The 2024 film Between Borders tells the harrowing and inspiring true story of the Petrosyan family, an Armenian household forced to flee Azerbaijan during the late 1980s. The movie, which stars Ana Ularu, Elizabeth Mitchell and Patrick Sabongui and was directed by Mark Freiburger is about a family that manages to stay alive as the Soviet Union falls apart. It also shows how they deal with racism in Russia and how they find hope through faith and community in the United States.
At the heart of the story are Ivan Petrosyan, played by Patrick Sabongui, a rocket scientist, and Violetta, his wife, played by Elizabeth Tabish, a school principal. During the pogroms against Armenians, when their daughters Olga and Julia were very young, the family had to leave Baku, Azerbaijan. The movie shows how hard it was for the family to get away from violence, stay with American missionaries in Russia, and then make their way to the United States. The movie is mostly about the dramatic and emotional-story of the ‘Petrosyan Family’. But some viewers may wonder what happened to Olga Petrosyan and Where is she now?
The Petrosyan Family
For generations, the Petrosyan family had lived in Azerbaijan. In Violetta’s family tree, people came from Shushi, but they had to leave the city during the 1920 massacres. Stories about how gold saved their family from going hungry and how their great-grandfather was jailed for being a priest show how they managed to stay alive during hard times.
Ivan and Violetta had made a life for themselves in Baku by the late 1980s. Ivan was a very good rocket scientist, and Violetta was a well-liked school principal. They lived with their daughters Julia, eight, and Olga, four, in a city that was becoming less friendly to Armenians.
Olga Petrosyan’s Early Life: Growing Up Amid Turmoil
She was born in Baku, Azerbaijan and was only four years old when the fighting started. Her rocket scientist father, Ivan, her school principal mother Violetta, and her older sister Julia were all Armenians. They lived in a city where most of the people were Azerbaijanis. The chaos and fear of those early years are some of her earliest memories. Her sister Julia, who was eight years old at the time, remembers the crowds yelling “Death to Armenians!” and how scared every Armenian child was. Olga has said that she still feels uncomfortable in big groups of people because of the trauma.
The Petrosyan family had to go above and beyond to keep themselves safe. After getting threats against Armenian children, Olga’s grandmother took her out of daycare. They hid in their apartment, where violent threats were made by neighbors who would bang on the door. An Azeri neighbor stepped in to help, and when it was too dangerous for them to go outside, they brought bread to the family. Only a few people did these kind things, but they made a big difference.
The family’s home in Baku became less safe as mobs with lists of Armenian residents went after them. It was Ivan’s job as a mountain climber to make sure that the family had flares and ropes ready in case they needed to escape through the balcony. An Azerbaijani woman who was Violetta’s school principal would take Julia and Olga home to keep them safe from the crowds. Even with all of these efforts, fear and danger were always there.
Read More: Between Borders (2024): Where Is the Real Petrosyan Family Now?
A New Life in Russia and a Transformation Through Faith
The Petrosyans moved to Volgograd, Russia, after leaving Baku. But their problems didn’t end there. Because they were Armenian, they were discriminated against by both the government and employers. From there, the family’s journey took a dramatically different turn. When they started going to a church started by American missionaries, they felt like they were part of a group and found hope.
What happened to Violetta was a big change in her life. She grew up during the Communist era and was a firm Communist Party member. At the school where she taught, she even led a Communist Party group. She learned as a child that religion was false and bad for her. The missionaries, on the other hand, helped Violetta have a deep spiritual awakening.
Violetta said in a recent interview, “My conversion happened on the 6th of October, on my physical birthday.” “God’s hand was always protecting our family, even when we didn’t know Him.”
Like many others, Olga saw how her family changed after they became religious. “I saw my family before Christ and then after Christ, and the difference was profound,” she said. Despite continued struggles, their faith became a source of strength and unity. “We still had tribulations but Christ gave us the strength to endure them together.”
Life in the United States and Olga’s Path Forward
The Petrosyans were able to move to the United States with the help of the church community in Volgograd. Settling in West Virginia, they began to rebuild their lives. For Olga, this marked the beginning of a journey toward healing and self-discovery.
Olga’s time as a Refugee had a big impact on how she saw the world and who she was. “The world called me names like ‘foreigner,’ ‘unwanted’ and’ refugee’ but the name that will always stick with me is ‘child of God,'” she said. “That’s what makes me who I am.”
Following her graduation from high school, Olga went to Bethel University in Indiana to study vocal performance.
When Olga followed her dream of going to a Christian college in the United States, her life changed in a big way. She went to Bethel College in Mishawaka, Indiana, with the help of the Norris family, who had planted churches in Russia. During this time, she met David Christoffersen, the man she would marry, at a youth conference in Germany when she was 17.
In 2006, David got married to Olga after she graduated. He has experience with technology and making new products. They moved to Denmark, where Olga’s sister and her family also lived. Olga worked as a volunteer worship leader and in a church-run coffee shop in Denmark. She also kept working toward her goal of becoming a full-time worship leader. They finally got to Fort Wayne, Indiana. Olga, David, and their two kids, Caspian and Leah, finally got to the U.S. after a long and difficult process that included interviews and government paperwork.
Where Is Olga Petrosyan Now?
Today, Olga Petrosyan lives in Fort Wayne, Indiana and works as a worship leader at Pathway Community Church. In June 2019, she moved there with her husband David Christoffersen and their two kids, Caspian and Leah.
Because she loves music and her faith so much, she has worked in worship ministries in the US and other countries.Olga used to work as a worship leader in Denmark, in places like Greve and Copenhagen, before she got her current job. The first place she worked as a minister was at the South Charleston First Church of the Nazarene in West Virginia, from 2005 to 2007.
Olga’s story is truly amazing. She went from being a scared child in Baku to being a leader in her church. She uses her fame to encourage others by talking about her time as a refugee and the faith journey of her family. “It’s important to show how God can work through even the darkest circumstances,” she said.
Olga still has a good relationship with her parents, Ivan and Violetta. They keep telling their story to encourage others, focusing on themes of forgiveness and strength. Violetta has said, “No matter how severe the events were, love and forgiveness always conquer.”
Julia, Olga’s sister, has also chosen a life of faith and service, drawing on the things that her family has been through together to help her. The Petrosyans show how to get through hard times by having faith, working together, and being determined.
Even though Olga lives in Indiana now, she has said that she wants to work as a worship leader in Azerbaijan one day as part of a mission to bring Armenians and Azerbaijanis together through faith.
Between Borders (2024) : The Real Story of the Petrosyan Family
