I came back from the Makariv area in Kyiv province last week. We delivered some humanitarian aid by several vans: we brought about 2300 loaves of bread, some other food, instruments like a welding machine, a chainsaw, cutting wheels, and others. We have brought some basic building materials as well. It was unexpected to understand that PVC foil is in such great demand. It’s because people use it to cover the broken windows to be able to return to live in those apartments that have not been burned or demolished.
It took me some time to digest everything we’ve seen and heard before putting the video together and writing this post. I still lack words to describe that visit. Seeing the photos and videos is so different from the experience you get when you come in person.
The impression we got on the 1st day was scary. Makariv looked like a ghost town. Just listen to the sound in this video:
However, the town, as well as the nearby villages are all being cleaned now and life is getting back there. Slowly. The yellow question marks and red flags mean that the household has been mined:
But the yellow marks on the gates and mailboxes like in the photo below mean that the sappers have already checked it and it is safe to come in.
These photos were taken in Andriivka village the next day. The village was being demined and the locals were clearing the rubble. You may have already met refugees from Andriivka in our recent posts. Petro who is temporarily living with his family in the west of Ukraine today joined us to go to see his village as well.
Petro’s house was burned down to ashes. Andriivka is one of the most damaged villages in the Makariv region of Kyiv province.
Many things we’ve seen and stories we’ve heard are so difficult to comprehend. So many questions arise. Even after the Bucha massacre, it is shocking to understand who came to occupy Ukraine. Have a look at the skulls and bones in the photo below. They were painted silver by the Russian soldiers and put on the road to their staff office that was located on the farm premises. The soldiers who murdered many civil citizens of Andriivka. Why? None of the Andriivka citizens can understand what they mean. We can make suppositions only.
What does the installation of the bicycles damaged by heavy vehicles on the farm fence mean? It was put by the Russian soldiers too. Does it have any meaning at all? Is it just senseless humor of the barbarians?
The video below is just a tiny part of the stories from Andriivka that can be told. As one of the men who survived the occupation said, no one will ever understand us and what we’ve been through.
I invite you to support the Ukrainian people via CSUF.ca, the Canadian Support Ukraine Foundation established by Dale Shumka, my friend and partner from Calgary. All the means we receive are spent to provide direct support to those who need it the most. If you have any questions or you’d like to help with any particular cause, feel free to contact us.
This post has little to do with researching family history. The Dorosh Heritage Team just cannot stand apart from what is going on in our country. We are doing what we feel we should do. Yes, even now, we still do our best to continue our regular research work to help our customers reconnect with the family living in Ukraine and study their family history. We are ready to assist if you need help with your genealogy research projects: feel free to contact me.
You can also use the SUBSCRIBE button above or this link to receive updates from Dorosh Heritage Tours. There are some other stories, including the stories from Andriivka that it is very important to share. More to come.
Sincerely,
Andriy Dorosh