‘To me personally, she’s the world’: A woman’s getting away from Russia to Canada for love

Since the city of Halifax celebrates Pride, just over about ten years ago Elena Ivanova ended up being doing certainly not. Dating a guy, even though she liked ladies, and residing a life she felt wasn’t her very own. It took a voice that is canadian her to make a journey over the ocean to “freedom. ”

Ivanova was created in Ivanovo, nearly 300 kilometers northeast of Moscow. Known as soon as because the “City of Brides” due to its then textile that is large-scale, the company has since diminished following the autumn for the USSR. Ivanova went along to school when you look at the town to master architecture and began working at a huge architectural and design solutions company alongside her mother during the chronilogical age of 24.

Though it had been years before Russia’s ban on homosexual “propaganda”, Ivanova stated her dating a female had been one thing she nevertheless couldn’t pursue mainly because of family members pressure.

“It absolutely works, i am talking about I happened to be willing to destroy my entire life to complete whatever my relatives desired us doing only to satisfy them, ” she stated in an interview with Global News.

During the time her mom along with other household members had been asking her why she wasn’t dating and expected her to alternatively turn into a “housewife, ” she said.

Her mother pressed her into using heels and dresses and changing whom she had been. She stated at one point her mother noticed a person, known as Dima, whom came be effective and told Ivanova she should start dating him before an other woman did.

She did for eight months, nonetheless it had been “the worst time within my life I would personally say. ”

For this time, Ivanova began chatting with a lady known as Meg rock from Canada on an on-line site that is dating. She states they weren’t on there in search of times, rock wished to discover Russian while Ivanova ended up being wanting a getaway from her life.

Fulfilling Stone, she stated, had been an opportunity on her to be by herself and she, in turn, discovered more info on the girl who she says was “so big. ”

Elena Ivanova, left, satisfies Meg at Boryspil airport Elena Ivanova

And Ivanova discovered rock, now simply over 50, passed her energy onto her prompting her to travel to Ukraine and fulfill her Canadian friend at Boryspil Airport in Kyiv, the main city city.

If they came across, she states that is whenever she believes her life began.

“I think very nearly i could count my life that is real from point on. Before like I became asleep. So it almost seems”

Nevertheless the begin of her life that is new states, nearly ended the moment it started. After fulfilling rock, she allow her mom know there is a page in her own desk explaining her relationship with rock, being released to her parents for the reason that note, plus it prompted her mother, her buddies and her boyfriend to phone her many times urging her to come back. She didn’t.

WATCH: From intimidation and arrests to death threats, Jeff Semple is with in Moscow to check out just what homosexual activists face and describes what sort of charity that is canadian helping.

Her escape to Canada, nevertheless, stumbled on an understanding after an encounter along with her household in Kyiv. Her mom had talked with Ivanova, telling her she was coming to meet up with rock in Kyiv exactly what ended up being said to be a gathering changed into both her moms and dads hoping to get her to return to Russia.

“The concept was to kidnap me personally and drag me personally back to Ivanovo, ” Ivanova said.

The now 38-year-old told rock to come back to their apartment in an attempt “to conserve her” as she ended up being delivered to a McDonald’s.

“They barricaded me aided by the tables, they might perhaps not permit me to get anywhere, ” she explained.

She then phoned rock and explained what occurred, leading rock to reach in the restaurant and after “fighting” the four of those were removed from the restaurant by protection and delivered to the authorities section. Following questioning by authorities, Ivanova said police released them and Ivanova was not forced to get back along with her moms and dads to Russia though she is said by her moms and dads left Ukraine together with her passport.

The pair knew they had a need to arrive at Canada, but with out a passport, visited the consulate that is canadian Kyiv. She said the consul wanted to assist but could only provide a place that is safe. They informed her she could request security if on Canadian soil, but to obtain here she would want her passport to get a visa.

Through efforts of the buddy in Russia, Ivanova surely could regain her passport plus the few left for Turkey hoping of purchasing a watercraft and making their method throughout the ocean. In their stay that is two-month in nation, she discovered to sail so they really both might make their method over the seas.

“Otherwise we’d hugely be endangering our everyday everyday lives, ” she stated.

Elena Ivanova, appropriate, learns how exactly to sail from an teacher. Elena Ivanova

Ivanova and rock purchased a 14-metre yacht, and lay out in the water in June 2006.

The journey had not been effortless, they trekked over the mediterranean and beyond, made their method via a hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean, journeyed to the Pacific through the Caribbean Sea and Panama Canal, before visiting land in Victoria in April 2007.

The Atlantic Ocean after a hurricane while Elena Ivanova and Meg are cruising the waters. Elena Ivanova

Ever since then, the set have used their ship to visit the seas. Stone’s home must be offered because of the price of the day at Canada from Turkey, and she presently works being a programmer. Ivanova states she attempted to find act as a designer but had been struggling to achieve this, and alternatively composed a written book in Russian to share with the storyline of these journey called “Talking towards the Moon”, and hopes their tale can help others, specially females.

“I would like to empower females to simply simply take their lives back. I’d like them become pleased, undoubtedly happy, I would like them to smile, to complete crazy things, become strong, ” she stated.

The few found Halifax this last weekend and went to Halifax Pride, which she stated they really come upon by accident on observing Pride flags and had been told by many people that the occasions had been place that is taking.

Elena Ivanova and Meg in Halifax in July 2017. Elena Ivanova

Expected how she seems since going to Canada, Ivanova stated she’s happy.

“I’m completely various person at this time. I’m happy. Personally I think great. Personally I think liberated in a lot of methods that I can’t count all of them. There isn’t any back in my situation. We have become finally https://brightbrides.net/review/waplog where i usually wished to be. ”

‘To me personally, she’s the world’: A woman’s getting away from Russia to Canada for love

Though it had been years before Russia’s ban on homosexual “propaganda”, Ivanova stated her dating a female had been one thing she nevertheless couldn’t pursue mainly because of family members pressure.

If they came across, she states that is whenever she believes her life began.

The now 38-year-old told rock to come back to their apartment in an attempt “to conserve her” as she ended up being delivered to a McDonald’s.

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