CLEVELAND — To understand why Ukrainians came to Cleveland while at war with Russia, you must first understand the history of Ukrainians in Greater Cleveland.
"Many of them have family here," Andy Fedynsky, director of the Ukrainian Museum and Archives in Tremont, says
Ukrainians have a special connection to the area that dates back to the late 19th century, when the first wave of immigrants from the country came to Northeast Ohio.
"They came to Cleveland because of the heavy manufacturing that was here," Fedynsky explained. "There were jobs — not only in the factories, but also the economies that developed as a result."
Fedynsky says an infrastructure was built in Cleveland — there were jobs at local bakeries, hardware stores, butcher shops and restaurants. The next wave of Ukrainians arrived after World War I, then after World War II, and then in 1991 around the fall of the Soviet Union, before the final wave arrived as the current war with Russia started.
Oksana Dobronos and her two sons came to Cleveland more than one year ago, but had planned to return to Ukraine. Dobronos chose Northeast Ohio because she had family that arrived during another era.
Dobronos worked with Fedynsky at the museum. It's home to more than 40,000 books about Ukraine and other historical pieces of history.
"We have the largest," Fedynsky said of his collection, and not just in terms of quantity, but also in terms of quality."
Fedynsky told 3News many Ukrainian refugees, like Dobronos, have since returned to the country.
However, while many go back home, their history will remain in Cleveland.
"If there's 100,000 refugees, there's 100,000 stories," Fedynsky declared.