‘We will celebrate victory with the whole world’ | Ukraine: The Latest | Podcast

‘We will celebrate victory with the whole world’ | Ukraine: The Latest | Podcast

I’m David noes and welcome to a special episode of Ukraine the latest in September 2023 the Ukraine the latest team took a trip to Washington DC for our live show at the British Embassy while in the US I went to a Ukrainian festival at St Andrews Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral in Silver Spring

Maryland the festival promised Ukrainian music culture dancing singing and even a CAC bear Garden I was mean to hear the stories of the attendees some were fourth or even fifth generation American ukrainians others had arrived more recently in the US fleeing the 2022 fulls scale Invasion St Andrews is a

Little way out of Washington DC down the road is a Lutheran Church an opposite a psychic later I found out that the Ukrainian Orthodox cathedral’s next door neighbors the mosque had allowed them to use their land for parking I attended the festival over 2 days Friday the 15th

And Saturday the 16th of September here is what I found I started by talking to Peter a member of the congregation who showed me around this is the the backside of the cathedral we have seven acres here um we got a lake we’ve got tent set up for the

Festival which we try to promote Ukrainian culture Ukrainian music we got Ukrainian food here we got vendors anything Ukrainian you want um we’re going to have some live performances we have Ukrainian tent you said this started 20 years ago 20 something years ago and it just starts a small festival

And uh every year it’s getting bigger and bigger we are the Orthodox Church there’s other Ukrainian Orthodox churches and other Catholic churches but for some reason we just have a knack of putting on a good festival and improving every year reinvesting and it’s getting bigger and bigger and uh unfortunately

Because of the war it’s become much more popular but it’s amazing to see Americans it’s not just ukrainians coming here it’s it’s Americans all all different cultures and they show the support and uh profits go back to Ukraine and to help the war you know humanitarian relief what’s your sort of

Family connection to Ukraine then both my parents are Ukrainian they were refugees uh they went to Germany they were in refugee camps for you know I think up to nine years they were just there temporarily they went to Australia uh both of them separately they met in

Australia my dad got his PhD there he came to America back in 1959 they were in LA in Indiana then he moved to Buffalo New York and I have two older sisters and I’m the youngest and we grew up in a very strong Ukrainian community

In Buffalo and as we grew up we all moved to Washington DC and what does your Ukrainian sort of mean now in the midst of the full scan Invasion how do you think of it it’s just incredible he just shocked we were shocked in Ukraine you know like our relatives were never

Big fans of the Russians but never did they think that this would happen you know it’s unheard of so we’re just doing everything we can you know it’s unbelievable what father Stell and our little Parish have done with tractor trailers they go go to New York they fly

Things to Ukraine it’s incredible yeah we’re really proud to be ukrainians and we’re very proud with what the uh the ukrainians in Ukraine are doing it’s incredible what do your relatives over in Ukraine sort of make of what’s Happening Here it’s funny it’s interesting they do see us every once in

A while in voice voice of America in Ukraine and you know they just love Americans you know it’s amazing every I go to Ukraine and I’m like treated like like a god I don’t know what it is but the US government’s been so good over the years to Ukraine and I’m so glad

This Administration and hopefully the next administration supports Ukraine to the fullest till they win till till the Invaders are out get out of the country so we’ walk down to the sort of bottom of the garden here at the Cathedral and it’s difficult there’s so many there’s tents there’s shares everywhere there’s

A stage over there I think there’s a grill beer garden and down there there’s just a beautiful Lake as well it’s absolutely lovely lovely seene here yeah so what’s the plan for tonight start the festival I just heard they’re going to have a little program today and this

Will be a live performance and it’s a little warm-up for the big bash uh all day Saturday and Sunday so uh hopefully you know we’ll get another great turnout thank you very much next I headed into the church itself to speak to the priest Peter mention there father Vladimir Stak

Well father we’re standing in your beautiful church can you tell us just a little bit about the building why is this significant to the Ukrainian Community well first of all welcome and uh we have welcomed to our church individuals since 1949 here serving uh Ukrainian and American Community since

