[ti:Love Grows Between Russian Man, Ukrainian Woman in Serbia]
[by:www.21voa.com]
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[00:00.04]Mariia Vyhivska is from Ukraine.
[00:03.40]Iurii Kurochkin is from Russia.
[00:06.92]Both are 23 years old.
[00:09.84]They fell in love while playing an online video game.
[00:15.20]Their relationship began before Russia invaded Ukraine last February.
[00:21.88]With their nations at war, the chances of them
[00:25.96]continuing their relationship were low.
[00:29.32]But the couple has beaten the odds.
[00:32.84]Vyhivska was living near Ukraine's capital Kyiv.
[00:37.64]Kurochkin was living in St. Petersburg in Russia.
[00:42.16]Although they lived far apart, the couple did not give up.
[00:47.88]"It wasn't hard," said Vyhivska, smiling.
[00:52.04]"I wasn't afraid, not at all. I am happy. Because I am loved."
[00:58.80]Kurochkin described how the couple
[01:01.28]started making plans to meet in person.
[01:04.44]"It was a year ago ... I started
[01:07.32]to organize my international passport,
[01:10.20]to visit Mariia in Ukraine," Kurochkin said.
[01:14.40]"I finished it in January, and as you know,
[01:18.76]the war started in February and it crashed all our plans."
[01:24.04]There seemed to be little hope of them meeting in person
[01:28.52]after Russia invaded Ukraine.
[01:31.24]Vyhivska and Kurochkin were at a loss.
[01:35.20]She moved to Czechia soon after the war started
[01:39.52]while he stayed at home in Russia.
[01:42.76]But still, they did not give up.
[01:45.28]They started considering
[01:47.64]"some options to live together," said Kurochkin.
[01:51.48]They decided to go to Serbia.
[01:55.00]The Slavic nation in the Balkans
[01:57.96]has remained friendly with Russia
[02:00.72]and Russians can enter without a visa.
[02:05.00]Serbia's capital Belgrade
[02:07.16]was where Vyhivska and Kurochkin met for the first time.
[02:13.16]"I arrived to Serbia on 27th of April
[02:17.52]and I waited for her for several days," Kurochkin said.
[02:22.16]"She arrived from the Czech Republic
[02:24.60]andwe met each other at the central bus station."
[02:28.32]He was all that she imagined, said Vyhivska.
[02:33.96]"There was this moment of unbelievable joy," she said.
[02:37.68]"I traveled for 16 hours and had no sleep, I couldn't sleep.
[02:42.96]So, I came out of the bus and I fell into his arms."
[02:49.16]Their new life together began immediately.
[02:52.16]They first stayed in a hotel for young people
[02:56.16]before finding a small apartment just outside Belgrade.
[03:00.40]They took up different jobs
[03:03.48]while studying online at a St. Petersburg university.
[03:09.12]Life together has not been without its problems, however.
[03:13.32]Last July, pro-Russian extremists in Serbia
[03:18.24]drew a huge Z sign — a symbol of Russia's invasion
[03:23.60]— on their building.
[03:25.60]Attackers broke into their home.
[03:28.60]They were also attacked by a violent mob, Kurochkin said.
[03:34.44]"We talk about the war sometimes but
[03:37.24]we don't have any problems between each other," said Kurochkin.
[03:42.08]For Vyhivska, the biggest concern has been how she will be seen
[03:47.20]by other Ukrainians because of her relationship.
[03:51.36]She notes that her own family has no objections to the relationship.
[03:58.16]"What happens next? We'll see," she said.
[04:01.56]"We don't know what happens tomorrow."
[04:04.12]Kurochkin said the couple
[04:06.68]will just take things as they come:
[04:09.44]"We are happy because we are together."
[04:13.52]I'm Ashley Thompson. 更多听力请访问21VOA.COM