BUTTE — Every pin on the map below represents a place where someone used to come from who is now a United States citizen, and today in Butte, there are 15 new pins on this map.
“I will support and defend the Constitution,” the new citizens repeated in unison as they pledged their oath of allegiance.
In Butte, people from Mexico, Iraq, Belarus, and the United Kingdom swore their allegiance to their new country.
“You know, you blame yourself that you are not in the Ukraine. You want to support people, but, at the same time, I feel huge relief that we’re here in a safe place for my family and my daughter,” said Sukonnikova.
Mykhailo Lytiuga and his wife, Tetyana Sukonnikova, are from the Ukraine and live in Missoula. Both received their U.S. Citizenship one month apart.
“Maybe, excited, you know, I quite understand the ‘wow!’ It’s finally happened,” said Lytiuga.
The couple has been living in Missoula for the past seven years after fleeing Ukraine when the Russians first invaded Ukraine’s Crimea in 2014.
“My daughter just was born and almost every day I was worried that we have to flee out of the country. It was a really scary time,” said Sukonnikova.
Lytiuga agreed, “Montana is pretty safe place, Missoula is a pretty safe, it’s very nice and kind friendly people.”
Like the rest of their fellow new citizens, they look forward to participating in the political process by voting and doing their civic duties. Still, their heart aches for their countrymen in the Ukraine who are in the midst of a brutal war.
“You know, you blame yourself that you are not in the Ukraine. You want to support people, but, at the same time, I feel huge relief that we’re here in a safe place for my family and my daughter,” said Sukonnikova.
After the ceremony, 15 more people were naturalized that afternoon.
