FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — Dozens of members of the Ukrainian Pentecostal Church of Jessamine County gathered outside the state Capitol in Frankfort Thursday night to pray for the people of Ukraine, as Russia continues its onslaught of the country.
"It's a whole bunch of innocent people," said Maryan Shmigelskiy, 21, who has family in Ukraine. "It's not their fault. We're just trying to put the puzzles together and figure out what happened and why did it happen."
Like Shmigelskiy, many other people at the vigil were asking themselves the same questions.
"My heart is melting," said Larisa Shramovich, a member of the church.
Shramovich and her husband, Ruslan, were born in Ukraine and still have a lot of family and friends there.
"They worry," said Ruslan. "They're stressing out and praying for the best. And just waiting."
While some Ukrainians wait, many others have already fled their homes. The United Nations estimates that more than 10 million people have been uprooted by the fighting in Ukraine.
Larisa and Ruslan Shramovich said they are getting their home ready to host refugees.
"We keep telling our kids, 'Just value what you have right now.'" Larisa said. "'Let's be thankful to God that we have peace right now because everything can change in a moment.'"
At one point during the vigil, a pastor from Nicholasville said he is very fond of the Ukrainian community in his town.
"If many of those refugees make it to America," said Pastor David Kibler. "I hope they come to Nicholasville."
