Alyona Drychkova, mother, wife, daughter, and granddaughter is a recent immigrant from Kazakhstan who is making her home in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Her home city in Kazakhstan is Almaty, the capital of the country until 1997, which is in the foothills of the Trans-IIi Alatau Mountains, and which remains as a trading and cultural hub with a 2017 population of close to 1.8 million. She is the proud mother of a three year old boy whom she happily raises with her husband. In her home country, Alyona found meaningful employment as a travel agent, a job which was complementary to her hobby of travelling, and which allowed her to take memorable trips to locations like Thailand and Italy. It is this sense of adventure which has brought Alyona and her family to Canada two and a half years ago, where her husband gained employment. She originally resided in Winnipeg, Manitoba, a location which Alyona remembers for its long and cold winters, but also its lively and supporting Russian community. In Winnipeg, Alyona has fond memories of Russian festivals and was able to make meaningful connections within the community. Her journey to Calgary occurred when her husband was relocated for work seven months ago, where she currently resides in the south-west of the city, with views of the mountains, and close to the Somerset-Bridlewood C-Train Station. COVID 19 has made it more difficult for Alyona to make the meaningful social and cultural connections that she did in Winnipeg, however, she often can go to nearby ethnic specialty food stores to get a better connection to the Russian and Kazakhstani people which help her feel at home. Alyona is a strong, positive, and confident woman, who is overcoming the difficulties that many immigrants face in travelling to a new country that is halfway around the world. While there are still uncertainties in her life, she has found that the difficulty in adjusting to a new country has gotten easier over the last couple years, in large part by her ability to recreate the indelible aspects of her home country here in both Winnipeg and Calgary. She is in the process of reimagining her ideal future here in Canada away from employment in the devastated travel industry, although she remains optimistic that this job sector is only temporarily affected. Alyona is resilient in the face of these difficulties though, proudly using her heritage as a way to remain connected to her home country, while simultaneously fitting in, and adding to, the rich multi-cultural tapestry that is Canada. Interviewed by
Jennifer Choi, Ashley Hu, Brendan Webb, Judy Liu |
Alyona Drychkova - Introduction
Alyona Drychkova - Winnipeg
Alyona Drychkova - Adaptation
Alyona Drychkova - Soul/Comfort Food
Alyona Drychkova - Costco
Alyona Drychkova - International Supermarkets
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