Dashing through prickly spruce trees on his four-wheeler, Oleksii Butenko led his wife and seven children up a trail near Delta Junction in May. The older kids rode their own four-wheelers and dirt bikes, while the little ones held on behind.
At a clearing, they turned off their engines and walked up a hill overlooking the braided Tanana River. The kids explored as the parents sat among early spring flowers. The family visits this spot almost every week, for the views and solitude.
“We liked it here – we like the calm and quiet,” Oleksii said.
The family moved to Delta Junction from Cherkasy Oblast in Ukraine three years ago to escape the war. They came here to join family, but they say they’ve grown to love the very Alaskan lifestyle that Delta Junction offers.
“We were flying directly here, to join them,” Natali Butenko said in Russian. “Here we have freedom, and children can ride quadricycles and bikes. We like this place, and we feel comfortable living here.”
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, more than 700 Ukrainians have settled in Alaska, at least 120 of them in the Delta Junction area. Many of the newcomers, including the Butenko family, used the Uniting for Ukraine program, which allowed them to come to the U.S. with help from a local sponsor.
Even before the war, Delta Junction had strong Slavic roots — Ukrainians make up a much larger share of the population here than in the rest of the state. Amanda Turnbull, a longtime local English teacher, said the large Ukrainian population helped the newcomers have a softer landing.
“It was just kind of like big families getting bigger,” she said. “A lot of them are coming over, and they're living with their families.”
But Uniting for Ukraine stopped accepting new applicants in January, following an order from President Trump that aimed to secure the border to, in the order’s words, “protect the American people from the disastrous effects of unlawful mass migration and resettlement.”
Some avenues for staying in the country – such as temporary protected status – remain viable for Ukrainians, but immigration policies continue to change swiftly. This week, the Washington Post reported that the Trump administration is considering deporting people from active conflict zones, including Ukraine.
To get through the uncertain times, many Ukrainians in Delta say they are leaning on their faith.
“We don’t know what the future holds,” Natali said. “God blesses our day today, so we thank him for today. And tomorrow, we will ask for his blessing again.”
Leaning on faith
On a sunny Sunday in May, the Word of Life church was full with families. Some of the men were clad in suits, and women wore skirts and dresses, with a few covering their hair with veils. Children ran and giggled between the pews. Several pastors were speaking to the crowd in Russian, as younger parishioners translated their words into English.
The secondary pastor at Word of Life, Victor Linnik, said the church welcomes the incoming Ukrainian refugees and often serves as a place for connection to services and community.
“When you have someone that shares some faith, it's easier, because we call each other brother and sister,” he said. “So when you get to someone, you get like into a family, and once you get into a family, you feel more comfortable.”
Linnik’s daughter-in-law, Valeriia, moved here from Odesa in 2022. She said that with the church community, she always has a person to call and share her sadness or joy.
Valeriia came to service with her husband, whom she met in Delta Junction. She said her marriage helped her see her new home in a different light.
“It’s a joy to be with a loved one, anywhere,” she said. “That’s what gives color to the place.”
Valeriia said she tries not to worry about politics because it is outside her control. She said she strives to stay humble and find solace in her faith.
“Of course the church is helping,” she said. “God is helping. He calms and soothes the heart.”
Building self-reliance
Natalia and Vladimir Moroz set the table with a tea pot and a homemade Slavic Napoleon cake, to the excitement of their three young daughters.
“Ukrainian soul – we won’t let you go without feeding you,” Natalia said.
The family is from Donetsk, but after Russia occupied the area in 2014, they relocated to Poland. Their move to Delta in 2022 – also to join family – was hard at first. Vladimir said they questioned their decision because they felt like they were burdening people. But with time, they settled into a life here, Natalia caring for their daughters and Vladimir picking up various jobs.
“I think America makes us stronger, more independent, and it teaches us a lot,” Natalia said.
Vladimir started working at a local auto body shop even though he had no experience working with cars before — even changing a tire used to make him nervous. He and his friend built a mobile sauna, started a business renting it out and eventually sold it.
Now Vladimir works in construction and is excited about the stability the work brings to him and his family. In Europe he said making ends meet was a challenge, while in Alaska, working hard allows them to live comfortably.
“If you put effort into work, you expand your opportunities,” he said. “To live in Alaska, you have to know how to do things, how to be self-reliant.”
The Moroz family has also picked up new hobbies in Alaska, like fishing, riding four-wheelers, hunting and even beekeeping.
“Things like this add a taste to life,” Vladimir said.
The family is on humanitarian parole until 2026. They’ve applied for temporary protected status and are waiting for a response.
Natalia said she is feeling nervous about the recent changes in immigration programs, but she trusts that God has a plan for them.
Learning the language
Agnesa Butenko, 18, is Oleksii and Natali’s oldest daughter. She said she always wanted to move to America, but she didn’t realize how hard it would be to leave her friends and adjust to a place where she didn’t speak the language. But she was touched by Alaskans’ hospitality.
“People are extremely kind, and even if you don't understand the language and you are different, people accept you,” she said. “It makes such a difference.”
Her English has improved so much in three years that she now works as a translator for the school. She helps other Ukrainians – often her family members – adjust to the new language and environment.
“It’s helpful for me, too, because I need more practice to speak English,” she said about her work.
About 30 Ukrainian students have enrolled in Delta’s schools since the war started. The district offers classes in English as a second language as well as translation services and after-hours tutoring.
Amanda Turnbull, the English teacher, has spearheaded some of those programs. Sitting in a classroom surrounded with posters covered with words in English, Russian and Ukrainian, she said she’s seen rapid growth in her new students.
“I have had very few experiences like that in my career,” she said. “I feel so honored to have worked with Agnesa, so honored to have worked with these kids. It is difficult, it is challenging, but it's amazing.”
Turnbull said if the families of her Ukrainian students don’t have a legal pathway to stay in the country, her ESL class of 10 will be empty. She said the loss would create a hole in the community and could endanger some of her students.
“It hurts my heart so much to think of these high school boys who would, who could, at the drop of a hat, get deported and end up back in Ukraine,” Turnbull said. “They can't leave again. These ninth graders can't leave again. What's going to happen to them? They're going to get conscripted.”
Putting down roots
Before leaving Ukraine, the Butenko family used to help people who passed through their town while fleeing the war zone. Natali and Oleksii would walk by the long chain of cars, offering tea and sandwiches and inviting the refugees to rest or shower at their house.
Some of their friends are still in Ukraine, but Natali said she won’t go back — even if her family has to leave the U.S. She said she doesn't want her children to go to war.
For now, the Butenkos are continuing to build a life in Delta Junction. They live outside of town, on a wooded property with four homes. Five families live there, all from Ukraine – about 40 people total.
And the Butenkos have already buried family here. After settling in Delta, they wanted to bring Natali’s mother over, too. She was sick with cancer, living in Lithuania after fleeing Ukraine.
She died on her way to Alaska.
“Because it happened on the plane, it’s been hard for us to process that she died,” Oleksii said. “Every time we pass the cemetery, we think about our mom living here, being here. It’s hard for us to comprehend. But that’s all right – everything is in God’s hands.”
The family recently bought their own piece of land in Delta to build a future home – two stories, just like the one they left in Ukraine.
