Recently, my neighbour from my recently adopted (second) hometown Newick asked why I’m not returning to Ukraine. I was not ready for this question, or rather, I ask myself about it every day, but I still haven’t been able to get a very clear answer. I shyly replied that it’s still not entirely safe and went on thinking about it.
And really, why can’t I, a person of the 21st century, a woman with two children and an art teacher, live in my own lovely house in Odesa together with my beloved husband and old dog and visit my parents and friends whenever I want? Why can’t I work in my speciality, walk along the Black Sea coast and go to the theatre and cinema? Make plans for the future and live life in general? My own precious life?
Ukrainians have to prove we deserve to exist
There is an answer, but many will not like it. Many people think that the ‘hot’ war is over and only small ‘local conflicts’ are still happening. I’m afraid that’s not true. And even if we don’t count the daily and nightly bombing of peaceful cities and towns, a huge area, 64,600 square km, is still occupied by russia (sic)*. It’s more than 10% of the whole territory of Ukraine (the second biggest country in Europe).
We have lived ‘quietly’ for about 30 years and now we have to prove to ourselves and the whole world that we exist and deserve to exist, and prove that we are not Nazis (as russian propaganda likes to call us every day) nor some incomprehensible, inferior russians. We are one of the oldest nationalities and cultures in Europe. We still exist. We still sing Ukrainian folk songs, wear embroidered shirts, make inventions, write books and compose poems.
300 years of oppression
We come after generations of Ukrainians who were able to survive after more than 300 years of Moscow’s occupation and oppression. Recently, I read a demographic article, according to which today our population could have grown to 100m Ukrainians. But no, the enemy knows this and is systematically exterminating us. That is why there are fewer than 40m of us.
This extermination included: revolutions, the Second World War, during which, by the way, 100% of Ukrainian lands and only 3% of russian lands were occupied. Then there were terrible post-war repressions and maximum oppression of Ukrainian traditions, language and culture.
In Soviet times, absolutely everything Ukrainian was ridiculed, bullied, devalued and destroyed. Ukrainians were perceived as alcoholics, peasants, prostitutes, khokhols and just worthless servants and slaves of the russians. Our language was seen as stupid, our culture and history portrayed as fake and not deep. They wanted the world to believe this, for Ukrainians to believe this and come to terms with it.
However, as it turned out at the beginning of the war, we didn’t put up with it and we didn’t give up. Perhaps no one expected such courage from us. After all, only Ukrainians dared to defend themselves and their land in an open military conflict, to finally call the war a war and even count on victory.
Numerous recent wars involving russia
Perhaps someone will ask, what about other wars unleashed by russia in recent history in post-Soviet times? Yes, unfortunately, there were a lot of them. All of them, like our war, were disguised as civil wars and internal conflicts, in which russia simply ‘helped’ to defend the rights of certain peoples.
The uprising and military conflict in Georgia (1991-1992) was suppressed. According to the russian version, it was a civil war. At the same time, there was conflict in Abkhazia, which eventually became a puppet state, as well as Transnistria in 1992.
In the same year, the so-called Ossetian-Ingush conflict took place, as a result of which russia won, purging thousands of Ingush dissidents. This was followed by the so-called civil war in Tajikistan (1992-1997), a five-year armed conflict which ended with a so-called peace treaty. Then there was the terrible First Chechen War, which, by the way, russia lost (1994-1996) despite its considerable military advantage, and Ichkeria became de facto independent.
From 1999 to 2000, the Second Chechen War was launched, in which russia won and regained control of Ichkeria. This was followed by the second war with Georgia; again the conflict ended with the victory of our enemy. From 2009 to 2017 there was an armed conflict in the North Caucasus. Can you guess how it ended? I think you can.
2014 – the start of the war against Ukraine
It is very symbolic that I am writing my article today, because 20 February 2014 can be considered the full-fledged beginning of russia’s war against Ukraine. Known as the Revolution of Dignity, it was when people in Kyiv fought and died for their beliefs and thirst for independence, rebelling against the pro-russian President Viktor Yanukovych, who was dragging Ukraine away from democracy, dignity and freedoms.
And it was on this day, 20 February 2014, that Putin began his intervention on the Crimean Peninsula. Under the guise of ‘protecting’ the Black Sea Fleet’s facilities in Crimea, convoys of military personnel set off from Sevastopol to Feodosia and other airfields in order to once again protect the interests of russia. A month later, a pseudo-referendum was organised and ‘annexed’ Ukrainian Crimea into russia.
Over the past 10 years, the leadership of the peninsula has been oppressing Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars – the indigenous population of the peninsula – as much as possible. They also forcibly recruit Crimeans into the ranks of the russian army to fight against Ukraine.
Ukrainians carry on fighting
What does this story and depressing numbers have to do with anything? The point is that we all finally have a real chance to interrupt this tape of bloody ‘victories’ and interventions. Just imagine how many innocent people died because of the ruthless nature of Vladimir Putin and his corrupt entourage?
I believe that we, as a modern, strong society must protect the future of the planet from harmful dictators who have power, huge funds, almost endless obedient human resources and nuclear weapons. Only by uniting and focussing all our attention on victory will we be able to do this. It’s a real possibility, but we have to work faster.
Ukrainians are incredible, strong and courageous. They are not submitting to the enemy’s invasion. They stand to the death with hardly any weapons, but thousands of the best have already died. Ukrainians may run out. Believe me, you would not like living in a world where the russians have won again.
We are infinitely grateful to the British for their open doors and hearts, for their sincere help and support, but if we disappear as a nation, there will be no one to remember. Help Ukraine now! We desperately need you and your support.
Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the heroes!
*Many Ukrainians are using lowercase letters when referring to russia, see Politico.
