Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Michael Reeve

STAND WITH UKRAINE

Kamloops’ Ukrainian community preparing to celebrate third Independence Day since Russian invasion

Aug 23, 2024 | 6:30 PM

KAMLOOPS — Saturday (Aug. 24) will mark 913 days since Ukraine was invaded by Russian forces. And while muted celebrations during war have seemingly become a norm for the Ukrainian people, year three has a different feel.

“It’s, unfortunately, a very hard price of people who are dying every day to defend their land,” Oleksandr Kondrashov, with Stand with Ukraine Kamloops, told CFJC Today. “We stay hopeful but we remind ourselves that it’s the world that needs to come together to stop aggression. Ukraine is trying but it needs world support.”

In recent weeks and months, Ukraine has been on the offensive — in some cases pushing into Russian territory as the war drags. But as time passes, so too does connection to those not personally impacted.

“War fatigue is a very real concern. We are grateful for people of Kamloops that they come here every Saturday, so we never stop, we are the longest standing peaceful gathering in western Canada,” said Kondrashov. “People of Kamloops are showing that solidarity matters and we need to be here every single Saturday to remind.”

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Kamloops has seen a number of Ukrainian families arrive since February 24, 2022, with the community ballooning to around 300. Those who were forced to flee bring with them their culture, food, but also, sadly, the memories of war replaying in their minds.

“Many people stayed here because they found jobs and people of Kamloops who offered jobs allow that security to build that home outside of home. For [Ukrainians], even the concept of home is very fragile because they will never when they come back. Can they come back (to Ukraine)? All of those questions are still unknown,” added Kondrashov.

While Independence Day has already begun in Ukraine due to the time difference, Kamloops’ celebrations will begin with a language class Saturday morning, and include church services and prayers honouring fallen soldiers, a celebration outside City Hall and an evening potluck dinner — all with the hopes that this could be the last Independence Day celebrated in the shadow of conflict.

“I hope that we will celebrate as we did before, as just celebration as a way of peoples’ freedom of democracy, peoples’ celebration of the right to be free on their land,” said Kondrashov.