1949 we have been here when technically there was no Ukraine on a map we were Ukrainian Church but legally I guess officially there were there was no Ukraine even though we planted a uh shenko monument and later on we planted a famine Monument DC and this church and few other churches this is

The first church in the world dedicated to the Chernobyl victims we have consecrated and broke ground for this church in May I believe of 1986 the Chernobyl disaster took place in April 26 1986 so this church was dedicated to those victims so when you walk in the Orthodox

Church Your Instinct uh reaction is to be a bit overwhelmed by the paintings by the GL grander or or gold and paintings and iconographies and I guess marble floors and all that um it is supposed to do that it is intentional for us it’s the heaven on Earth uh this is H the

Church can be built in the form of a cross can be built in the form of the ship and that’s because outside the church they are the turbulent Waters of the world and anyone can come in this ship and be saved and we do we are intentional about decorating or or

They are spiritual they are not just decorations uh they have been put W prayers they were when you paint uh you read psalms and you don’t paint it is incorrect for us to say someone painted uh the icons are written so that is the the proper but the most central point of

Of the church is of course the altar which is separated by an icon screen golden as as you can see and that is called the iconostasis and uh those doors open and the priest serves in there and that is the place this is the place where we

Worship on a daily basis it is a community that is getting larger and larger more active as you can see today is our um large or the the largest event which is the Washington Ukrainian Festival which we welcome about 15,000 people can you tell us about the parish’s work during the fullscale

Invasion what kind of things have youve been doing of course when the war started we have realized that we were sucked in this uh Vortex of of evil and sadness anger all those emotions have have S surfaced certainly and we have seen the worst the worst of humanity but at the same time

Minutes after that we have seen I have seen the best of humanity the front of the church we had a mountain of flowers people came in to donate money clothing medical supplies anything they could and we were overwhelmed I always knew that they are the People by default are good people

And they’re kind and that’s what I I search in in instinctively and I always seen that it was so wonderful to see that exhibition of love and kindness and people across the world coming together it’s unfortunate that it takes an event like this but indeed it brought us together

Look what he did to to Europe every every country has its own interest but yet they all realize how important is to be together as well divided separated and yet together have you welcomed many families from Ukraine to the church to the parish uh during The fullscale Invasion and if so what’s their

Experience been like how have you worked with them so our humanitarian Center was established immediately after the full scale Invasion we have organized our humanitarian efforts uh we have sent over $10 million worth of humanitarian Aid ambulances Medical Supply countless uh we just send $6 Million worth of

Medicine uh that we got from benefactors and that was and continues to be our humanitarian effort as another section under that umbrella of the the humanitarian Center we also take care of the um refugees and every time we had refugees we try to do something for them it is

Hard because we had tens of thousands of people we are not a church that is capable to do too much but we make sure that we give some uh for children some cash give some computers or um some pay some bills so we try to do uh did we

Accomplish uh did we satisfy all our requests no far from it and that’s the sad part but we continue to support as much as we can what have you made of this solidarity of other Americans towards Ukraine is that something you feel on a on a day-to-day basis I’m just

Curious to to know what it’s like with your neighbors I know there are other churches and so on on on this road what have you felt from them well if you walk just few couple hundred meters you will find for example St Andrew another St Andrew Lutheran

Church and they have been very active their volunteers come to our volunteer Center on a weekly basis it’s like one family we are very close with with their Pastor uh we are very close to the community were we this closed or did we know each other before the war no and

Yet we were neighbors I I think what happened here is that there are some sensors that God put in us and Those sensors were were triggered in our human Essence we don’t tolerate we have an adverse reaction to evil acts to Injustice to uh Wars to killing it was so so

Blatant it was so unfair it was so unnecessary to invade an innocent country that done nothing and that touched that nerve that touched that sensor and and the whole world overall German speaking has felt that inner sensor that this is unfair some reacted much to be more engaged and to

Do something about some less but uh make no mistake that people do not tolerate this kind of behavior especially in the 21st century this isn’t supposed to sound like a trit question but it might do but as a priest as youve said you this war has shown as the best of

