PHILADELPHIA - A Ukrainian cathedral in Northern Liberties is offering sanctuary to two women who fled their war-torn homeland of Ukraine as the Russian invasion continues.
Alla Pukhtetska and Veronika Matviienko arrived at the Saint Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral Wednesday night after being picked up by Vice President and Choir Director Susan Guz, and Bishop Lukeat JFK Airport.
They will live in the rectory of the church and are likely to be joined by others as church member have raised $20,000 to help refugees.The women lived in Kiev and worked together in a cathedral there.
They told FOX 29's Jeff Cole that they feared they would be killed in the bombardment of the city."I was afraid not to have time to escape," Pukhtetska said. "I called Veronika I insisted that bombing-these are cruel technologies-they’re not deciding who will die."The pair left their homes in Kiev in early March and crossed into Poland the next day.