In Bulgaria’s ‘Little Moscow’, Russians help Ukrainian refugees

In a small coastal city, Russian migrants open their houses and companies to offer shelter and assist to Ukrainians fleeing battle.

Elena and Mihail Stepanov, Russian nationals dwelling in Bulgaria, are serving to Ukrainian refugees register themselves on the Bulgarian police station. [Antoaneta Roussi/Al Jazeera]

Pomorie, Bulgaria – Within the foyer of the Sunny Bay lodge in Pomorie, a coastal city in southeastern Bulgaria, dozens of passports belonging to Ukrainian nationals are strewn throughout a desk.

A number of refugees are housed right here, having fled the battle with Russia, and at the moment are heading to the police station – with their passports – to get registered, as per Bulgarian legislation.

Mihail Stepanov, a tall man whose sun shades relaxation on his head, leads a small staff of volunteers who will assist the newcomers.

Stepanov, 58, and his spouse Elena are each Russian nationals and have lived in Bulgaria since 2019.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, they've helped register 650 households, roughly 2,400 folks, and proceed to volunteer their time.

“It's actually painful for me to see what is occurring in Ukraine,” stated Stepanov. “I hope that the battle ends quickly, however within the meantime, all we will do is to assist in any means we will.”

Pomorie, in any other case referred to as “Little Moscow”, is residence to about 15,000 folks and has lengthy been a well-liked vacation vacation spot for Russian vacationers. An estimated 70 p.c of the lodges and vacation flats listed here are owned by Russian residents.

Two Ukrainian boys play with a ball on the seashore in Pomorie [Antoaneta Roussi/Al Jazeera]

Upon listening to Ukrainians have been heading to the picturesque resort, Russians just like the Stepanovs – who left Russia after the 2014 annexation of Crimea – made it their mission to assist, by providing lodging, donating garments, and organising a humanitarian centre.

At first, some Ukrainians have been hesitant to belief them, stated Elena, as they felt uncomfortable coping with Russians.

“However after a while, they noticed that we have been doing all the things out of affection.”

Gaya Torosyan, 60, a Russian nationwide who has lived in Bulgaria since 2013, organised for six households to remain in Russian-owned flats that she manages whereas the house owners are away.

When the invasion started, she cried. She’s been following the information daily since.

“Once I first meet them [Ukrainian refugees], I apologise for what is occurring of their nation by the hands of my authorities,” Torosyan stated. “I inform them that I wouldn’t be offended in the event that they select to spit in my face.”

The Sunny Bay lodge in Bulgaria’s Pomorie, the place a bunch of Ukrainian refugees are staying [Antoaneta Roussi/Al Jazeera]

Three clocks displaying the occasions in Moscow, Sofia and New York dangle on the wall within the lodge foyer – an correct illustration of Bulgaria’s delicate place between east and west.

The previous communist nation is the European Union’s poorest member, and whereas it joined NATO in 2004, it has shut cultural and financial ties with Russia – from the place it will get greater than 95 p.c of its fuel wants.

However because the battle started, Russia’s relationship with the EU has neared complete collapse, and Moscow has repeatedly threatened to halt fuel provides to Europe.

On Wednesday, Gazprom, Russia’s state-owned vitality large, minimize deliveries to Bulgaria and Poland – which some observers stated was a warning shot to the remainder of the bloc’s members.

Every week earlier, Ukraine’s international minister, Dmytro Kuleba, travelled to Bulgaria for a two-day go to. Whereas he thanked Bulgaria for internet hosting refugees, he lamented Sofia’s relative reticence in sending weapons, saying a failure to ship arms was a means of supporting “Russian aggression”.

Bulgaria’s parliament had failed to come back to a conclusion earlier than his go to, with the shaky political coalition of 4 events being examined simply months into its management.

Socialists threatened to interrupt with the federal government if Bulgaria despatched weapons to Ukraine, whereas the democrats warned of comparable penalties if the nation didn't.

Svetlana Gololobova together with her seven-year-old son, initially from Borodyanka, Ukraine, on the canteen of the Sunny Bay lodge [Antoaneta Roussi/Al Jazeera]

Svetlana Gololobova, 42, arrived in Bulgaria from Borodyanka – a devastated city close to the capital Kyiv – on April 19 with two of her three kids, aged 10 and 7.

Her 20-year-old son and husband couldn't be part of them, given Ukraine’s ban on males of combating age leaving the nation.

After dwelling below Russian occupation for 36 days, Gololobova says she got here to Bulgaria in quest of peace and quiet. She had by no means stepped foot within the nation, however earlier than leaving her residence, she had a dream of a transparent sea, sandy seashore and glass home – which she believes was a premonition of the Sunny Bay lodge.

“Lastly, I really feel a bit calm,” she stated. “I'm able to take into consideration the long run, about my eldest son’s marriage ceremony and the top of this battle.”

Gololobova, like others at Sunny Bay, is grateful for the Russians in Pomorie who've prolonged a serving to hand, performing as translators between them and Bulgarians.

“I'm not shocked by their assist,” she stated. “We're all people, we've each good and dangerous traits. It's not proper to affiliate folks with their authorities.”

However not everybody in Pomorie has supported the charity of the Russians.

Konstantin Uteshev, a retired Russian army engineer who has lived in Bulgaria since 2016, provided a number of flats to Ukrainians on the coast in March, solely to have his automobile vandalised with yellow and blue paint – the colors of the Ukrainian flag.

The perpetrators are but unknown, however Uteshev informed native media that he didn't consider the assault was carried out by Ukrainians.

With a couple of month to go till the vacation season begins, some lodge house owners have stated that they won't be able to proceed housing Ukrainians, given they've pre-booked vacationer reservations.

Gololobova desires to return to Ukraine when the battle is over. But when that doesn’t occur by the top of Could, she has no thought the place she and her kids will go.

In the meantime, Torosyan and the Stepanovs haven't any plans to return to Russia anytime quickly.

“I'll by no means return so long as this authorities stays,” stated Torosyan.

The group not too long ago celebrated Orthodox Easter on the Sunny Bay lodge, with the visitors and the Bulgarian lodge administration baking a standard easter cake together with painted easter eggs.

“I hope that Ukraine will likely be free and that each one the individuals who’ve fled will have the ability to return to their houses,” stated Elena Stepanova. “However till then, we will try to make it really feel a bit of bit like residence for them.”