The Niahu family was one of the three families that FUS members initially sponsored under the Uniting for Ukraine humanitarian parole (HP) program established by the Biden administration. The families arrived at Minneapolis in July and August 2023 following a qualification and matching process. We had created separate teams to support each family.
The Niahu family, at arrival, consisted of parents Vlas & Kristina and their seven-year-old son Nikon. The team supported them included Bob Aderhold, John & Mary Ann Lundquist, Barb Lutz, Becca Brackett, Sue Tincher, Bob Johndrow, Adele Hansen, Andre Guirard, and Sandra & Neal Gunderson. Barb Lutz provided the family with the basement apartment in her home during the first two months of their stay.
The Niahus were living in Bucha, a city to the northwest of Kiev, in February 2022, at the time of the Russian invasion, right in the path of the armored Russian invasion force that had been staged in neighboring Belarus. Bucha saw tremendous devastation and atrocities during the repulsed siege of Kiev. During the conflict, the family fled south to Odesa, on the Black Sea, where they remained until they were able to leave for the U.S.
Vlas, Kristina and Nikon adapted very quickly to life in the U.S. and are thriving. They added another member to the family when Melissa was born in November 2024. Vlas had a car repair business in Ukraine, focused on purchasing, rehabilitating and reselling vehicles that had been in accidents. And, after working briefly for an Amazon contractor, established a similar business in the twin cities with another Ukrainian as partner and has leased space to conduct his business.
The family lives in an apartment in Uptown and Nikon goes to Kenwood elementary school. Kristina helps with the family business, taking care of many of the legal and administrative issues of running it. Happily, the family was able to get approved to have their humanitarian parole extended for another two before the Biden administration left office and will be good into the second half of next year.