Editor’s Note: Lev Golinkin writes on refugee and immigrant identity, as well as Ukraine, Russia and the far right. And yet, it’s a choice my mom faced when I was born on 10-something p.m. on leap day. It turns out communists aren’t the only ones wary of leap day birthdays. Svetlana Golinkin, newborn Lev Golinkin, and maternity ward staff, Kharkov (now called Kharkiv), USSR, March 2, 1980. I refuse to indulge the garbage notion of leaping leap day.

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Persons: Lev Golinkin, aren’t, Svetlana Golinkin, Lev, I’ve, “, ”, Kyle, I’m, I’ll, Samuel Golinkin, There’s, Bridget, Patrick, there’s, Patrick wasn’t, you’ll Organizations: CNN, aren’t Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Soviet Union, Kharkov, Kharkiv, USSR, Boston