A little piece of Ukraine in Buenos Aires

I couldn't believe it - after walking through the poets' garden in a large park in Buenos Aires, I accidentally came across a monument to Taras Schevchenko, a great Ukrainian literary figure of the nineteenth century: as it says below his statue, "The bard of liberty."


The longer inscription, on the side, roughly translated and abbreviated: This monument was inaugurated on December 5, 1971; the space was given by the city of Buenos Aires, dedicated to the Argentine nation, with gratitude for the welcome it has given to Ukrainians. They have found not only peace, work and well-being, but also the democratic freedoms for which the heroic bard of Ukraine fought...or something like that....And for which Ukrainians are still fighting.

Argentina is home to around 450,000 Ukrainians, the population having increased since the full Russian invasion in February 2022. It's the seventh largest Ukrainian diaspora in the world, apparently, dating back to the end of the 19th century. 
Since the full invasion, the Ukrainian community in Buenos Aires has carried out several marches to demand an end to the war.

Seeing the statue of Schevchenko brought a tear to my eye. Every day, like Bob, I think of our friends and the communities we tried to help in Ukraine. I look at the air alert map and think about who may be being bombed now.
I know the situation is getting even worse in the area where we lived and worked; Odessa suffered a recent missile attack, causing a death and injuries. There are deaths from shelling every day in Kherson, which has become so dangerous that the regional governor is urging citizens to evacuate. I know most people won't go because they don't want to leave their homes.

It seems as if the focus on Ukraine has considerably lessened, particularly since the current, terrible Israel-Hamas war. But support is still there. You are not alone.

I'm staying in Buenos Aires for a while, for a break from the risky journeys we made, delivering aid to Kherson. Tomorrow I'm moving to new accommodation, but if I have time I'll try to find the Ukrainian cultural centre in Buenos Aires. 

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