Memorial Service Held For Fire Victims Spokane Congregation Remembers Five Members Of Russian Family

A special memorial service was held Saturday evening for Spokanearea Russian refugees who died in a Bellingham fire Friday.

Members of the Light of the Gospel Church in Spokane’s West Central neighborhood were led by pastor Ivan Skrobko in prayers for the Solodyankin family.

Five members of the family, who had been in Spokane for less than a year after fleeing their native country, died in an apartment fire, which started when a spark from the fireplace ignited a nearby couch while the family slept.

They had been visiting relatives.

Dead are Vyacheslav Solodyankin, 36, and wife Yelena, 35, Valeria, 14, Vyacheslav Jr., 6 and Alina, 1.

Daughter Olena, 12, and son Ivan, 4, were treated for smoke inhalation and minor burns and released from St. Joseph’s Hospital in Bellingham.

“They went on spring break,” Nadya Solodyankin, 15, of Spokane, said of her aunt and uncle. “They wanted to take their children and go visit his brother. They left three children with us because they don’t have much room in their car. They went just for one night.”

Surviving the fire were Solodyankin’s brother, Sergey and his wife, Olga. Both were listed in satisfactory condition at St. Joseph’s. That couple’s daughter, Nadia, 8, also died in the fire.

Sergey and Olga Solodyankin’s four other children, Oleg, 10, Tatyana, 12, Sergey Jr., 15 and Alex, 16, were treated at St. Joseph’s and released.

Donations for the five remaining Solodyankin children are being collected at all U.S. Bank branches.

“I expect, starting Monday, the community will respond financially,” said Glenn Lockwood, director of Red Cross emergency services.

xxxx

The following fields overflowed: BYLINE = Alison Boggs Staff writer The Associated Press contributed to this report.