According to Masha Polyakova on the program "Vershilenko & Co", during the flight to Boston, a man sat next to her and reacted aggressively when she was given a Ukrainian passport. The situation was accompanied by insults and obscene language; the flight attendant intervened and after that Polyakova was moved to another class on board.
“ When I flew to Boston, I got my Ukrainian passport right on the plane, like all normal people. There was a Russian guy sitting next to me, and he started yelling at me: like, “Fu, Ukrainian, get this one off my plane…”. A lot of swearing followed ,” Masha said.
She added that after the crew intervened, she was transferred to first class, and thanked the stewardess with a humorous thank you. When asked by the host whether she had responded to the abuser, Polyakova admitted that she had responded to him with “eloquent words,” emphasizing that she always knows how to stand up for herself.
Masha Polyakova is currently studying at Berklee College of Music in the US, one of the leading music universities, where she moved for her education. Her story has caused a wide resonance on social media, with users discussing passenger safety issues, xenophobia, and the need for airlines to respond clearly to such incidents. Some commentators supported Polyakova, while others called for complaints to be filed with the airlines and competent authorities after arrival.
