Mark Bennett: Terre Haute resident's parents, siblings cope with war in native Ukraine

Mar. 11—Anna Vandivier's family photographs from earlier times in her native Ukraine seem poignant now.

One shows her standing proudly beside her parents and siblings at her school. In another, she's smiling with flowers in her hair as a teenager. Others capture Anna hugging her dad, touring the capital city of Kyiv with her mom, and striking a sunny pose in front of a towering landmark monastery.

There's a picture of Anna climbing the steps of historic St. George's Cathedral in the western Ukraine city of Lviv, known for its architecture. Another photo shows her stepmom, brother, sister and father colorfully dressed in their backyard. A flower garden in the town where Anna used to live is pictured, too.

"It's a beautiful country — it really is," Anna said Wednesday morning. "And it's always striving to do better, to be independent and thrive."

The backdrops for those photographs look different today. A Russian invasion has brought a brutal, unprovoked war to the country where Anna was raised, and where her parents and siblings remain.

It's a nation of 44 million people that gained its independence in 1991 as the former Soviet Union broke apart. Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to invade neighboring Ukraine on Feb. 24 has so far resulted in 474 civilian deaths, including 29 children, the United Nations human rights office told news agencies on Wednesday.

But the UN also said there are reports, yet to be verified, of hundreds more civilian casualties in three Ukraine cities. Russian airstrikes and missiles have rocked several cities. A Russian airstrike on Wednesday killed three people and wounded 17 others at a Mariupol hospital maternity ward, The Associated Press reported. Twenty-four healthcare facilities have been hit, the World Health Organization said.

More than 2 million Ukrainians have fled to neighboring countries. Residents who remain have moved into basements and makeshift bomb shelters.

"It's awful," Anna said of the Russian siege.

"My heart breaks every day to see the country I grew up in torn to pieces by Russia," she added.

Anna must watch from afar, getting periodic updates from her Ukrainian family. She lives in Terre Haute now, with her husband, Lucas, and their infant daughter, Olivia.

Anna's father, stepmom, brother and sister live in the Ukraine town of Korostyshiv. Anna's mother also lives in Korostyshiv, a city of 24,822 residents about 130 kilometers west of Kyiv.

Now 23, Anna came to the U.S. in 2016 as an exchange student at Rockville High School. She met her future husband, Lucas Vandivier, there. After that school year, Anna returned to the Ukraine for a few months, but traveled back to Indiana to study at Ivy Tech Community College in Terre Haute, earning a degree in business administration and accounting. Anna and Lucas married in 2018. She's stay-at-home mom now.

Back in Ukraine, her father and stepmother work as doctors, so their services are in higher demand amid the war. Trauma care isn't their specialty, though. Her father is a gastroenterologist. Her stepmom is a neurologist.

"They are OK," Anna said of her parents. "They have their spirits down, now, though."

Safety is tenuous. "They live on high alert almost every single day and every single night," Anna said.

Normally, Korostyshiv "is just a peaceful town," Anna explained. It has four schools, a hospital and a community park. Since the Russian invasion, her 10-year-old brother's school has shifted to remote learning, this time because of the conflict rather than COVID-19. Her 4-year-old sister's kindergarten has closed.

"It was earth-shattering for them," she said of the jarring changes faced by her siblings. "They're scared to sleep in their own beds, because air-raid sirens are going off all night."

The family seeks shelter in a root cellar multiple times a day. "Because it's underground, it's the safest place to be right now," Anna said.

Her family is prepared to leave, if necessary. "They're kind of sitting on suitcases right now," Anna said. Her 51-year-old father would stay.

Men ages 18 through 60 must stay in Ukraine, called by the government to help resist the invading forces. Stories of civilians pushing back against the Russian military are many.

"They are so courageous," Anna said. "What I can tell you is, nobody's going to give up. We're a sovereign country, and we don't want to be part of Russia. We've always fought to be independent, and now that we are, we're just not going to give up."

They've rallied around Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the former star of a comedy sitcom "Servant of the People" about a teacher who becomes president. In the gut-wrenching reality of the war, the 44-year-old Zelenskyy has remained in Kyiv amid the Russian attacks, encouraging fellow Ukrainians and pleading with the free world to help save the country's democracy.

He's impressed Anna, as well.

"He has really risen up to the role of being chief in command," she said. "He's been out there daily, walking with the guys on the front lines. He has turned into somewhat of a hero and symbol of hope to the people of Ukraine."

Their nation is usually known for its agricultural products like corn, wheat and sunflower seeds. More than 900 historic churches and cathedrals dot its landscape, along with ornate buildings. Anna hopes her daughter discovers that culture and the beauty of such places, like those in her family photographs. She wants little Olivia to meet her Ukrainian grandparents and relatives.

"I really want her to learn about her heritage. She is an American citizen, but she is half-Ukrainian, too," Anna said. "There is so much to being a Ukrainian and having that heritage."

Mark Bennett can be reached at 812-231-4377 or mark.bennett@tribstar.com.