Humanity but also the worst to get through those those worst times and the worst news of the atrocities and the murders and the killings where do you go in in the Bible what do what guides you through that so I got a question from um I’m not sure

Was it CNN or one of the networks what do I think will happen what do I think God will do with Putin for example and my answer is that I will leave that for God to sort but I will tell you that that kind of diabolical

Act can only tell me and it shows what is in the heart do I decide or I want to decide where he will go and how will God no I don’t want to speculate we are we as Christians do not I’m not in business of speculating what will happen I will

We will leave that to God but it’s self evident and the scripture tells us to focus on the good on the positive on the future of Ukraine on the Peace of the world not unfiled and uh sick individuals it’s incredibly beautiful thank you so much for welcoming me here

Is there anything we haven’t spoken about that you think would be important for people to hear and understand this weekend we just started 20th Washington Ukrainian Festival we started this 20 years ago because here in Metropolitan Washington DC a lot of people there are a lot of ukrainians but the American community

Did not know who ukrainians are now the whole world knows who ukrainians are because of the unfortunate War but before that nobody knew and we had so much to share the culture the church the food the embroideries of the shirts the cuisine the stage that we have the music

That’s all there and it’s beautiful and people start coming so this is what ukrainians are fighting for this is their church this is their embroideries the food the culture the uh music and it’s finding for as we moved into the evening and the music got louder I got

To speak to some of the other people in attendance my name is Yuri 36 and I’m from Ukraine originally kitki region which is you probably more familiar with like L which is the most western portion so we’re more of uh probably like 3 hours away from L

Uh Southwest and what brought you to America originally I came here as a student exchange back in 2007 and then got an opportunity to join some uh additional courses besides like the that side job sort of speak that I came to do joined basically a local school and then decided to stick around

Afterwards and can you tell us about the parish what’s your experience here at the Cathedral well there are few Ukrainian churches in the area right but this this one makes you kind of feel at home every time you come here no matter whether it’s like official service you

Come to you know or you just come here to help around definitely feel like home and I guess the relationship you don’t get that you know I’m a priest and you’re like you know perish but more of like hey how you doing you want to have lunch together or something like that

That makes you kind of like feel equal you don’t you know you don’t feel left out basically and I enjoy that what have you made of the US’s support for Ukraine during the full scale Invasion and do you feel that solidarity from ordinary Americans in everyday life probably not

From everyone the solidarity you don’t get from everyone I don’t think every at least not every person I talk to or communicate with on a daily basis American uh people I refer to I don’t think everyone understands how it could play out in the long run like this whole

Invasion thing and stuff right you get you get opinions like we feel bad for Ukraine let’s let’s help them out as much as we can and then you get opinions like how much more are we going to help right we we getting inflation in the

Country or G prices are going up and all of that and then I oppose to that saying like Okay if if Ukraine Falls and Poland is next would you rather help now or would you send send your son or daughter to protect Poland due to like all the

NATO you know agreements and stuff normally that conversation ends really quickly right they they’ll say something like well that’s a different story that’s a different subject which to me I don’t think it is but many people unfortunately think when you talk to your relatives and friends in Ukraine

How does that conversation go what do you talk about so now now the conversations are a lot different they’re back to like normal how it used to be before the big scale Invasion right people are it’s surprising to me when I call my questions would still be

The same like I hope the city’s okay where you at I hope you’re you know building stands and stuff like that and for them it’s like well we had a an alarm or what siren go off because of the missiles coming and they land like a

Few landed in our city so yeah we spend a few hours at the basement but now I’m back up to normal you know brushing teeth washing face going to work and you’re like really you just had a missile Landing next to your house and you talk to it like it’s nothing so now

It’s now it’s different but the first few months for sure it was scary and for them and for me too thank you very much sure well danina thank you so much for your time tonight can you just tell us a bit about yourself what brought you to

The US and where have you lived when you’ve been here I came to us 10 years ago I came up with my husband cuz he entered University we were in New Orleans which is very very different from everything I’ve ever experienced I don’t know if you know but that’s a

Tropical climate uh it’s very different the people are very nice but honestly it was just too different for me and so uh 3 years ago basically when Corona virus started I came to Washington DC uh with my husband well he got a new job so we

