from kiev, special correspondent kira kay reports our story, produced in partnership with the bureau for international reporting. >> reporter: here in the main mosque of ukraine's capital, kyiv, imam seram arifov leads friday prayers for the city's muslims, but he is more than 500 miles from his home in simferopol, crimea. >> ( translated ): i was a teacher, we had a private school. we were teaching the islamic religious sciences, we also taught the koran. i had to leave my homeland to continue my job in more acceptable conditions. we could not work in crimea anymore, they didn't let the school operate, they didn't renew our license. >> reporter: "they" are the russians, who invaded and annexed crimea in march 2014. the imam and about 100 members of the congregation are crimean tatars-- a small muslim community with centuries of history in the region. but many found themselves on the wrong side of the new authorities and now they have, in effect, become refugees in their own country. this young mother is one of them. >> ( translated ): i had to quit my studies, i was studying there i