Ukraine - here we come!

Svetlana and Vitaly in village Yahidne tell horrific and humorous stories

On Tuesday 7.10 we go again to Ukraine. Sixth tour. This time to Chernihiv in northern Ukraine.

The city was designated a hero city by the Ukrainian government for withstanding an invasion by Russian troops during the first days of the war. Much of the surrounding villages were taken by the Russians, but they were stopped outside the city by local forces and civilian bravery. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siegv e_of_Chernihi

We will visit some volunteer organizations. The most exciting, however, will be visiting the villages of Lukashivka and Yahidne, which were previously occupied by the Russians. There is a lot to read online.

Lukashivka: how the village lived under occupation - Заборона

Yahidne: concentration camp’: Life and death in Chernihiv Region’s village

Stay with a family in the village

And on this trip we will try something new. We split into small groups and stay with families in the village of Yahidne. The same setup I had on almost all tours to distant countries. Most often, this became the highlight of the tour.

Follow us on this blog and read about what the villagers say about the occupation. What individual Russians did, what they said, and how they treated the people in the village.

Many cancellations

It's very comforting that we are so many – 20 participants, of whom 9 come from countries other than Sweden.

But you must know that I have had to work for it. Seven cancellations.

People canceled after a major Russian attack, because their children were worried, but also due to personal circumstances.

I myself am surprised that the damage is not greater from the intense Russian attacks. When Kyiv was attacked overnight with 600 drones and 60 missiles, four people were killed, and I recall that the number of injured was around forty. One would think that the damage would be even worse.

Kyiv is a city with 4.5 million inhabitants. So the probability of getting seriously hurt is minimal. That same evening, two people were shot to death in Gothenburg. When writing this I hear the news that five people were shot in Gävle.

Presumably, there is a slightly higher risk of now visiting Ukraina, compared to staying at home. The risk of getting into trouble exists both here at home and over there. But the difference is not that big. I myself broke my nose a month ago. Don't want to show that picture.

Next tour in April

Absolutely amazing – we already have 14 bookings for the trip in April with the same itinerary as this one in October. Join us! Blog | Visit Ukraine

Best regards,

Christian

PS. If you want to support any of the organizations we visit, of course you can send me money. In Sweden via Swish at +46 /6 94 33 8 11.