Moved here I came to church pretty much right away and they welcome me and you know I’ve been with them I seen in their choir because you know I used to sing in a choir in Ukraine so this is something you know something very makes me feel

Like home because I come and that’s something I do every Sunday and turns out they have this great Festival every year uh this is Festival number 20 uh obviously they they skipped one for 2020 but uh yeah this is the 20th festival and I’m a perform in art stage

Manager I work in the theater uh so this is my second Festival that I’m working on uh program on stage uh this is the second year that we bring in uh Ukrainian artists uh so last year we invited ruslana she’s the winner of Eur vision from Ukraine uh 2005 I believe

Heron wild dances I think it’s in English got very popular she actually when she performed she broke the stage because they danced so intense that the stage broke it’s very funny but you know it’s a good spirit of Ukrainian dances I would say so she came to us and she

Performed two days other Ukrainian star Oxana bazir she’s also pretty popular in Ukraine she gave three big concerts during the festival and you know many many people came and last year especially because uh the fullscale War just started people were so happy to see people from Ukraine coming to perform

For them because that you know it reminds you about home it makes you feel like you’re at home you’ve lived in the US for a while now what’s it been like sort of adapting to American culture you know if why came to DC first not to New

Orleans it would have been different in New Orleans there were like five ukrainians and two of them were me and my husband so we always felt like we are visitors even though you know we made friends and everything it just it felt like we are visitors we’re just going to go back and

That’s pretty much what we planned but um you know we left during the revolution of uh dignity I was there on November 29 I was there there was like 50 people you know it just started basically people were protesting the political decision of not joining European Union it was very peaceful

Nothing nothing told me that something was coming and the next day I live for us and they started beating the students so since I left Ukraine there’s so much has happened it’s crazy do you find it difficult sometimes to talk to people back in Ukraine considering you’ve lived away for so

Long is is that hard yes I think so the more I’m here the more differences I can feel like it takes me time to adapt I would go to Ukraine every year until 2020 and I would need like a week to remember the difference like okay I’m

Here now this is this is Ukraine which I mean I feel like home there obviously but you notice these differences a little bit more every year I imagine much of your family and your friends are still back in Ukraine what do you say to them now 18 months into the the full

Scale Invasion what are those conversations like you know every conversation starts how are you and the answer thank God always is I’m alive that’s the best that can be right now even though people trying to go on with their lives they try to go out they get married they have children because like

You know it it has been a while and you just have to move on you just have to live somehow so you have to carry on but yeah every time I ask are you okay and I text and them pretty often like I would say more

Than I used to when I just came because I know oh they’re fine you know I see pictures on Instagram they’re fine okay but now unless they post a lot I don’t know are they alive I mean I have my uh cousin he went to Armed Forces my dear friend that I

Pray for him every day because he went for armed forces from like day one my husband got a second job to send more money to Ukraine because you know like my friend at the front line he says we need a car to evacuate people of course

We’re going to get money and send him because I know him very well he wouldn’t just say and he needs that and of course we just give him everything he needs when the full scale uh War started I was at the White House rally to support Ukraine every day

It was pretty much from 12:00 p.m. till 8:00 p.m. we were just there all the time it’s still every day there is someone with Ukrainian flag for an hour just to remind that you know it’s not over you know many people just forgot about the war it’s it’s not on the news

Anymore it’s not interesting for us it’s still going on we still read the news still every day we mourn someone we pray for someone someone died someone’s home was destroyed it’s everyday thing like it’s so it must be very nice to forget about it all but it

Is very real and uh thank you everyone who helps and unfortunately we have to ask to please help more to stop this war everything you can do anything just you know even just talking to people just share information is also help thank you very much thank you so

Much hi I’m Michael panko I’m captain in Civil Air Patrol I volunteer here for the United States Air Force auxiliary I’m an instructor drone pilot and a check pilot examiner for the Drone program I own a drone business above aeriel and a detailing company OC detailers I’m 50% Ukrainian and all of

