Kyiv
- christianjutvik
- Aug 18
- 5 min read
13.8
Train in time as usual after a good sleep at the night train from Mykolaiv. Took the metro to Khreschatyk station which the closest to Maidan. Early morning and too early for checkin to iconic Hotel Ukraine. Breakfast at the hotel. At 10 we had our first meeting at the big organisation Glory UA.
This organisation was the first to help in introducing FVP dorones supporting the army. They also support military personel with legal advice and make documentary films. The most known is Follow Me, about the unbelievable story how a drone saved the lifes of a man and a woman. Has been shown on Swedish television. Do watch it on Youtube!,
Ola Sydhi spoke. Lot´s of technical details and a bit to fast for us Swedes to follow.
After a break with tea and cookies my friend Alex Trebenko stept in and presented the rather well known and very inventive organisation UAPostcards. #StandWithUkraine - UA Postcards
It takes a long text to explain how they operate. But do click the on the link above and you will be amazed. For 25$ you can have a postcard with an iconic picture sent to a friend anywhere. Myself I sent a greeting in Swedish language to a friend. Three weeks later he got it - written nicely in Swedish.
UAPostcard includes information on the tours we do. With their help I haveen able also to reach people outside Sweden. Next tour in October we already have seven people from other countries, among them one American.
We walked the steep cobbled streets passing impressive S:t Andrews church to reach my favorite lunch restaurant Puzata Khata.
Children of Heroes are supporting 14 000 children who have lost their father in the war. The biggest charity providing long-term complex support to Ukrainian children who have lost one or both parents in the Russian-Ukrainian war - the worst war in Europe since World War II. With the help of local members they are able to keep contact with all these children. They are now looking for sponsors abroad. A chance for you to give support which is not for the military efforts. Donate to Children Of Heroes Of Ukraine Foundation
We met with Radetsky, a group of friends (women only) who collects money for the military by organising events with singing and dancing and serving coctail at different bars which gave the alkohol for free, but sold for regular prices.
14.8
Our last day and to see some of the great attractions of this grand city. We had a a guide hired. She made us sit down to listen to a speech on the founding of Kyiv some 1000 years ago. I got bored. After 20 minutes I asked her to show us the city insted. She took us to Sofia Cathredral. Built in the 11th century by Yaroslav the Wice. There the guide suddenly left and we managed the sightseeing ourselves. We stepped inside the church and continued to some of the other sights.
Taxis to the perhaps most famed church, which is combined with a monastery, Perchersk Lavra or the cave monastery. Building was started in 1051. The catacombs were now closed, but we entered the church. Inside there was a choir hidden on a balcony somewhere high up. The song really sounded heavenly.
On the floor women were lighting candles and praying. For what and to whom, was up to guess.
Every church has a separate clocktower. Higher or lower depending on the importance of the church. In the Lavra it was 100 meters high and possible to climb up the dwindling stairs. I was sweating, but all of us did it. Up there we got a formidable view of the church golden spires from above. And a great part of the 3,5 million city.
Boel with the view of Motherland statue in the background
Returned from Arsenal metro station. The deepest metro station in the world. Going down the escalator I clocked 4 min 15 seconds to reach the platform.
Reaching Maidan we passed the field of flags, each one marking a fallen soldier. There are also some non-Ukrainian flags, among them some Swedish. I could not really count the number.
We also found one of the most prominent “Banksy”. With some help from Photoshop it looks like this.
In the evening we took the train to Chelm in Poland.
15.8
I fell asleep soon after leaving Kyiv. At two we were woken up by Ukranian immigration, maybe got to sleep again only to soon be woken up again by the Polish checking passports and asking me if I carried som alcohol. Said I did not in order to get some more sleep. Arrived in Chelm after a short night. From there by train to Warsaw where we changed train for Gdansk and on to Polferry terminal. After a comfortable crossing we arrived next day in Nynäshamn. Also this tour went according to plan and without any incidents.
This is not just a war on territory. It is a war for our values. The young generation of Ukranians are looking forward to freedom and a future in a civilized society. Personal freedom and freedom to express their own culture.
Russia thought they would capture Ukraine in a week. But they could not. The civilian resistance stopped the Russians in the first days. The Ukrainian soldiers fought fiercely. Since then Russia changed tactics: To terrorize the the whole society by destroying civilian infrastructure with the aim of making life unbearable. Also this strategy has failed.
After three and a half year of continuous bombardment and much suffering, people are still fighting for a free Ukraine within the established borders.
The military resistance grows stronger every day. But without the civilian support behind the frontline, resistance would not have been possible. Without all these 10th of thousands of voluntary organizations and individual sacrifices, Ukraine would no longer exist.
To me it is a privilege to meet some of these organizations and all the hardworking young people. As a side effect this group of only 10 persons left approximately 21 000€ behind in Ukraine.
In my opinion everybody who have the means should visit Ukraine. And do this now! Now when a new Europe is shaped. We all have to be part of the force!
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