KANSAS CITY, Mo. — An artist from Ukraine is selling her artwork in the Kansas City area to help support Ukrainian troops.
"The war must be stopped very soon," Tetiana Siedina, the artist, told KSHB 41 News on Friday.
Her wish is to stop the bloodshed in Ukraine. Siedina lived in Kyiv until she moved to North Kansas City about 2 1/2 years ago.
"From when the war start, I can’t sleep, I can’t eat, I can't anything," Siedina said.
Siedina's daughter and her 7-year-old grandson made it out of the capital before Russia's invasion, but she still has family in her hometown of Melitopol.
On Friday, Russian forces kidnapped Melitopol's mayor in the middle of the day, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
"We don't want it to think about war, we thought it can not be because it's the 21st century," Siedina said.
With spotty internet and cell service, Siedina can only connect with loved ones more than 5,700 miles away once a day.
"They can leave only to Ukraine or the Russia, but people don't want to move to the Russia," Siedina said.
Siedina, who taught art in Ukraine, is using her skills to support her homeland.
At this month's First Friday, proceeds from her artwork went to an account the National Bank of Ukraine opened to support the country's armed forces.
She plans to do the same with her other pieces in the future.
"If people would like to send money to my country and help my country, I will be so glad and appreciate it," Siedina said.
Siedina has posted her artwork on Instagram.
