Zrowing in Lviv in western Ukraine, Les was never attracted to the capital city of Kiev. “It was too noisy and busy compared to where I’m from,” he says. But in 2016, while working as an artist, he decided to organize an exhibition there to gain more exposure. “I worked as a videographer to earn money and as an artist. I wanted to show off my collection of animal drawings.”
He joined a local social network to promote his exhibition. There he met Anna, who was based in Kiev. “I worked seven days a week, worked as an administrator during the week and worked in a beauty salon on the weekends,” she says. She was also busy looking after her five-year-old daughter. “I joined the site to find people to talk to because I didn’t have time to meet anyone.”
She was intrigued by Les’s photo on the site. “He was wearing this big black hat and he looked very creative. I told him I liked the hat and that started our conversation. They hit it off right away. “It’s like we’ve known each other all our lives. He’s so intelligent, but he always laughed at my jokes too.” They began exchanging small letters and gifts in the mail before arranging to meet six weeks later at a coffee shop near where Anna lived.
“It was very exciting and from the first moment I felt a sense of happiness,” says Les. “We talked about our work, our dreams and pretty much everything else.” Anna also brought her daughter Maria and was immediately smitten with Les. “He brought her items and she continues to draw all the time,” says Anna. “I really liked it. I’ve had bad experiences before, so it was hard for me to believe it was real and that I’d met someone so nice.”
Les says he knew from the moment they met that he wanted to build a life with Anna. “I loved her smile and the way she made me laugh,” he says. “I felt like she was right for me, like I had finally met my muse.” Two weeks later, he returned to Kiev and decided to stay.
The two shared a passion for travel, with Les hosting art exhibitions around the world. “We went to cities in the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Egypt and Poland,” says Anna. “When we’re at home, we also like to cook together.”
They married in 2019 and had a son, Leonardo, later that year. The two are also expecting a baby this summer.
In early 2022, they bought a home together in Kiev, but their newfound happiness was soon ruined by the war with Russia. “We tried to live normally, we played music to cover the sound of the bombs,” says Anna, “but soon we realized that we had to leave to go to a safer place.” They took their children to Lviv, before Anna to go to Poland with other family members. At the time, young men could not leave the country, so Les stayed behind to help with the war effort, raising money for the cause through his art sales.
Anna moved to Italy shortly after with the children, but found it impossible to be without her husband. “I felt that I could not breathe without him, so I returned to Kyiv with the children. I felt safer with him in Ukraine than alone in Europe,” she says. When Les was able to travel, they began visiting different parts of Europe and the US to raise money for Ukrainian children through art projects and auctions. They are now based in Vienna, but travel to Kyiv on business when needed. “We really miss our home and want to go back, but we can’t go with a newborn,” says Anna. “Sometimes you feel safe and other times you’re bombarded like crazy. One day we will get our family back though.
Despite the trauma, they are grateful to have each other. “She is the most precious person in the world to me,” he says. “She is the mother of our children and I respect her so much.
Anna appreciates the kindness of her partner. “I never heard a bad word from him about anyone. He is such a good guy. Many people wouldn’t be able to face so much stress together, but it brought us closer together. I couldn’t live without him.”
