Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine has transplanted over 300 Ukrainian survivors to the Comox Valley over the past three years.
Some are men and a few are grandmothers, but the majority are women and school-aged children. What we can be certain of is that all have left their homes and jobs, their families and friends and the country they love. They are also deeply grateful for the support from Comox Valley residents.
We, in the West, cannot be certain why the illegal war was initiated in the first place. You are not alone if you are trying but failing to make sense of the invasion. Did it start in 2014, when Russia first invaded Crimea, or even before? Is it solely Putin’s War or is it shared by the Russian people? Has Russia always thought of the area of Ukraine as a vassal Russian-controlled colonial state? Does this ugly war have its roots in history? Is Putin distorting history to provide what he considers a valid rationale to take all of Ukraine followed by the rest of Europe? Or is his intention to claim only the Ukrainian regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia?
Those of us living in the West have difficulty separating outright media lies from partial truths and distortions when considering events in Eastern Europe. The Comox Valley Ukrainian Cultural Society (CVUCS) is pleased to announce that Dr. Serhy Yekelchyk, a professor of History and Slavic Studies at the University of Victoria has accepted an invitation for a return Zoom engagement.
Dr. Yekelchyk’s specialty is Russo-Ukrainian relations. Understanding why Ukraine was illegally invaded will not change or stop the pain endured because of this war. However, understanding it might assist us in focusing on strengthening the elements central to evolving and maintaining a vibrant functional democracy, here at home in Canada.
Yekelchyk, born and educated in Ukraine, received a bachelor's from Kyiv University, his master's from the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences and a doctorate from the University of Alberta. He is the author of eight books on modern Ukrainian history and Russo-Ukrainian relations, including the award-winning Stalin’s Citizens: Everyday Politics in the Wake of Total War. In addition, Yekelchyk is the current president of the Canadian Association for Ukrainian Studies.
Please bring your interest and questions on June 10 to the Multipurpose Hall A at the Comox Community Centre (1855 Noel Ave). Doors open at 7:00 p.m.
Admission is by donation. CVUCS members are free.
All proceeds will support the ongoing integration of Ukrainian newcomers living in the Comox Valley. Donations gratefully accepted via e-transfer to cvukrainianculturalsociety@gmail.com.
