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

Once the town of Halifax celebrates Pride, simply over a decade ago Elena Ivanova ended up being doing certainly not. Dating a person, also she felt wasn’t her own though she liked women, and living a life. It took A canadian vocals for her to make a journey over the ocean to “freedom. ”

Ivanova was created in Ivanovo, nearly 300 kilometers northeast of Moscow. Understood as soon as since the “City of Brides” because of its then large-scale textile industry, the company has since diminished following the autumn regarding the USSR. Ivanova went along to college within the city to master architecture and began working at a large architectural and design solutions firm alongside her mom at the chronilogical age of 24.

Her dating a woman was something she still couldn’t pursue primarily due to family pressure though it was years before Russia’s ban on gay “propaganda”, Ivanova said.

“It absolutely works, i am talking about I happened to be prepared to ruin my entire life to complete whatever my family relations desired me personally to complete only to satisfy them, ” she stated in an meeting with worldwide News.

During the right time her mom as well as other relatives had been asking her why she wasn’t dating and expected her to alternatively become a “housewife, ” she said.

Her mother pressed her into wearing heels and dresses and changing whom she ended up being. She stated at one point her mother noticed a guy, known as Dima, whom arrived to get results and told Ivanova she should begin dating him before an other woman did.

She did for eight months, however it had been “the worst time within my life i might state. ”

For this time, Ivanova began chatting with a female called Meg rock from Canada on an internet dating site. She says they weren’t on the website in search of times, Stone wished to learn Russian while Ivanova ended up being wanting a getaway from her life.

Fulfilling rock, she stated, was the possibility in turn, learned more info on the girl who she says was “so big. On her become by herself and she”

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

And Ivanova found rock, now simply over 50, passed her power onto her prompting her to travel to Ukraine and fulfill her Canadian friend at Boryspil Airport in Kyiv, the main http://brightbrides.net/review/amor-en-linea town city.

She says that’s when she thinks her life began when they met.

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

However the beginning of her life that is new claims, nearly ended the moment it started. After fulfilling Stone, she allow her mom know there is a letter in her desk explaining her relationship with rock, being released to her moms and dads for the reason that note, plus it prompted her mom, her buddies and her boyfriend to call her times that are numerous her to come back. She didn’t.

VIEW: From intimidation and arrests to death threats, Jeff Semple is with in Moscow to consider just exactly what gay activists face and explains what sort of charity that is canadian assisting.

Her escape to Canada, nonetheless, stumbled on a understanding after an encounter along with her household in Kyiv. Her mother had talked with Ivanova, telling her she ended up being coming to satisfy rock in Kyiv but just what had been allowed to be a conference converted into both her moms and dads hoping to get her to return to Russia.

“The concept would be to kidnap me personally and drag me straight back to Ivanovo, ” Ivanova stated.

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

“They barricaded me because of the tables, they’d perhaps perhaps not permit me to go anywhere, ” she explained.

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

The set recognized they needed seriously to arrive at Canada, but with no passport, visited the Canadian consulate in Kyiv. She said the consul wanted to help but could just provide a safe spot. They informed her she could require protection if on Canadian soil, but to obtain there she would want her passport in order to get a visa.

Through efforts of the close buddy in Russia, Ivanova surely could regain her passport additionally the few left for Turkey in hopes of purchasing a ship and making their method over the ocean. Throughout their two-month remain in the country, she discovered to sail so they really both might make their method throughout the seas.

“Otherwise we might hugely be endangering our lives, ” she stated.

Elena Ivanova, appropriate, learns just how to sail from an trainer. Elena Ivanova

Ivanova and Stone purchased a yacht that is 14-metre and lay out regarding the water in June 2006.

The journey had not been effortless, they trekked throughout the mediterranean and beyond, made their means through a hurricane into the Atlantic Ocean, journeyed in to the Pacific through the Caribbean Sea and Panama Canal, before arriving at land in Victoria in April 2007.

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

Ever since then, the set are making use of their motorboat to visit the seas. Stone’s house must be offered as a result of price of the visit to Canada from Turkey, and she presently works being a programmer. Ivanova claims she attempted to find work as an architect but had been not able to do this, and instead composed book in Russian to inform the storyline of these journey called “Talking towards the Moon”, and hopes their tale helps others, particularly ladies.

“I want to enable women to simply take their lives back. I’d like them become delighted, certainly pleased, I would like them to smile, to accomplish crazy things, become strong, ” she stated.

The few stumbled on 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 through many people that the occasions had been place that is taking.

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

Expected exactly exactly 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. I’m liberated in countless methods them all that I can’t count. There’s no relative straight back in my situation. I’ve become finally where i usually wished to be. ”