Two years after start of war, Ukrainian evacuee’s portrait series tells stories of other immigrants in Montreal

Two years since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Tetyana Kaganska, a Ukrainian that fled the war and came to Montreal in 2022, has now established herself in her new home and is helping tell the stories of other immigrants through a portrait series.

“If two years ago, somebody told me I would live here and I would do what I do now, I’d be very surprised,” she said.

The Native Immigrant Art Gallery in NDG is adorned with 22 pictures of the hands of people from different backgrounds.

Kaganska said the project was interesting to be a part of, as Montreal is a multicultural city.

“We are very different all of us, we have something in common, we have a unique story,” she said.

The photo exhibit is spearheaded by I’mmigrant, an NGO that helps newcomers.

“Each pair of hands is holding something that is precious to that person, either the object that they have brought from their country, or the object that is passing generation to generation to them,” said Tetyana Tsomko, the president of I’mmigrant.

In the exhibit, there is a portrait of Tsomko’s hands, holding a heart-shaped clay pin of the Ukrainian flag.

“It was important to present many countries and of course Ukraine because we are Ukrainian,” said Kaganska.

“I was wearing this pin since the war started, just to show people my support for Ukraine and my identity,” she Tsomko, who came to Quebec from Ukraine in 2010.

“I actually offered this project to Tetyana because I know it would bring some cheer into her life,” said Teyana.

Kaganska says she still worries about her friends and family that stayed in Ukraine.

“I left Ukraine one week before the war started because I was very worried and we moved to Turkey first,” she said

Kaganska and her daughter left loved ones behind in Zhytomyr, west of Kyiv, and arrived in Montreal in May of 2022 through Canada’s emergency visa.

“Of course it was not easy, I had never been in North America, in this continent, it was not an easy decision for me but many Canadian people helped me,” she said.

“This is what we are supposed to do as a community as a society, to help those that are coming because they bring so much value,” said Tsomko.

Working as a pastry chef by day, while learning French and doing photography in her spare time, Kaganska doesn’t have plans to return to Ukraine.

She’s looking to get her permanent residency and hopes to eventually work as a photographer full time.

“I would like to integrate here and it’s a chance to start a new life here,” he said. “I didn’t plan this but life is so wonderful and different.”