A group of about 50 gathered Wednesday at the state Capitol to commemorate the second anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine with a strong message: Stand with Ukraine.
They said it with signs, speeches, in interviews, with
donations and waving the yellow and blue Ukrainian flag.
“I thank America for support for Ukraine,” and for its support for Ukrainian refugees, Oleg, a 50-year-old part-Ukrainian man from Russia living in Hawaii, told this reporter, but declined to give his last name for fear of retaliation against relatives
in Russia.
“We pray for munitions and weapons. Otherwise Ukrainians would be (victims of) genocide by Russian troops, which happened in all
occupied territories.”
“I’m supporting Ukraine as much as I can,” Oleg said. “You cannot imagine the atrocities in Russian-occupied territories. In Mariupol, they killed 25% of the people.”
Some attending the rally were refugees.
Yana Kotenko, a single mom
of three boys, ages 7, 11 and 16, recalls Feb. 24, 2022, in her hometown of Dnipro.
“We wake up, hear bombs. It was so scary. So danger.”
“Four to five big bombs. My house was like” shaking, she gestured.
She and her children stayed in the basement, slept wearing all their clothes. Kotenko packed up her three kids and their cat in the car and drove to Nuremberg, Germany, and stayed in a hostel with 250 other Ukrainian refugees.
After living there for awhile, friends invited her to come to Hawaii. “I started life from zero, from nothing,” she said. But she is now able to make a living as a makeup artist and hair stylist.
She said it’s not been easy for her teenage son to go from place to place, but the younger boys have made an easier transition.
Alina Shabanova, 35, is also from Dnipro, and also recalls waking Feb. 24, 2022, to the bombing 50 miles away.
“Everything stopped for me,” she said. “I try to live new life.”
She went to Germany by bus. Four months ago, she flew to Hawaii to join her American boyfriend.
“It’s safety for me.”
Rep. Terez Amato (D,
Kihei-Wailea), on behalf of the state House of Representatives, presented a certificate of appreciation to Lara Palafox, representing the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America.
It says “this body commends this exemplary organization, its members and the people of Ukraine for standing up for democracy. …”
Palafox urged supporters, “We need to rally, spread the word. If not, Russia is spreading the word about Russia,” with propaganda, confusing people, trying to divide America.
She spoke to why, saying it’s for humanitarian reasons, “the horrors taking place in Ukraine. There’s
no break for the people of Ukraine, the soldiers.”
Palafox also said it’s about political stability. “These tyrannical regimes are ready to pounce.”
“It’s not against a race
of people,” she said. “It’s against a regime.”
She urged people to keep helping Ukraine, including supporting groups like Hawaii Stands with Ukraine on Facebook.
She shouted to the crowd, “Slava Ukraini!” meaning “Glory to Ukraine.”
The crowd responded, “Heroyam Slava!” meaning Glory to the Heroes.
Antonina Thompson, translator for refugees for the past two years, held a poster that read, “Thank you Hawaii.”
She addressed the group, saying people from Hawaii have been supporting
efforts by a man from Japan, Fuminori Tsuchiko, who has risked his life in Ukraine, living in the subway, and is feeding up to a thousand people now, mostly elderly.
She urges others to join by supporting the Fumi Caffe Ukraine’s GoFundMe page.
Anya Yushchenko, 43, of Kauai, smiled when she saw a full rainbow that appeared mauka of the state Capitol.
“When the war just started, we were devastated,” she said. She said she led a group on Kauai in meditation for 10 to 15 minutes.
“That shifted the energy from despair to hope,” she said. “All internal. Find a place within to find peace without.”
Marika Dubyk, a Canadian visitor of Ukrainian descent, said she has been involved in her Toronto community collecting donations and purchasing medical supplies since 2014 when Russia first invaded Ukraine, which are distributed to field hospitals in Ukraine.
