By Anna Grace Moore
Photos by Blair Ramsey
Wailing like a fearmongering spirit, the air raid sirens ricochet off every building, barreling down every street in Lviv, Ukraine. Mykola and Olena Vyshyvanyuk awake with a start to that crescendoing dagger in their ears.
It had only been hours since the last raid. The missile strikes were getting closer.
Their feet hit the floor in half a second. Having already been dressed for the dead of winter, they race down the hall, waking their three daughters.
All of the windows in their apartment are open. Though the temperatures have dropped below freezing, they risk frostbite over not hearing the sirens.
Their children cry as they hurriedly pull on their boots, tumbling out the door. Two minutes tick away mockingly as the family thunders down the narrow stairwell to their apartment’s underground parking lot.
After that, what happens next is in God’s hands.
The blasts shake surrounding buildings to their foundations. Walls crumble down around them.
With only blankets in their hands, the family huddles in a cold, damp corner of the lot, quivering as Olena prays for a veil of protection over the city. Mykola wraps his arms as far as they can stretch around his family.
He tries to shield his daughters’ ears from the shrieks of citizens outside. Many are trapped from falling debris.
Full of fear with an ounce of faith, he whispers, “God, please save my family.”
Faithful Provisions
Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. The air raids first targeted airports all throughout the country in an attempt to prevent a mass exodus.
Before the war, Lviv’s population hovered over 700,000. In three days, the population grew to 2 million as thousands sought refuge in the city.
“When they were at home, I could not sleep,” Olena says of their daughters. “I was so afraid.”
The Vyshyvanyuks waited three days before splitting up their daughters–then ages 13, 11 and 6–to live with their grandparents in Europe. Six long, agonizing months passed before the whole family was reunited in Lviv.
During that time, Mykola and Olena opened their doors, sheltering evacuees.
According to americanimmigrationcouncil.org, in the article, “An Overview of the ‘Uniting for Ukraine’ Program,” former President Joe Biden launched the Uniting for Ukraine program on April 21, 2022. Its purpose was to allow Ukrainian refugees to seek asylum in the United States for up to two years.
Thanks to this program, Olena and Mykola brought their daughters home to Lviv, and with only one small suitcase each, they ventured to the U.S.
The Vyshyvanyuks arrived in the States on Nov. 7, 2022.
Through Uniting for Ukraine, they were connected with Vestavia Hills residents Ed and Natalie Cotter, who sponsored them and helped them get a home and a car upon their arrival. Natalie is a pediatrician and assisted the family with the girls’ immunizations.
Several community members took the family to each of the girls’ schools, helping them to get enrolled. Vestavia Hills Methodist Church, which is both the Cotters’ home church and now the Vyshyvanyuks’ church, raised money for the family, paying their rent for the first months they lived in the city.
Vestavia Hills Elementary East blessed the children with presents during their first Christmas in Birmingham.
“We’re so grateful for them,” Olena says, tearfully.
Although life was not without its trials, Mykola and Olena’s faith grew bit by bit.
The American Dream
While they grew up not far from each other, it took Mykola and Olena both moving to Athens, Greece, to meet. Their paths first crossed in 2003, when Mykola was working in the clothing industry.
A graduate of Veloudakis College of Art and Fashion, Mykola worked for 11 years as an assistant designer and pattern maker for Maurizio–a high-end, Italian clothier. He and Olena tied the knot and welcomed their two oldest children, Eva, 15, and Ioanna, 13, into the world before returning home to Lviv.
In 2013, they founded NiEl Bridal Atelier. The name, NiEl, is a combination of their Greek names.
Not long after were they blessed with their youngest, Viktoriia, 8. Business grew steadily for several years until the start of the war.
“It was a very small shop, but it was our shop,” Mykola says with pride.
After living in the U.S. for several months, Mykola says he wanted to reopen the atelier and get back to designing. He was introduced to Robert Emerick of REV Birmingham–a local nonprofit providing economic development assistance.
“We came to them and showed them our dresses,” Olena says. “He was thinking for 10 minutes, probably–nothing. We were like, ‘We’re done!’ And then, he said, ‘I think you can do it.’”
Navigating starting their own business, the family worked with REV Birmingham every step of the way.
“They connected us with the right people,” Olena says, later adding, “it wasn’t easy. It took us like half a year because, you know, to rent the shop was a problem because we didn’t have credit history.”
Mykola credits Jack Little of Red Rock Realty Group for helping them lease a space in Forest Park. Their bespoke shop now has floor-to-ceiling windows–perfect for showcasing dresses.
They began leasing the space in October 2023, meaning they had to create all new dresses from scratch to feature in their grand opening the following month. They worked day and night for weeks on end, and finally, on Nov. 5, 2023, NiEl Bridal Atelier opened its doors for the first time in Birmingham.
The best part? The shop opened nearly one year to the day after they arrived in the U.S.
NiEl Bridal Atelier
Family-owned and operated, NiEl Bridal Atelier specializes in custom-made gowns for brides, mothers-of-the-bride, flower girls, christenings and first communions. Mykola designs and creates the dresses, while Olena handles day-to-day operations and even hand-stitches some appliqués.
While the shop does carry ready-to-wear gowns, it prioritizes its bridal collections, which consist of about five-to-10 dresses each. The atelier offers alteration services, too.
To start the design process, Mykola sketches out his idea, doodling different bodices and patterns from dramatic flair to timeless elegance. If a bride can dream it, he can design it.
Sourcing the finest fabrics–some as far as Barcelona, Spain–Mykola will create different wedding dresses based on popular trends or by request. While it takes about six months to create a custom gown, Mykola received a customer at his Birmingham store who needed a wedding dress in 30 days.
He not only accepted the daunting task, but he also clocked nearly 10 hours a day for a month to create this exquisite gown.
“I love every dress,” he says. “I love working with clients.”
To him, every order is a fulfilled promise, proving God’s faithfulness.
Focus Forward
Two years after arriving in the U.S., the Vyshyvanyuks are thriving. NiEl Bridal Atelier has become renowned for its bespoke designs and is now carrying fabrics from the Première Vision Show. Olena is working as a case manager, assisting Ukrainians who have been displaced by the war.
None of this, they say, would have been possible without the generosity of the Vestavia Hills community. It was no mistake the Lord led them here.
As their story incites waves of miracles across the world, they encourage others to hold steadfast in their faith. After all, ounces of faith are still powerful enough to conquer oceans of fear.
NiEl Bridal Atelier is located at 701 37th Street South, #4, in Birmingham. It is open Monday-Saturday from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. For more information, visit nielbridalatelier.com.
Keep in Touch
To learn more about the Vyshyvanyuks’ story or to keep tabs on their journey, follow @nielbridalatelier on Instagram and NiEl Bridal Atelier on Facebook.
