Russian and Ukrainian married in Tijuana to cross the US border together

Russian Semyon Dobrovsky and his fiancee Daria Sakhnyuk from Ukraine planned to marry in April surrounded by family and friends in Kyiv, but the war ruined their wedding plans, reports borderreport.

Photo: Shutterstock

When the war broke out, the couple fled the advancing Russian forces and ended up in Tijuana, Mexico, with the goal of crossing the California border and heading to New York to join friends.

As a Ukrainian citizen, Sakhniuk had more options to cross the border into the US if she wanted to, but she refused to go without Dobrovsky, who is Russian.

Russian citizens such as Dobrovsky face a more difficult legal migration route north of the border.

“We Russians are persona non grata,” he said. “Some airlines don’t even sell tickets to Russians.”

Their lawyer suggested an alternative: get married in Tijuana.

Having a marriage certificate in hand, it will be easier for a couple to get into the USA as a “family unit”.

After three and a half years of courtship, Dobrovsky and Sahniuk tied the knot at Tijuana City Hall, surrounded by their lawyer and staff who made the ceremony possible.

“We are very happy because of the help that people gave us to make this all happen, we are full of joy,” Dobrovsky said. “I’m so grateful to the Mexicans for what they’ve done for us, we’re very excited about it.”

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Sahniuk, wearing a white sweater and white jacket, brought a simple bouquet of flowers to the ceremony.

The couple stood hand in hand in front of the table as the Tijuana city government conducted the civil process with the help of an interpreter.

After an exchange of vows and rings, they were declared husband and wife.

“We already considered ourselves a family, but we wanted to be a legitimate family in the eyes of other countries,” Sakhnyuk said in Ukrainian. “We knew we were going to get married, the only thing that changed was the location.”

Her family at home was able to attend and watch the ceremony live via mobile phone.

“We never expected war, none of us expected it, and so we are lucky and grateful to be here at this moment with the people who are joining us right now,” Dobrovsky said.

Dobrovsky said he and his fiancée plan to cross the border by the end of this week. And along with their marriage certificate, they'll use photos and videos from social media to prove they've known each other for years.

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“It will show that we had a relationship, and this marriage is not just arranged,” he said.

Dobrovsky, 29, is an audiologist working in the hearing aid industry. Sakhniuk, 27, worked as an administrator in a dental office in Kyiv.

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