Cherthala: The bride looked pretty in an intricately embroidered traditional Ukrainian attire, vyshyvanka. The feast was without the classic flavour of red borscht soup, an indispensable feature of Ukrainian weddings. The cuisine was not even remotely European, for the groom was a Keralite.

Alappuzha was the fitting backdrop to the wedding of Vinayak (33) from Cherthala, and Ukraine's Kyiv native Yuliia Klishch (28), both employed as teachers. Their love story had endured the uncertainties of a pandemic and a war.

The couple first met in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic through an English-teaching platform. Their friendship soon blossomed into a relationship, and eight months later, Vinayak travelled to Ukraine on a student visa to meet Yuliia. Soon after, the Russia–Ukraine war erupted, drastically altering their lives.
“During that period, we had the option to move to Europe. But as an Indian, I didn’t feel it was the right choice then. So our plan was to shift Yuliia’s family to Poland, and then I would return to India,” Vinayak told Onmanorama.

Before moving, Vinayak stayed with Yuliia’s family in their country house near Cherkasy for close to 12 days. The long-unused house became their refuge. “We heard blasts and sometimes saw flashes of light. Food was rationed, but locals helped each other. Those with hens shared eggs, those with cows shared cheese. People survived through solidarity. I also helped by chopping wood and doing chores,” he recalled.

Security was tight. Every village border was guarded either by soldiers or armed citizens. “It was unsafe for me to move alone, so Yuliia or her sister always accompanied me,” he said. The situation worsened after reports that the Russian army had attacked the Chyhyryn Nuclear Power Plant near Cherkasy. “That was when we decided to leave immediately,” Vinayak said.

As men were barred from leaving Ukraine, Yuliia’s father asked Vinayak to take his wife and daughters to safety. Vinayak managed to transport them to Poland in a goods train to Lviv, from where he took a taxi to Romania. Bidding farewell was emotional, as he had formed a deep bond with Yuliia’s family. “My mother and sister were in tears when they had to say goodbye to him,” Yuliia recalled.

Vinayak handed almost all his money to the taxi driver and then requested him to just $20 for his survival. At the Romanian border in Milișăuți, after waiting eight hours in heavy snowfall, he finally crossed into safety. “I saw the Indian flag at the refugee camp and felt immense relief. The next day, I boarded a chartered flight back to India,” he said.

Meanwhile, Yuliia and her family relocated to Germany under a social security protection scheme. Refugees were required to either study and secure employment while learning German language, history, and geography or live independently. Yuliia enrolled in a course, completed it successfully, and soon secured a job as a teacher.

The couple initially planned to get married in Georgia, but visa rejections forced them to change their plans. They eventually tied the knot on August 18 at the Kalavamkodam Shaktheeswara Temple in Cherthala, following Hindu rituals. “I thought the rituals would take too long and be boring, but it was not so. It was beautiful,” said Yuliia. The following day, the couple celebrated with a Ukrainian-style reception as well.

This was Yuliia’s second visit to Kerala. Despite struggling with the climate, she finds life here warm and welcoming. “I love the mixture of rain and sunshine. I feel very comfortable here,” she said. A fan of porotta and biryani, Yuliia admitted she missed mangoes during this trip.

The couple previously visited Munnar’s tea plantations and the Madurai Meenakshi Temple. Yuliia has also picked up some Malayalam words and can follow conversations when English words are used in between.

Vinayak, who has been working in Uzbekistan for the past three years, is preparing to travel back in the coming days. Yuliia returned to Germany on August 23. His father, Krishna Moorthy, is a retired Malayalam professor from SN College, Cherthala, while his mother, Biyas, is a schoolteacher.

He also has two siblings. Despite the challenges of different cultures, languages, and surviving a war, the couple remained united. “We always understand each other without words. Love is a language on its own,” Yuliia said.