About 50 people came out, including several from the war-torn country
Photos by Marty Cheek Above left: Lifelong Morgan Hill resident Alexis Kerr carries two signs in support of the Ukrainian people at the March 19 flag-raising ceremony.
By Marty Cheek
Photo courtesy City of Morgan Hill
Under a stormy gray sky, the yellow and blue stripes of Ukraine’s national flag rose over Morgan Hill’s Civic Center Plaza at a March 19 ceremony. The event brought about South Valley 50 residents together to show solidarity for the people of that war-torn land.
Standing among them were about 10 men, women and children of Ukrainian ancestry, including at least two who had recently fled the violence in their homeland. Several of them spoke of the emotional impact Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attack on Ukraine has had on them and their families.
Among the Ukrainian speakers was Oakwood High School senior Roman Moskalenko, an exchange student from Kyiv. He came to study in the United States in the summer of 2018.
Photo by Marty Cheek
“I want to ask one very simple question to you all,” he said in a strong Ukrainian accent. “Have you ever had your home taken away from you? Have you ever had the feelings you don’t have a home anymore, that there is people who came to your house and took it away from you?” He paused. “My parents in Ukraine, my family in Ukraine, and everyone that is there, I have nowhere to go. My home is taken away. These people with guns from Russia who came and decided that they are better — I don’t know what they want. They just came and destroyed my house.”
He thanked the people for their support of the people of Ukraine.
“Here in California, we can also fight. We can also be part of the war. We can be part of the industrial war. We can try to kick out all the big companies in Russia. We can try to fight the Russian propaganda. We can do so much . . . My message is we can always do more.”
His American girlfriend, Zoe Chamberlain, also an Oakwood senior, added her thoughts about supporting Ukrainians to stand up against Putin’s soldiers.
Photo courtesy City of Morgan Hill
“A lot of us might feel helpless, but we’re not. There’s a lot that we can do,” she said. “The main thing is, don’t stop talking about Ukraine no matter what, no matter how long it gets from February 24. You can make a difference. It doesn’t have to cost money to make a difference. Even attending a protest does so much. If Ukrainians can protest in the eyes of Russian tanks, we really have no excuse.”
As specks of rain dropped on the plaza, other Ukrainians and Ukrainian-American residents of the Bay Area shared their thoughts and feelings about the conflict in Eastern Europe. Several described the war as a fight for freedom and democracy not just for Ukraine but for humanity. They expressed gratitude to the people of South Valley for supporting their struggle to survive against the constant bombardment and shooting of civilians in Ukrainian communities.
Ukrainian native Sergii Ishehenko, who now lives in Sunnyvale, stood with his young son Mykhaylo next to him as his wife, Olga Drozdova, observed from the crowd. The young man stated with simple defiance in his voice: “I’m so proud being here today and I’m grateful the city council and the mayor made this raising of the Ukraine flag today. I just want to tell you we have to call this by its proper name. It’s not just a war, it’s a genocide against the Ukrainian people.”
Photo courtesy City of Morgan Hill
He described 300 years of Russian aggression against the people of Ukraine in trying to “steal” their land, and finished his remarks by saying: “I just want to quote the famous song from Pink Floyd: ‘Together we stand, divided we fall.’ So thank you for standing together with Ukraine and thank you American people, for people of Poland, for people of other countries who support Ukraine. Let’s be strong together.”
Morgan Hill resident Steven Pifer, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine for three years during the Clinton administration, described the beauty of the land and the warmth of its people when he, his wife, Marilyn, and their daughter, Christine, lived in the capital city of Kyiv.
“What Russia is doing now in the 21st century — this is the biggest war in Europe since 1945,” he said. “This is unacceptable. It’s unacceptable that the Russian military is indiscriminately shelling civilian areas.”
He discussed how Ukrainians demonstrated their desire for peace by giving up the world’s third largest arsenal of nuclear weapons after the fall of the Soviet Union. They did so under the expectation they would be protected by the United States.
“Let’s all hope this tragic war ends as quickly as possible. Too many people have died,” he said. “I’m also grateful to the city council for doing something like this because these types of ceremonies, this kind of support matters.”
He ended his talk by calling out the national greeting “Slava Ukraini!” (“Glory to Ukraine!”) The reply from Ukrainians in the crowd was “Heroiam slava!” (“Glory to the heroes!”).
At its March 16 meeting, the Morgan Hill City Council approved the flying of the flag of Ukraine over city facilities that also include the Community and Cultural Center. The council also approved a resolution declaring the city “wishes to support a secure, independent and democratic Ukraine” and “condemns the violent invasion by Russia.”
Since the invasion of Ukraine began Feb. 24, nearly 4.1 million refugees have fled Ukraine and an additional 6.5 million people have been displaced in the country, according to the United Nations. More than 1,000 soldiers and civilians have been killed since the fighting began.
