In 1992 and 1994 I went to Minsk Belarus with Light the Way Children’s Fund International a group that my then-husband, his sister and her son had created. This group was formed to help children who had been disadvantaged through war or in disasters such as Chernobyl. As I have detailed before in 1993 I had been brutally attacked by a patient in the Forensic Unit at St. Thomas Psychiatric Hospital. I wasn’t even sure if I would be able to physically return to Minsk. I was, however, nothing if not determined. From the time I met the people and children in the hospitals with cancers from Chernobyl, I had to return.
Please refer to my blog, “A Magical Time in Minsk Belarus”, for more details of this time.
What I want to talk to you today is about 1996 when my husband, daughter and I moved to Cherkassy Ukraine for 6 months. Things were very difficult for the people of Ukraine at that time. There was often no hydro during the day in most apartments except for breakfast and the evening hours so that people could make their meals. Because we had a one-bedroom apartment over the Bank we had hydro on all the time. The rent was $65 per month which was a fortune for our landlady who had moved out of her apartment to live with her son while we were there. Also, water was another issue as it was very discoloured most of the time. Water had to be boiled in a large pot for bathing or doing laundry in the tub. Remember seeing videos this year of people taking their jeans outside and they froze, well we started that trend in 1996. It was funny then too, on our tiny balcony off the only bedroom. The living room had a pull-out couch. The Dnieper River close to our apartment was also polluted and gave my family rashes when we swam in it. Our refrigerator was tiny with a small freezer on top which meant we had to go to the market frequently for food. I got good at learning a few words in Ukrainian, though Russian was spoken as well. I also used the point method! We did have an interpreter for major events. One included me giving Reiki to cerebral palsy children at a health care centre.
One of the many things we did there was to teach English to students. My daughter Lindsay (15 at the time) taught to the lower grades and my ex and I taught the higher grades. I specifically taught grades 9 and 11. Grade 11 was their final year in school. The boys would then go off for a year to serve in the reserves. The girls during school would learn basic first aid which included giving B12 shots for anemia caused by Chernobyl. I learned a lot from my students and grew to care for them all. One time I decided to really get to know them so incorporated a healing circle with a talking stick, although I used a balloon. They were encouraged to tell me one thing about themselves. I had other teachers in the room at the time as this was something new to them which they would employ later on themselves. Those kids were very brave and told us about their home life which often included excessive drinking or physical or emotional abuse. As each student talked another one would be brave too. Their full-time teachers who had taught them for years were unaware of their issues. I like to think that this dialogue helped them support each other and to grow with the help of their teachers.
We met so many people and learned about their families through meals at their homes. We would often buy them roses as a thank you for their willingness to embrace us into their homes and share their love for their country. These roses came from little glassed-in wagons warmed by candles. You only bought roses in odd numbers, usually 3 as it was considered bad luck to do even numbers. The night we picked up the roses on route to dinner it was snowing. It felt magical as the snow swirled around us in the quiet night. The carts seemed another world. I guess in a way they were as they no longer exist.
Why am I telling you about this? I wanted to give you a glimpse in time of the beautiful country that we lived in and the courageous, kind and welcoming people of Ukraine. As you know in the early morning of February 24th, 2022 Russia invaded Ukraine. This broke my heart as I knew how much people had struggled even in 1996. Their homes, usually apartment buildings are being destroyed. Many had lived there all their lives, often inherited by their parents. They would have gardens out of the city to help with the high cost of food. Ukraine like in Canada was known for its grains. Just like us they had jobs to support their families. Their children learned English from the earliest of grades to be able to communicate in this world. For 8 long years, they have had the threat of Russia trying to take over their independent country. Russia had grabbed a part of the Crimean (and yes we visited Yalta on the Black Sea whose incredible beauty I will never forget) and we’re now trying to gain the whole country. Russia i.e. Putin is the ultimate bully just taking what he wants as he tries to recreate the former Soviet Union of Russia.
I know the world, (including many Russian people in St. Petersburg) were appalled by Putin’s actions. They are protesting and often getting arrested for doing so. I applaud their courage to stand up to this type of aggression. In free countries, many are demonstrating as well. We must in our own ways try to communicate to Ukraine that we are there for them. Short of war (a scary prospect) many increasingly harsh sanctions have been placed on Russia. I can only hope that these will be enough to have Putin back off. These are scary times for all as we watch in horror at what is happening in Ukraine. The magical Kyiv with its bevy of fountains at its center makes for an incredible capital. Its historic churches with their golden domes tower above their city. You could climb them and have an aerial view of the entire city. I shudder to think of all this history and historical buildings going up in smoke! Oh the people of Ukraine I grieve with you and stand with you and for you. I will continue to tell all I know about your beautiful country and about how your people changed my life. You became part of my soul.
Sue
So difficult to watch. It was an amazing experience for both Anne and myself. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Cathy! So remember our teenagers there in Ukraine. Such a wonderful experience which is why it is so difficult now!