My family has passed away so I’m here to meet my culture and taste food can you tell us a little bit more about your drone experience then what do you make of the the Drone war on the ground in Ukraine have you been much involved in

That what do you see so the Drone war is defin definitely a part of my life I’ve been helping my friends on the front line I’ve sent three drones to my friends there one of them’s already gone two of them I think are still in action

I hear from them they send me on telegram a lot of what’s going on and they send me the videos of their successes and I’m proud to be able to help them but at the same time it’s still not enough and I keep doing what I

Can to make people aware of this I wear the colors the flag everywhere I go I try to sail that flag so that people have to be reminded of it and have to stay focused on Ukraine what do your Ukrainian Heritage mean to you you said that nobody is alive now that

You can sort of share that with so so how do you sort of get in touch with it well being as proximity to something like this I live in Ocean City we don’t have a huge Ukrainian culture there we don’t have any restaurants I think we

Have one church it’s kind of far away and they only meet half like once a month there so I found this event promoted and I absolutely reached out because I was excited to go and just get close to things that I can’t I taste food that I can’t have be by the people

And hear the language and speak the language and practice where I can’t practice so that’s why I’m here and I’m tickled to death to be a part of it and to get to fly the Drone for it’s even cooler so we’re just taking off and we’re been taking video and photo and

Sharing it back with the church and with the event so that next year they can keep promoting it do you tell your friends on the front line and friends in Ukraine about this event and what how do you talk about what do they make of it

From all the way in Ukraine I’ve sent them some pictures just of me eating food here um they saw the food and they thought are you in Lviv they saw the beer and they they’re like what huh and I was like no no no I’m in DC guys because they because they’re like

Whatever you do don’t come to Ukraine now what are you doing coming here that’s literally what one guy wrote to me he’s like are you really here I was like no no no cuz I’ve always said I want to come I want to come they’re like no’s really not the best time unless

You’re doing something humanitarian and I don’t really have anywhere to go so I’m here to meet people to see humanitarian efforts and find out where I can plug in and give my time and effort and hopefully my donations so that they can actually make it to the

Front line and make it to my friends who are suffering and crawling around in a trench on a pretty day like this today these guys are stuck in the mud and you know dug in so you said for you coming here today it’s to some extent to try

And get into touch with your culture with your heritage and with your roots what’s your sort of favorite bit of it what have you enjoyed the most honestly my grandparents had the first Ukrainian Restaurant in Wilmington Delaware in 1926 I actually brought the sign in here from the restaurant where I’m going to

Use to take off from with the Drone that’s going to be my Landing Pad so that the Drone will be looking at their restaurant plaque a pankos family restaurant and then you’ll see this Ukrainian Festival so that’s kind of like my idea but the food obviously I can’t taste this food anymore my

Grandmother made it my grandfather made it and coming here today I’m just so excited to get to experience something that was so pivotal in their life but like now is almost lost because I’m not married and I don’t have anyone to share it With ukra thank you for everything you’re doing there no matter who you are for not leaving the ship for not abandoning the ship for not abandoning the country and just playing a role whether you’re a father still there and doing what you can so that your kids can

Still be there um and to have that life some people are you know still able to do that and some of the guys are constantly on the front line and fighting I’m just thankful to all of them guys girls everybody supporting the entire country everybody is strong and

To everyone in Ukraine we we care we’re watching we’re doing what we can to not let everybody rest on this now is not the time to get tired and now is the time to speak up and to keep moving and moving in that direction to put an end

To this Russian aggression thank you very much thank you my name isia I was grow up in kson region in Ukraine you know Ken newova City small City and my parents is still here uh there sorry sorry about my English uh and I worried about them every day but they

Don’t want to live uh their own country their cities their their home they they want to be there they live in uh left side of nio river and and uh they live in occupied territory they’re okay right now but they uh meet every day the bumbs I worried about them every day my

Mother said that our home where I was grow up was bumped just yesterday but they want still live there in their land in their country in their Ukraine they love their Ukraine and they believe that uh our army our soldiers will uh be that and then our csen region

