Ukrainian family flees war, finds new home in Southeast Michigan
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - Maksym and Alla Kondratenko moved to the Ann Arbor area two years ago with their young son, Davyd, and their then-infant daughter, Daiana.
They came to the U.S. as refugees from Ukraine months after Russian forces invaded the country in 2022.
At the time the war started, Alla Kondratenko was entering her final month of pregnancy.
While sheltering from bombs in their building's basement in Kharkiv, she went into labor early. Maksym Kondratenko called the hospital, and officials urged him not to come, explaining that it was too dangerous. But he insisted. Alla Kondratenko was having a complication from her previous birth and was deteriorating quickly.
They eventually agreed and told him to drive there with no headlights to avoid becoming a target.
Once they arrived, Alla Kondratenko was immediately taken into surgery.
"It was explosions around, it was so close," said Alla Kondratenko. "And when I woke up, it was again explosions, and I thought that I died."
She and her infant daughter, Daiana, were taken to the basement of the hospital to recover.
"It's not a basement like you have in America," she said. "We were hiding in the basement without heat, just newborn children and women."
As other hospitals were bombed, Alla said the dark space became increasingly crowded. At the same time, the couple decided that Maksym would drive south to Izyum, where their son was staying with his parents.
"I didn't know what happened with our son," said Maksym Kondratenko. "It was really difficult."
He said he passed through dozens of checkpoints, some Ukrainian, some Russian. One person along the way gave him advice to avoid getting shot while driving in a war zone.
"(He said) just put both hands on the steering wheel because all around, they have snipers," he said. "My father was shocked that I did this because it's so dangerous."
Maksym Kondratenko said every checkpoint felt like an interrogation, and he pleaded to let them pass so he could take his young son home.
Eventually, he was able to retrieve Davyd and his mother, but his father decided to stay behind. Once reunited with Alla, they decided to stay with friends in a quieter region of the country.
Their brand new condo was no longer safe, having been the target of rocket attacks.
"(Davyd) asks about when we will go home," said Alla Kondratenko. "About our flat in Kharkiv. He exactly remembers that Daiana was never in our flat. By the way, we just bought our new flat. We only lived (there) three months, and the war started."
They moved away and tried to continue the successful handbag business, Kondra Bags, that they started. But as time passed, they realized leaving the country was their only option.
"It wasn't in our plan to move because we have everything in our life," said Alla Kondratenko. "We were successful in business, we liked what we did. We had plans, goals. Like, everything was good."
The couple said their then 3-year-old son cried every night, terrified by regular sirens and bombings. They said the first night they arrived in the US in Chicago, he finally slept soundly.
They then took a train to Ann Arbor, where they were welcomed with open arms.
"In Ann Arbor, we came out from the train, and it was a lot of people, it was volunteers. and they were very happy, and they hug us," said Alla Kondratenko. "People were so happy to see us; they drove us to this house. Everything was prepared. Beds for children. Some toys."
Jewish Family Services in Ann Arbor has been providing support for the family, including English as a second language classes.
They also have a local sponsor, who helps them with anything they need.
Alla Kondratenko said Davyd, now in kindergarten, still draws rockets every day at school, a trauma he continues to relive.
The kids speak fluent English, and the family, including Maksym Kondratenko's mother, is adapting to their new life.
They've relaunched their handbag business and are getting their bags into local retail shops. The bags are a reminder of the life they left behind, but bring hope as they forge a new path here in Michigan.
For more information, visit the business' website.