Andriy Sabanskyy, a Russian speaking Ukrainian immigrant, wanted to get out of Ukraine in hopes for a better future for himself and his kids because of the poor living and economic conditions there after the Soviet Union collapsed and Ukraine became its separate country. His wife was lucky enough to win a greencard lottery to America and they and their kids moved to America. Although it was tough living in here at first because of the language barrier, Sabanskyy received a lot of help from the people around him and is now living happily in Brooklyn.
Poor Ukrainian Life
“First of all, I start thinking not coming to America. I start thinking go from Ukraine. Because it was poor life. I remember, before 1991, 1989, 1990, we don’t have toilet paper. We cannot buy. It wasn’t in store. When I was kid, when I was 10 years old, 11 years old, it was like no jeans. It was big problem, because they didn’t in Soviet Union. If somebody bring it, it was a lot money. For my father, it cost like his salary for two months just for a pair of jeans. For this money, a family can live for two months, pay all their expenses. From memory, when we never have enough money, we can not spend enough. I just remember when I was teenager, I have two or three pair of shoes, that’s it. For my daughter, when she was 15 years, she has like 15, 20, maybe 30. When I was kid, we don’t have it. My parents, they bought first car, they borrowed money. My grandma paid some money. The amount they worked was three years. A car cost ₴7,300 and one salary was ₴100 a month. It wasn’t good, but in Soviet Union, we have three apartments. Three, but you need to work in manufacturing, big factory, for 10, 15, maybe 20 years.”
Childhood Dreams into Reality
“First of all, I was born in Soviet Union. A bit different because it was what it was called Cold War time. And the United States, it was like, big enemy for Soviet Union. And in my childhood, it was like every kids in my country. I think it was my big dream and stay my dream to be astronaut… I want to be pilot… and after school, I try to go to flight school, but I didn’t pass region test. And after this, I go to serve in army. Because it was like everybody have to go at least two years. And from army, I already go to military school and I graduate military school and I was officer. My ranking was second lieutenant and I graduated from military school in 1991 and Soviet Union collapsing at the same time. I just graduate with like one month later Soviet Union collapsing.”
Why He Decided to Come and Settling in Brooklyn
After the Soviet Union collapsed, “Ukraine start to persist to become independent country. Life changed to worse for everybody because it was poor life. And I cannot make big money, enough money. It’s the same like right now. People in Ukraine not rich. I mean, not everybody, like couple percent of people, they make enough money. When you come to United States, of course it’s like couple first years, like four, five, it was so hard time. ‘Cause we don’t know anything, we start to learn it to find out… Step by step, I found everything, and especially in Brooklyn, everybody is immigrant and everybody see I’m immigrant, I’m Russian speaking because I have accent. Because everybody immigrant, it’s easy to live in, especially in New York.
And the reason why we move here is for better life for me and for my kids because now all of my kids, they done with college, they all have Bachelor’s degree. My daughter and my son both are engineer. They make the good money, that’s it.”
Learning English
“I tried to learn English before I coming here, but it was like two, three months. It was not good experience. I learn English in Long Island University, I think, for one year, maybe a little more and the first time it was too hard for me. I start to listen and I don’t understand what people would say. It was like one half year later and I start to speak little later. It wasn’t easy but it wasn’t so hard and probably it wasn’t so hard ‘cause I was in Brooklyn. I living in Brooklyn, it was a lot Russian speaking people, not big problem to communicate with people.”
Jobs and Interests
“When we coming to this country, we have 2200, 2300 dollars and that’s it. We started to work and three months later, three kids coming to us. I didn’t have time to learn something. I have to work, support my family, and now it will be almost eleven years. Nine more years and we have pension for the service. I don’t see any reason to leave it because you’ll never know what happen with you. And if I keep this job, it will be better for me if I have pension. It’s not my job, like dream. If I have money enough, I don’t need to think about everything, probably will go to college and study computer science. Networking. For me, it’s interesting, especially networking protocol. It’s like internet working, how data go one place from another place, for me, it’s interesting. If I have a lot of money, I will do it. If not, I’m lucky with my job too.
A Positive Outlook about Life in America
“In my life, most people just help me out [with] everything. It the same, I’m doing. If I can help somebody, not a problem. It’s not easy to live in United States, but if try to find out something, a lot of people just help you to find out what you want. What’s important to give better life to my kids. Because in Ukraine, I cannot give for them good education, nothing good future. Not just for my kids, for me too. I change my life too.
I think about three years ago, before I just was thinking I’m Ukrainian. But now, I understand, I cannot say that I’m American, but if it will be necessary, I will be defend America. Why? Because my kids and my grandkids will believe in this country. It’s main reason why. I’m not American, but if something happen, I will defend America because it will be for my future. For my kids and my grandkids, because they will live just in America.”
