Today marks four years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Association of Moncton will hold a peaceful rally in front of Moncton City Hall on Tuesday afternoon as a reminder.
“To remind everyone that the war is still ongoing, the killings are not stopping, and the genocide is not stopping. We believe that in times like these, it’s really important for the community to come together and know that they’re not alone and that we always have each other. We all have many conflicting feelings of sorrow and loss. It’s always better to come together and share hope,” explained Association spokesperson Nikita Sivets.
Around 1000 Ukrainians live in Greater Moncton, and those who can will attend these events.
The Association holds at least two peaceful rallies each year. One on Independence Day and the other on February 24, the anniversary of the invasion by Russia.
At this rally, they’ll wave flags and deliver messages of hope. They’ll perform the Ukrainian national anthem, hold a moment of silence for those lost in the war, sing a Ukrainian song and also hear remarks from the President of the Association.
The rally aims to honour the memory of those who have fallen, express solidarity with Ukraine and raise awareness of the ongoing humanitarian and geopolitical consequences of the war. Many in the Ukrainian community have lost family members, friends and other loved ones.
Sivets is one of many whose family is still in Ukraine. “My grandparents are still there, both of them. One pair of my grandparents is in the occupied territories right now, and the other pair is 30 kilometres to the front line. It’s very bad feelings, like every single day, because they express that they’re not able to leave the scene and for health reasons. They keep telling me that it’s their home, it’s where they grew up. One of the grandparents in the occupied territory, they built the house that they live in, and they just won’t let it go. So we are scared for them every single day.”
The rally will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 pm in front of Moncton City Hall. The group will then return to their Ukrainian Hub on St.George Boulevard to watch a movie about life in Ukraine over the past year.
“The support is more important than ever. And the Ukrainian community tries to do as much as we can,” Sivets stressed.
