THUNDER BAY – The past few weeks have been pretty rough for Daria Buhaiova.
An exchange student studying at Westgate Collegiate and Vocational Institute, the 18-year-old has watched in disbelief and horror as her native Ukraine was invaded by neighbouring Russia, the country she still calls home bombed and blasted night and day.
Buhaiova, following a Day of Peace for Ukraine ceremony held on Wednesday at her school, said her friends and family back home in Dnipro, a city of about a million people in the east central section of the country, are safe and sound from the ravages of war.
Despite the fear the war has brought, the Grade 12 student says she’s got no doubt her people will persevere in the face of an unprovoked attack spurred on by Russian president Vladimir Putin.
“I’m sure about my people and they’re going to fight for their freedom, no matter how much it costs,” she said.
“But I am worried about my parents and my family, and of course about my country.”
From thousands of kilometres away, Buhaiova said she wants her countrymen to stay strong and keep fighting for their land and continue what they’re doing.
“They’re doing well.”
Buhaiova said as much as a conventional war in Europe seems shocking in the 21st century, this one didn’t come as that much of a surprise, the world anticipating Putin’s brazen plan to reclaim a country that was annexed by the former Soviet Union in 1919, gaining its independence in 1991.
“A lot of people saw it coming, but when the war started it was heartbreaking,” she said.
“I’m really surprised by the amount of support we have around Canada and around all of the world – the support of refugees and financial support to our army and refugees in different countries.”
Wednesday’s event at Westgate hit even closer to home, she said.
“I think it’s really great that the school made this event. It really supports me and other Ukrainians to have allies at school.”
Organized by music teacher Tom Cashmore, the Day of Peace for Ukraine featured a chance for students to write a brief note of support for the country and its people, listen to Mayor Bill Mauro and Lakehead Public Schools trustee chair Ellen Chambers speak about the war and its global impact, and to make a donation to help those impacted by the conflict.
Cashmore said Buhaiova was in his music class the past two years and was an inspiration for the event.
“I thought maybe there’s something we can do to show our support as a community. Of course we have a big Ukrainian community here in Thunder Bay, and I thought this would be a great way to reach out and show our solidarity,” Cashmore said.
Mauro told the gathering of students and staff that he considers himself lucky not to have had to go to war or send his sons into battle.
The next generation may not be so fortunate.
“You do hope that there will be an appreciation for what’s going on in Ukraine. It’s an opportunity to remember how lucky we are to live where we live and to not take it for granted. If you’re my age, you weren’t too far removed from some of those conflicts,” Mauro said.
“I’ve always appreciated how fortunate I’ve been through my entire life ... We’re blessed in Canada and we have been for a very long time, but this is a reminder that democracy is not a guarantee and that from time to time we all need to do what we need to do to ensure its preservation.”