Uh will be free from Russian occupation and I just I don’t know how to describe that feelings but I uh I’m very proud by about my parents because I’m not exactly like them I have a child I have a daughter because that’s why I’m here because I’m afraid of her life and uh

Her mental health too because she has some fears about the war about bombs about the sounds wor sounds you know but my parents very brave are very brave people and I prayed for them every day I prayed for Ukraine for every day and today’s uh Festival it’s a big opportunity to find

The same people who prayed for Ukraine every day too I’ve came here with two small baggage you know just without anything just me my daughter and my cat and two small baggies I met here people very open heart people they helped me a lot you know it’s it’s it’s

Unbelievable how people can be kind I met some people that help uh Us in Poland too because we were uh in Ukraine and then we came to Poland and then we came to uh United States and all time all the time I uh met very kind people very open heart people open soul

And it’s actually incredible because I I didn’t think uh previously that people could be so kind and it’s amazing it’s amazing experience you know I think in United States live uh the same people that live in Ukraine and they have the same feelings that have ukrainians and I felt this and I hope

Our Victory will be not for ukrainians but for all people in the world my last question um when you see your parents again what will be the first thing you think you will do as a family I I’ll say that that I love them too much and that I’m proud of

Them because I have no I I’m not so brave that them I can’t live there I was living in KVs but when was bomed I live K because of my daughter you know but they they did uh they didn’t want to leave then in the in the beginning of

The war they didn’t laugh in the mid middle of a war and they didn’t want to they don’t want to leave any of time I I want to be like they but they can’t and I’m very proud of them and I want to say that words to them every every time

What I uh speak to them they didn’t uh talk about the situation they have but I know what they feel because I read the news but they don’t they don’t want to talk with me about the situ situation they live in but I know it’s very complicated is your daughter please

Don’t worry is your is your daughter enjoying the US is she making friends having fun um it’s a little bit difficult you know to make new friends uh in a short period of time but my daughter uh tried to make new friends they have some friends here already but they

Miss they miss so much about the life that she had in Ukraine she loves their life here because uh it’s very safe uh she has a lot of new opportunities uh here to learn English to make uh new friends but uh she she’s still want to visit her uh friends

There she miss about her friends her grandparents a lot if I can talk all people who live Ukraine I wish to say that they’re very brave people and they should support Ukraine uh Ukrainian Army I believe every Ukrainian who uh left Ukraine support Ukrainian Army like me and I wish

To take that we are believing in uh Victory we want to win and we want to see our families our own land again because it’s very hard it’s very hard to be so far from our land I see the dreams about my hope and I know a lot of ukrainians have

Uh seen a lot of dreams about the Ukraine about their families and I believe I believe that the victory will be soon uh we will celebrate with uh all the world the This episode was written and recorded by me David NS The Producers were Elliot lampit and Louisa Wells we’ll be back tomorrow with a normal episode but for now happy New Year from the Ukraine the latest team wherever you’re Listening

In September 2023, the Ukraine: The Latest team took a trip to Washington DC for a live show at the British Embassy. While in the US, host David Knowles went to a Ukrainian festival at St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral in Silver Spring, Maryland.

The festival promised Ukrainian music, culture, dancing, singing, and even a Cossack beer garden! In this special episode of Ukraine: the latest, David meets attendees, some of whom were 4th or even 5th generation American Ukrainians, and some who had arrived more recently, after fleeing the 2022 full scale invasion.

Thank you to St Andrew’s for welcoming us: https://www.standrewuoc.org/

Charities: We have spoken to many charities this year – from Vans Without Borders, to GP Now, to KHARPP – and we receive many messages from listeners asking for recommendations of charities they can support.
We include a link to the Ukrainian Institute of London’s list of charities and organisations they recommend: https://ukrainianinstitute.org.uk/russias-war-against-ukraine-what-can-you-do-to-support-ukraine-ukrainians/

Many of our listeners have raised concerns over the potential sale of Telegraph Media Group to the Abu Dhabi-linked Redbird IMI. We are inviting the submission of comments on the process. Email salecomments@telegraph.co.uk or dtletters@telegraph.co.uk to have your say.

Subscribe to The Telegraph: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatest
Email: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk