Hoosier with family in Ukraine holds memories close amid conflict abroad

INDIANAPOLIS — Though she was born in Ukraine, Anya Aslanova has built a successful life here in the Hoosier state.

Aslanova was raised in Kyiv and moved to the U.S. in 1996 and serves as the president of Arts for Learning, a local arts organization. She's been in the position for six months.

By all measures, she's doing well for herself.

But right now, her mind is on her family back home in Ukraine.

“I’m safe, I have a roof over my head I have food on the table. I know I have future tomorrow, I know I have tomorrow. They don’t,” Aslanova said.

Aslanova's family is still in Ukraine amid an ongoing conflict prompted by Russia's invasion of the country last week.

Anya said she talks to her family every moment she can as their situation changes by the minute.

“Terror. That's what I’ve been hearing. It needs to stop. It all needs to stop,” Aslanova said.

And with each passing day, Anya’s family continues to show their strength in uncertain times.

“There is a sense of survivor's guilt, I won't deny it — the fact that I am here and my friends and my family who could very well be here and they are not and they are in danger instead,” Aslanova said.

Aslanova said she ultimately just wants peace for her country.

“The overarching message is peace in Ukraine, its freedom in Ukraine, these people lived peacefully, they were free they were happy, they were building their county and they were hopeful,” Aslanova said.