Support for Artem, Lena, & Leon

Hello our US friends and family! With the war on Ukraine, many of our Russian friends and family have been impacted in different ways. Polina’s neighbor and close friend growing up, Artem (30), was one of them. Your support here toward Artem and his family’s immigration and lawyer fees is much appreciated!

Here is their story…

Artem was part of Putin’s September 2022 mobilization, meaning he was expected to report to the army within 1 week, leaving behind his wife, Lena (27), and 1 year old son, Leon. Artem & Lena were terrified—they both grew up without fathers and knew they wanted something different for Leon. So, they packed up 1 suitcase and left Omsk, Russia for good on September 23, 2022.

Using most of their savings, they were able to get to Kazakhstan, a few days later Turkey, a few more days later Germany, and finally they reached Cancun, Mexico on October 7. At this point, Polina and Tavi were already planning their trip down to Tijuana to meet Artem, Lena, and Leon, which finally happened on October 11. All 5 of them spent 2 weeks in Tijuana planning their border crossing, which they were able to do successfully on October 23 with the help of a non-profit organization.

Now, the REAL hard work starts. They are in the process of settling in living with Polina, applying for asylum, and starting English classes. With the help of our parents, they’re working with an immigration lawyer who will help them navigate the complex refugee process, which costs $15,000 and is likely to take a year at best.

Your support and well wishes are extremely appreciated! Our family has gone through our own version of this 25+ years ago and know how intimidating and vulnerable it can feel, hence why we are doing everything we can to support Artem, Lena, and Leon in starting a new life in California.

We will keep you updated on their journey!

Much love,

Polina and Dasha

PS: Their new life in the US truly could NOT have been possible without Polina (and Tavi!)