Megan Vaz, Contributing Photographer

At a Sunday afternoon rally, local Ukrainians protested the atrocities occurring in their home country, calling upon those around the world to take action and spread awareness.  

Rally-goers hailed from surrounding towns and communities and donned homemade signs and flags, with many learning about today’s demonstrations through local church services. Connecticut locals Roman and Iryna Harasymishyn came from Newtown to New Haven with their friend, Taras Korzhak, after they found out about the event from the Ukrainian church they attend in Bridgeport. They pointed to the broad Ukrainian diaspora in the state as a source of strength.

“We’re basically trying to get all the resources all the people here put together around the area. We have a big Ukrainian diaspora,” Korzhak said. “All we can do to get the resources — find places like this, rallies — where we can go and speak our voices, explain what happened to people so they know, and ask for more support.” 

Diaspora members found themselves at today’s rally to spread awareness about Russia’s occupation of the country and the hardships Ukrainians face at home. Andrew Michalik of Hamden, donning a Ukrainian national pride button, emphasized the importance of showing support to Ukraine from abroad. Natalie Chernov, a local Ukrainian woman who attended with her husband and some friends, wanted to take a stand for her home country. 

“Ukrainian soldiers and Ukrainian people, who are fighting so hard to stop [Putin], because it’s very unfair that he went to our land and he is killing people — he is killing innocent people,” she exclaimed, with tears in her eyes. “And we actually stand for our land. That’s why I’m here.”

The Harasymishyns and Korzhak have supported nonprofit organizations that send resources and support to Ukrainians. They mentioned efforts to provide Ukrainians with medical supplies through Razom for Ukraine, which purchased over $100,000 in supplies to ship to the country two days ago. Korzhak is also part of Maidan United, a Connecticut-based organization that also sends medical aid to Ukraine. Maidan United members participated in another event at the Ukrainian National House in Hartford today, where Gov. Ned Lamont spoke alongside Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Rep. Rosa DeLauro.

Some rally participants came representing local Ukrainian advocacy groups. Carl Harvey, who “married into” Ukrainian culture in 1964, stood holding a Ukrainian American Veterans, or UAV, flag at the back of the crowd. The national group, which is organized into local posts, aims to foster unity among “patriotic veterans that have been Honorably Discharged from the United States Armed Forces and who are of Ukrainian heritage or descent.” Harvey, according to the organization’s website, helped found the New Haven post of the UAV in 1991. 

He shared that he and another UAV member who attended, Myron Melnyk, have collaborated with Blumenthal on legislative efforts to protect Ukraine from Russian military aggression in the past.

“We first started working with Senator Blumenthal in 2014 … we developed to work on the Ukrainian Security Assistance Initiative,” Harvey said. “We’re also working very closely with the Ukrainian embassy in Washington DC. So we provide them with advice and connections to our legislators through our veterans’ organization.”

Ukrainian churches in the area have united the community. Harvey spoke about a previous rally organized at St. Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Catholic Church in New Haven, which has also held masses and prayer services in support of the Ukrainian people. Rev. Ivan Mazuryk of the Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church in Bridgeport attended today’s rally and said that most congregants of his church were young Ukrainians and immigrants. 

“We are collecting monetary help for Ukraine, and it’s going to be sent through our archdiocese in Philadelphia,” Mazuryk said. “There is a fund established, and most likely we’ll organize a collection of things of first aid for the people there.”

All local Ukrainians who spoke to the News have family members and friends facing violence in the country. Michalik shared that his mother’s side of the family still lives in Lviv, a city in the country’s far west. Chernov explained that while some Ukrainian women she knew have been able to flee to Poland and other neighboring countries with their children, men needed to stay to fight the Russian invaders. Iryna’s parents refused to leave the country, spending nights in their basement to avoid bombing. Liena Kuchrerova said her mother, who lives in Kyiv, sleeps in the bathtub and flees to her basement whenever the signal for bomb violence goes off. Alla Vash-Margita, assistant professor at the Yale School of Medicine, spoke to the News about the taxing situation her family experiences at home.

“It’s an absolute nightmare in Ukraine,” Vash-Margita explained. “My cousin is sheltering a family — a mother and three small children — whose father is fighting this war. So here’s their sheltering, it’s living between bombshells, and waiting for the sirens to go off and going down to the basement.” 

Locals spoke to the emotional turmoil confronting their loved ones as they make their arduous and uncertain journeys to safety. Korzhak’s sister recently crossed the border into Romania with her young daughter. Harvey accompanied Nadia Ivantsiv, an elderly Ukrainian woman who works as his housekeeper. Translating for Ivantsiv, he shared that they had kept constant contact with her family members as they moved across the country. Ivantsiv shed tears as she spoke to Harvey in Ukrainian about her family’s scramble to flee violence.

Many attendees brought young children. The Harasymishyns’ children played with Korzhak’s children as they spoke to the News. Michalik cradled his infant son, Theodore, whose cheeks were decorated with small blue and yellow stripes of face paint. One child held up a sign that read, “I’m only 9 but I know this war is wrong.”

While their children provide a sense of hope, some rallygoers dually noted their concerns for young people back home. Iryna mentioned her nephew in Ukraine, who had called her earlier and told her he was afraid that he was going to die soon. 

Those who spoke to the News mentioned ways that localers – including non-Ukrainians  – could help. They emphasized that the conflict extends beyond the Ukrainian and Russian communities. Many pointed to American foreign policy influence, expressing that Americans should encourage the government to increase sanctions on Russia and provide Ukrainian fighters with arms. Michalik raised the importance of directly donating to Ukrainians and holding events like today’s demonstration to show support. Ivantsiv’s eyes welled with tears as she spoke, expressing she appreciated the community’s solidarity. 

“It’s really scary, but Ukrainians are really strong,” Kuchrerova said. “We’re not afraid. We have a hope and we believe we are not afraid at all. Nobody, even children, we’re not afraid.”

New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker attended the protest.

Keenan Miller and Dante Motley contributed reporting.