7 minute read
COVER STORY
Ukraine-born Canadian Anton Sestritsyn’s philosophy of being a ‘doer’ has motivated the young man to fight for his country’s rights throughout his career
By Vivien Fellegi
“Go big or go home,” is Ukrainian-Canadian Anton Sestritsyn’s motto for life. The high-achieving 29-year-old immigrant has been living out these words all his life. Sestritsyn played tennis professionally during his childhood. When he swam in high school, he made it to Ukraine’s Olympic reserve team. Even his biology projects scored medals in international youth competitions. “If I dedicate my time to something, then I want to excel in that,” says Sestritsyn. “It’s a very Ukrainian kind of mentality.”
Sestritsyn was born in the “touristy” seaside Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea (currently temporarily occupied by Russia). “I have very fond memories growing up,” he says. His father, an engineer, and his mother, a teacher, fostered the values of perseverance and of “being a doer, not a complainer,” he says. Setsritsyn’s passion for politics began at the dinner table where his parents would analyze the evening news each night.
During these early days, Sestritsyn also developed a lifelong love for his country alongside a growing awareness of its trials.
“Every Ukrainian family one way or another suffered under different Russian regimes,” says Sestritsyn. As a result of their struggles, Ukrainians treasure their liberty above all other aspects of life, including housing and even their well-being. “You cannot trade freedom for anything else,” he says. This belief has motivated the young man to fight for his country’s rights throughout his career.
First, though, he needed a proper education. After graduating from high school at age 17, Sestritsyn immigrated to Canada to pursue a bachelor’s degree in public affairs and policy management at Ottawa’s Carleton University. Though the newcomer missed his family in Ukraine, he adjusted quickly. “You have to grow up fast when you’re on your own,” he says. Sestritsyn felt comfortable amidst Canada’s large Ukrainian population and made friends quickly amongst the multicultural youth who reminded him of the diverse nationalities back home.
Sestritsyn’s ambition was to enter Canadian politics, but he feared it wouldn’t be realized. “I thought when I first came here that it was unattainable,” says Sestritsyn, “that it was something reserved only for people from here.”
But a catastrophe offered him this opportunity. In 2014, Russia invaded Crimea and annexed it. It was an unprecedented act of “brutality,” says Sestritsyn. “You’re just not prepared for something like that to happen in Europe in the 21st century,” says the Ukrainian.
The young undergraduate student sprang into action to aid his homeland, organizing protests every evening. “My goal was to defend Ukraine,” says Sestritsyn, “and make known to the general public…what’s going on.” His activities caught the attention of politicians on Parliament Hill, and he was offered a job providing translation and advice to the government on all matters pertaining to his homeland. “It was a great opportunity,” he says, to “contribute to Ukraine.”
This experience helped him forge valuable connections and gain work experience, and was the springboard to a rewarding career dedicated to securing human rights and democracy in Ukraine. Next, the foreign policy expert entered the public realm, working as a political correspondent at a television program, Forum TV. Then, at the non-profit organization, The International Council in Support of Ukraine, he ran a program helping to rehabilitate physically and psychologically injured Ukrainian soldiers.
Sestritsyn’s advice on Ukraine has guided world leaders on Parliament Hill, in the U.S. Congress, and even at the United Nations.
In February 2022, Sestritsyn was devastated when Russia again invaded Ukraine. “All of my family’s still there,” he says, so “of course it’s very difficult.” But the solution-focussed thinker joined Roshel – manufacturers of smart armored vehicles headquartered in Mississauga – to help protect his former homeland. As vice president of business development, Sestritsyn liaises with international governments who buy the personnel carriers and ship them to Ukraine. Operators have told him that this is saving lives. This means that someone’s father is coming home, says Sestritsyn. “You can’t even convey in words how much it means to know [that].”
In June 2022, Sestritsyn co-founded Café Ukraine in Ottawa – a dropin center and meeting place for Ukrainian refugees, offering English and French classes, and organizing movie nights and even yoga workshops. Most importantly, this is to connect them with others in a similar situation, says Sestritsyn. “They want that feeling that they’re not alone.”
This seems to be working. The Café is bringing attention to the plight of Ukraine. Dignitaries including Canada’s deputy prime minister, Chrystia Freeland; Mélanie Joly, minister of foreign affairs; and U.S. secretary of state, Antony Blinken, have all come to visit the Café to meet the founders and hear the refugees’ stories.
Countless friendships have sprung from the venue, and the refugees constantly tell the founders, “Thank you, we feel at home here.” This kind of positive feedback energizes the patriot.
“It gives me strength and power to keep doing what I’m doing,” says Sestritsyn. “And it motivates me to do more.”
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