From Kyiv to Flat Rock, Ukrainians from far and wide unite in Asheville for BJK Cup

James Crabtree-Hannigan
Asheville Citizen Times
Ukraine native and Flat Rock resident Julia Kashirets sings the National Anthem of Ukraine during the opening ceremony of the first day of the 2022 Billie Jean King Cup on April 15, 2022.

Julia Kashirets still isn't sure exactly how she ended up with the spotlight on her Friday afternoon at Harrah's Cherokee Center.

An office worker from Flat Rock, Kashirets had never sung the Ukrainian national anthem until just over a week ago, when she got a call about performing before the Billie Jean King Cup tie between Team USA and Ukraine.

After a video audition, she formally clinched the gig. The emotions of singing her country's song in front of the biggest crowd she's ever amidst Russia's invasion were tough to control, she said.

Kashirets was among a strong contingent of Ukrainians who flocked to Asheville from far-and-wide to support the players donning blue-and-yellow in the qualifying round of the event known as the world cup of tennis.

"It's still very emotional," Kashirets said. "It's very important, just to show this compassion to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people."

Fans of Ukraine cheer in the stands of Harrah's Cherokee Center in Asheville during the first day of the Billie Jean King Cup on April 15, 2022.

Before the war broke out, 38-year-old Leonid Kyrian didn't plan on even being in the United States for this weekend's matches.

Read more:Hot Springs business collects roughly $2,000 for humanitarian efforts in Ukraine

Also:Billie Jean King will attend Team USA matches in Asheville, make donation for Ukrainian relief

A Kyiv native, Kyrian was on vacation in the United Arab Emirates with his wife and two young children when the war began Feb. 24. 

They've since relocated with a friend near Cary. He found out about the event in Asheville from a Facebook community for Ukrainians in North Carolina.

"We came here [today] to support the Ukrainians," Kyrian said. "We're really worried for the family and friends back in Ukraine. We help the ways we can." 

A tennis fan and recreational player, Kyrian is hoping his family can return to Ukraine by the summer. 

But over the weekend, he got to enjoy a taste of home among the handful of Ukrainian flags and many more supporters in the crowd.

Vladimir Maslyanchuk, a Ukrainian living in Spartanburg County in South Carolina, said he's been heartened by the support he's felt from Americans since the war began.

"It's been very very exciting, emotional and heartwarming ... not just today, but in general," Maslyanchuk said. "Everywhere you go, people are very inquisitive about what's happening."

On Friday, that support came in the form of a lengthy pre-match ceremony, including a moment of silence before Kashirets' performance.

"I don't think there was a dry eye on our team not just for our anthem but for Ukraine," Team USA member Alison Riske said in her on-court interview after winning the first match of the weekend. "It's just a touching tie to be a part of."

Despite Riske's rave review, Kashirets felt she would be able to improve upon her performance now having the experience of the first day under her belt.

The jitters she battled weren't solely a result of the crowd, however, but the horrors unfolding back home, where her brother is in the armed forces. Kashirets, Kyrian and many other Ukrainians believe their country will ultimately persevere through the violence, but that doesn't lessen the terror of the current moment.

"It's been very heartbreaking, but at the same time it's very encouraging to see the Ukrainian people unite and help," Maslyanchuk said, "and how brave and courageous they've been defending their country. 

"They've been able to come together and display to the whole world what they're made of."

At the Cherokee Center on Friday, in their own way and in a much different context, the Ukrainians in attendance did the same.