Dauphin planning rally for Ukraine

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This article was published 27/02/2022 (1476 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A rally is set to take place in Dauphin this week in support of Ukraine, as the country battles for its independence against invading Russian forces.

The Stand with Ukraine Rally will take place Wednesday in front of Dauphin City Hall at 6 p.m. Participants are encouraged to make signs and come out to show support for the country under attack.

Alia Marcinkow, who lives just outside Dauphin, said it has been a horrifying experience watching Russia forces advance in Ukraine. It has left her feeling numb with disbelief.

“The first day, it was like utter and complete shock,” Marcinkow said. “Tears just kept flying.”

The Canadian Press reported Friday Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada would sanction Russia’s Vladimir Putin and other top Kremlin figures, holding them responsible for the “brutal, needless attack” on Ukraine. Trudeau added Canada would support the removal of Russia from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT).

The incremental pressure by Canada, the United States and its European allies came in the face of a desperate and dramatic plea by Ukrainian lawmakers to come to their country’s aid as their army and civilian defence forces were attempting to stave off the massive land, air and sea invasion by Russia, reported The Canadian Press. Forces are advancing on the capital of Kyiv, after invading the country on Thursday in a three-pronged attack that included ground forces, aerial bombardment and a maritime assault from the Sea of Azov in the fiercest fighting the European continent has witnessed since the Second World War.

Ukrainian lawmakers exhorted Canada and its allies on Friday to impose a no-fly zone against Russian airstrikes and be prepared to fight on the ground to defend their common freedom.

Canada has about 3,400 troops on standby ready to deploy if needed, in addition to 460 additional troops pledged to NATO operations in Europe earlier this week.

While Marcinkow was born in Canada, she said, she has a soulful connection to Ukraine.

“Our hearts belong to this country. Our souls belong to this country, and we do have family in this country, too,” Marcinkow said. “We’re Ukrainian Canadians. The Ukrainian identity is so strong.”

The Ukrainian Canadian Congress Manitoba held a Stand with Ukraine rally in Dauphin in early February.

“We just came together, sang the Ukrainian anthem and just spoke with each other. I think it has brought people together and I think it has brought non-Ukrainians together,” Marcinkow said.

It has been amazing to see the community outreach taking place during the war. Friends and neighbours are checking in, trying to stay informed and offering support in any way they can during the invasion.

Ukrainian troops and civilians have been armed and will not stop fighting, she said, but she remains anxious about what will happen if the world does not rise up in support of the country.

“Ukraine has been a battleground for centuries — it the gateway to Europe, the gateway to Russia,” Marcinkow said. “The resources in Ukraine are rich, the natural resources are rich … It’s always been a battleground.”

Marcinko visited Ukraine four years ago. It was interesting because she has been visiting the country for many years. Her last trip was different, though, because it was after the Russian annexation of Crimea and the Ukrainian Revolution of Dignity in February 2014.

“It was a place that was finally coming into its own culture and its own nation after being oppressed for so many years,” Marcinkow said. “The people felt free to be who they were. To be Ukrainian — it was beautiful and hopeful.”

It has been inspiring to see how Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky is rallying Ukrainians to defend the country, she said.

“I saw a thing today online that said the Americans urged Zelensky to leave and he said, ‘I don’t need a ride, I need ammo,’” Marcinkow said. “I think people are finally believing how resilient Ukrainians are. We’ve been doing this for centuries.”

The future seems bleak right now for not only Ukraine, but the world. Marcinkow hopes NATO puts in a no-fly zone around Ukraine because this is where the country is most lacking in defence.

Independence and freedom are values that run through the veins of the country, said Ukrainian Canadian Congress of Manitoba member Yevgeniya Tatarenko. Ukrainians are ready to fight to their very last breaths in their defence.

In the first days of the invasion, Ukrainians were focused on how to help family and friends and ensure their safety. As the war has escalated, these tensions have only increased.

The attacks were unexpected and have caused massive damage in the country, Tatarenko said, especially for innocent civilians. Tatarenko’s native city, Zaporizhzhia, was attacked Friday night. The photos her friends and family have sent show the devastating damage.

The airstrikes and bombing have been horrifying, and many Ukrainian Canadians have been staying up late into the night to stay informed on the different dangers in the country.

“I’m so proud of every single Ukrainian in Ukraine. The bravery and the level of bravery are just incredible,” Tatarenko said. “It impresses me so much that everyone they decided to hold guns, hold weapons just to fight for their country.”

Ukrainian Andriy Chutrov moved to Dauphin in 2016 after first immigrating to Winnipeg in 2009. There is a strong Ukrainian community in Dauphin, he said, that takes great pride in its heritage and traditions.

“They have kept the spirit of their country very well around here,” Chutrov said.

They are now gathering together in mourning and trepidation over the future of their country after the Russian invasion.

Chutrov is living life by the minute right now, hoping his friends and family in the country are alive and safe.

“First of all, you feel fog and denial, but then you quickly realize that the news that is pouring in from trusted sources,” he said.

Chutrov and his wife both have families in Ukraine, including their parents and siblings in their hometown of Kryvyi Rih.

Since the conflict started, they now talk a few times each day. Chutrov anxiously looks for the green dot beside people’s names on social media because it means they are alive and online.

He has been inspired by volunteers between the ages of 18 and 60 who are not already in ready Ukrainian Forces or territorial defence forces who are taking up arms to protect their country.

“Ukraine is having a big problem with Russian troops since 2014, and that is over eight years. Serving in Ukraine is not voluntary — people have been going to training and to defend their own sovereign territories,” Chutrov said.

Those who cannot fight are moving to the west, but many are refusing to leave their homes.

“We didn’t do anything wrong. We just want to protect what is ours,” Chutrov said.

The Ukrainians want nothing but to defend their nation and freedoms, he said. Chutrov said Ukraine is a democratic country with a democratically elected president and the freedom of speech and choice — something that does not happen in Russia.

“Nobody ever thought that after almost 80 years of peace in the heart of Europe, we would have such conflict,” Chutrov said. “In my opinion, it’s not just about Ukraine anymore. It’s about world peace.”

He worries Russia will move to a new target if the world does not rise in support of Ukraine and as a show of force against Putin.

“Our patriots of Ukraine that are defending our land are saying right now to for our unexpected and unwanted guests — welcome to hell,” Chutrov said.

» ckemp@brandonsun.com, with files from The Canadian Press

» Twitter: @The_ChelseaKemp