JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Ukranian-American artist is grieving while watching Russia invade Ukraine.
He still has to provide for his family and as an award-winning painter, that means he keeps painting.
"I have to be productive," Sergei Orgunov says, "but my heart is broken."
Orgunov lived in Ukraine for 27 years - He was born in Kiev, he got married in Kiev and he went to church in Kiev.
Now, he watches the Russian invasion on Ukrainian TV from his home in Jacksonville and says, "It's unbelievable."
"It's like watching a horror movie," he said through emotion he tries to fight back.
With tears welling up in his eyes, he says, "I think everybody is scared."
He has cousins and other relatives, plus "many friends," still in Ukraine. He says at first he could get through to talk with them.
They told him they were relocating from the Kiev area, but now he can't connect.
So he worries but he still carries on taking his paintings to art shows around Florida.
His favorite subjects to paint are wildlife and landscapes.
He adds the Ukrainian colors to some of his Facebook posts with his artwork.
Orgunov said, "This reminds me of World War II. My parents, my Mom and Dad, were under Nazi occupation for more than two years"
Now he says he's distraught to see Putin sending troops into the country he loves.
"I thought Putin was bluffing, playing a game of chicken to push Ukraine from becoming part of NATO," he explained.
He asks for prayers for people in Ukraine, as he sees more reports of casualties.
Meanwhile, he turns to his paintings and knows he will continue on, even though his mind and his heart are overwhelmed with worry right now.
He says the wildlife he paints in Florida is beautiful.
But his home country of Ukraine is "beautiful," too. He's hoping the architecture and scenery won't be too badly damaged by Russian troops.
