A Home Away From Home (2022)
Known by locals as “Little Ukraine”, nestled between patches of tropical forest, rivers and farmland, the small town of Prudentópolis in the southern Brazilian state of Paraná is home to the largest population of Ukrainian descendants in the country, where over 70% of residents are of Ukrainian descent and Ukrainian is the town’s second official language. The arrival of Ukrainian immigrants to Prudentópolis dates back to the town’s founding at the end of the 19th century, when Brazil sought to attract European immigrants through publicity campaigns to settle in and develop the countryside. Many families continue to work in farming and preserve strong cultural, religious and linguistic ties to their ancestral homeland, although most have never set foot in Ukraine. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the residents of Prudentópolis have closely and nervously followed news of the war. The town was one of the first in Brazil to welcome families fleeing the war, most of whom left behind all of their belongings as well as family members to seek refuge 7,000 miles away for an undetermined amount of time. This story chronicles the arrival of these first refugee families to Brazil's "Little Ukraine" and life in the small town of Ukrainian descendants.
Assignment for The Wall Street Journal: “Ukrainian Enclave in Brazil Offers Warm Welcome to War Refugees”.
