada. The couple, who fled Russia in 2023, now face the terrifying prospect of being forced to return to a country where they believe their past activism could lead to imprisonment or death.
A Life Built on Protest and Flight
Oleksiy Sychuk and Yana Volosianko were only 19 years old when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Despite their youth, they courageously threw themselves into organizing anti-war and anti-government protests in Russia. Day and night, they worked to convince their neighbors of Russia's wrongdoings, a decision that now defines their precarious existence.
"We (are) just like two young people, two teenagers, with no understanding of the immigration processes," Sychuk admits, reflecting on their journey to Canada. The couple arrived in 2023, seeking refuge from the escalating crackdown on dissent. While both are of Ukrainian descent, their passports tell different stories. Yana holds Ukrainian documentation, but Oleksiy carries a Russian passport, placing him directly in the crosshairs of the state he protested against.
"Return to Russia is a Death Sentence"
For Oleksiy, the idea of being sent back to his country of birth is not merely undesirable; it is existential. He is convinced that upon arrival, he would face one of two grim fates: forced conscription into the Russian military or imprisonment for his anti-war activities. "I got these military draft notices and I did lots of antiwar (protesting); and, it's a criminal offense in Russia," he explains, his voice heavy with anxiety.
His connection to Russia has always been fraught. Born in Siberia after his parents moved from Ukraine following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Sychuk never felt at home. His family spoke a Russified version of Ukrainian, and his imperfect Russian language skills made him an outsider from his first day of school. "It became kind of a problem," he recalls. This sense of alienation fueled his early political consciousness, leading him to write songs critical of Vladimir Putin, though he never published them.
Education Under a Distorted Lens
Sychuk's disillusionment deepened during his studies. In the fall of 2020, he began a bachelor's degree in history at Herzen University in St. Petersburg, only to discover the curriculum was heavily filtered through a state-approved, nationalist perspective. "They just reject the existence of Ukrainians and Belarusians," he states, describing an education system that erased the identity of his own heritage.
Now in Calgary, Sychuk works tirelessly as a line cook at two different restaurants, building a new life while clinging to hope. The couple's future hinges on a positive decision regarding the extension of his visa. Going to Ukraine is not a viable option due to the ongoing war and the complex circumstances of their case.
Their story underscores the desperate plight of those caught between geopolitical conflicts. As they celebrate the holidays in Calgary, their joy is tempered by the looming uncertainty of an immigration system that will decide whether they can continue to call Canada home, or face a return to a place they can only describe as a threat to their very survival.
