Two moments, one more romantic and the other solemn, of the wedding in Trani between the Ukrainian Svetlana and the Apulian, from Vieste, Antonio. The city of Trani, two years ago, welcomed the woman fleeing from the war, before she moved to the Gargano center, where she found her love. However, they wanted to celebrate the wedding in Trani, as a sign of gratitude.
She fled the war in Ukraine immediately after the Russian invasion of Kiev, in February 2022, and arrived in Puglia where she met Antonio, 53 years old from Vieste, who will now become her husband. It is the story of Svetlana Furman, 49 years old, who everyone calls Lana.
Their dream of love is crowned in Trani.
«I’m not nostalgic for my Kiev even though I was fine when I lived there. Now, however, Vieste is my paradise”, says Lana.
«We got married in Trani, because we were both close to it: I served in the military there, during which I met people who are still part of my life. For Lana, however, it represents her first landing away from the bombs”, explains Antonio, adding that he “immediately fell in love with her, with her way of acting and with her mother’s heart”.
Lana, who was an English teacher in Ukraine, has two children: Katia and Anton. “They live in Canada, they searched for and found a better tomorrow there,” she says. Then, her tone cracks: “We escaped from Kiev immediately after the Russians arrived, the journey to Italy lasted four days.”
Lana’s life in Kiev «was made up of work, walks and theatre: she loves dance and went to the Bolshoi in Moscow, her father’s hometown. Unfortunately there isn’t a theater in Vieste and that’s the only thing I regret not being able to give you”, highlights Antonio.
Today the wedding was officiated, according to the civil ceremony, by the general secretary of the municipality of Vieste, Sofia Ruggieri, while the witnesses were two dear friends of theirs.
Their meeting was casual. «I was looking for a carer for my father – says Antonio – and I put an advert on social media. She replied to me through one of her friends who, however, stood me up. And it was she who helped me find the person who still looks after dad today. We started talking and with each message the desire to look for us grew. Until we saw each other for the first time and something happened.”
Since March 15th of two years, the date “of our first kiss”, they report in unison, they have never left each other again. After the yes there will be no honeymoon, postponed to the autumn. «I am an auditor for quality certifications and I have commitments in the coming weeks. Then with the arrival of summer I will start working as a chef in a resort again. In October I will plan a motorbike tour in Greece and Albania”, continues Antonio. «In the next summer months I will work in a campsite – adds Lana – so I will be able to use my knowledge of English with tourists».
The hope is that «our union will last over time and that peace will come to Ukraine as soon as possible. In the meantime I will be close to her as I always have, trying to make her happy”, concludes Antonio.
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