Key Takeaways:
- On Sunday, Ukrainians in Saskatoon gathered outside City Hall to support their ancestral homeland, which is currently fighting a Russian invasion.
- The Russian military levelled entire villages and cities, so Shevchenko’s legacy is more profound for Anna Marko.
Ukrainians in Saskatoon gathered outside City Hall on Sunday to rally for their ancestral homeland, currently defending itself against a Russian invasion.
The rally moved many in the crowd just a few days after Taras Shevchenko’s death anniversary.
Since he died in 1861, the Ukrainian poet has been regarded as a hero and a champion of Ukrainian independence.
For Anna Marko, Shevchenko’s legacy is even more profound, as the Russian military leveled entire villages and cities.
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“It just opened my eyes to see that… everything he wrote about, like him knowing this would happen, we’re going through right now.” Looking at it now and reading the poems gives us some hope and confidence that we can accomplish anything. “Nothing will be able to stop us,” Marko stated on Sunday.
Marko has lived in Canada for the past five years. She recalls learning about Shevchenko and his impact on the country, as well as how he modernized Ukrainian.
Shevchenko advocated for an independent Ukraine throughout his life, and he suffered as a result.
Now, Ukrainian nationalism is inspiring people all over the world once more.
“It demonstrates that the Ukrainian identity is unbreakable.” Many people have tried, but they have not been successful – as well as they will not be,” said Christina Rybalka, president of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress’s Saskatoon branch.
Rybalka believes it is critical to continue the rallies to show Ukraine that people worldwide support them.
“People may wonder why we’re singing songs today when there’s a war going on, but many of the words in the songs we’re singing have meaning. Willpower, determination, and liberty. “It’s critical today,” she stated.
Marko isn’t just fighting for her home; she’s fighting for a nation’s hope, as well as future Russian threats that Ukrainians believe are unavoidable.
“It’s critical to get out there and speak out.” Speak out in defense of our freedom, our world, and our land, because it is ours and also no one can take it away from us.”
Although Shevchenko has been dead for 161 years, his lessons, messages, and staunch opposition to Russian rule in Ukraine are still relevant today.
While war is never black and white, the outpouring of support from Saskatoon is vibrant blue and yellow.
Source: CTV News
