How an Italian princess with SC ties began harboring a Ukrainian family fleeing from war

They saw dead bodies in the road, climbed over destroyed bridges and heard bombs pounding a nearby airport.

A mother, her three children, escaping Ukraine, where they were born, came to safety in a 500-year-old villa in Rome owned by an Italian princess who once had ties to South Carolina.

Princess Rita Boncompagni Ludovisi of Italy, the former wife of South Carolina’s John Jenrette, a rising star of Democratic politics who did prison time for accepting bribes, has taken in the family of her longtime housekeeper Olena Kolkovska.

There was no doubt she would agree, even as she fights against losing the home she shared with her husband, the now-deceased Prince Nicolò Boncompagni Ludovisi. His three sons have sued to quash the life estate he left his wife and a court has ordered the mansion to be auctioned.

Two auctions have taken place without receiving any bids; the third and final will be in late June.

“They are family,” Ludovisi said. Of course, she would ease their flight.

A family flees in darkness

Mariia Bratashevska is 39. The day they left their home in Kyiv was her son Oleksandr’s 16th birthday. Her other son Vlad is 7 and her daughter Liza is 6. They had to leave their father behind to fight. Olena’s husband, their grandfather, is there, too.

Their life in Kyiv was marked by family time in the parks, on the Dnieper River waterfront. Movies, always something to do. They traveled, visiting more than 35 countries.

Bratashevska’s husband owned a business and she was a film stylist who blogged about fashion and travel.

“Life before the war was wonderful and we never planned to leave Ukraine for long!” she said in a message over the What’s App platform. “I have visited many European countries and I can tell you for sure, despite the economic indicators of Ukraine in a country with a lot of shadow economy, people lived much better than you can imagine!”

When they started hearing rumors of a Russian invasion, they didn’t believe it would happen, but Bratashevska said she had a feeling.

In late February, she couldn’t sleep one night and woke her husband up ”to say that I feel that the war really will be!”

At 5 a.m. in the darkness came explosions and flashes of light around Kyiv. Air alarms, more explosions. They had to get the children to safety.

It took her husband an entire day to get ready for the trip, to find food and fuel. Bratashevska and her children sat in a bathroom, the only room without windows.

“The next night at 4 o’clock I saw information that the rocket hit a residential high-rise building, where people were injured and their homes were destroyed,” she said. “Russian troops were already practically near Kyiv.

They left an hour later.

“The windows of the car shook with each explosion, fear overwhelmed me,” she said.

They spent 24 hours driving to western Ukraine, a trip that usually takes 7 hours.

They spent two weeks there, mostly inside a bomb shelter.

They knew they had to leave the country.

In Rome, at Villa Aurora

Ludovisi said in the 20 years she’s lived at Villa Aurora, the staff who are not from Italy are from Ukraine.

“Olga (Olena) gave her family a much better way of life by working in Italy,” she said. “She always sent a vast majority of her income back to her family, in the Ukraine.”

She has passed on to her daughter, “the indomitable passion and dreams for a better life,” Ludovisi said.

Once the family arrived, they registered the children in public school and they started the next day.

“”They love school and the children are thriving,” she said.

They speak English and are learning Italian.

Bratashevska said her oldest son is having a more difficult time than his siblings due to the language barrier.

“But he has always dreamed of becoming a chief cook and is studying in this direction, this is also a great opportunity for development,” she said.

Bratashevska called Ludovisi noble and said, “unfortunately not every family from Ukraine can be safe and quiet now.”

They live in a 30,000-square-foot villa overlooking Rome, built in 1570 by Francesco del Nero, a member of a rich Florentine family and a treasurer of pope Clement VII. The villa holds antiquities and masterpieces — a statue of the Greek god Pan attributed to Michelangelo, a rare Caraviaggio mural representing most of the value of the house.

And a bonus: Ludovisi’s four Bishon Frises — George Washington, Henry James, Joy and Milord — which the children love to play with.

Bratashevska speaks with her husband every day via What’s App. She said they’ve never been apart more than a few days since they married. They met in a yoga class.

Ludovisi is biding her time. If the house sells, she will buy the family an apartment in Rome. She’s not certain where she would go, but isn’t making plans to move. Not yet. So much of herself was put into the renovation of Villa Aurora, which needs still more and expensive repairs.

The prince died in 2018 at 77.

According to his will, his wife could live there as long as she wanted to and if sold the proceeds would go 50% to her and 50% to his three sons.

An Italian court ordered the property be auctioned. The first asking price was $534 million. No bids. For the second auction the asking price was cut 20% to $427 million. If it fails to sell at the third auction a judge will decide what to do with the house.

No matter, Ludovisi said.

“I will always take care of this family. I am very grateful they are with me, at Villa Aurora. They are a blessing to my life. They are safe here,” she said.

This story was originally published June 2, 2022 at 5:00 AM.