Ukraine: A short history of its creation | Explained News,The Indian Express - A Letter From Lviv: ‘We will win because we can’t lose’

Ukraine: A short history of its creation | Explained News,The Indian Express Dear Express Reader, Named after one of Ukraine’s most famous movie and theatre directors, the Les Kurbas Academic Theatre is housed in a beige five-storey building, which looks less baroque than the rest of Lviv. Closer than 300 metres from the city centre, it has suspended its programmes to provide shelter to Ukrainians fleeing the war launched by Russia, now on for more than a month. Founded in the 13th century, Lviv was named by the King of Ruthenia after his son Lev, which meant lion. Which is why it is called the Lion City locally. Now, a month into the war, as Russia destroys Ukrainian cities, Lviv, which has been largely untouched so far, despite three explosions on the outskirts on Saturday, has become the world’s entry point into the country. Among the westernmost cities of Ukraine, Lviv is also reflective of the crossroads of history and geography, and the clashing geopolitics of world powers, that mark this region. If the Russian invasion has turned most of Lviv’s residents against an overbearing Moscow, the remnants of the city’s Soviet past are still visible. Like most of Ukraine, people here know both Russian and Ukrainian; the younger generation has picked up English from Hollywood films and TV shows, but hardly any of the elderly know it. Unlike the Latin script used in the rest of Europe, Ukrainians use Cyrillic, like Russia. And while being part of the West is a dream that has got new wings, in a city that is nearly all white, one of Lviv’s favourite street foods — like in large parts of the former Soviet republic — is kebab, a throwback to the bloc’s Caucasus links. However, the heavy Russian hand has ensured — at least for now — the levelling of these many different layers into one common, Ukrainian identity. Across Lviv, like the Les Kurbas Academic Theatre, people have opened their doors to countrymen fleeing the war; others have picked up arms to join it. Mayor Andrii Sadovyi says the city, with a population of around 7.1 lakh, has provided shelter to around 2 lakh people since the war began. More than 37 lakh have passed through on their way to other countries. Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelenksyy, the face of the country’s fightback, is everywhere. While nobody brings him up, unless asked, his photos can be seen at volunteer centres, on tote bags, as posters in bars and on street billboards. At the theatre, a dozen-odd temporary beds are lined along the walls, including on the stage, sheltering about five families from Kharkiv and capital Kyiv. The theatre’s lead actors are its principal volunteers; two of them sing Ukrainian folk songs for the refugees, hoping to ease their pain. The story of Alina Gaivoronskaya, 29, among the refugees at the theatre, is common now, with other families that have been split and uprooted. A sales manager from Kharkiv, among the first cities targeted by Russia, she left her home on the 11th day of the war, when bombing came to her neighbourhood. Gaivoronskaya first moved to the outer part of the province and, when war reached there too, managed to take a train to Lviv. “When I left, my home was not damaged, but now I don’t know,” she says, worried for her parents who live outside Kharkiv and have not been able to leave. Gaivoronskaya, who doesn’t know English, hopes to make her way to Germany. “It’s safe,” she says, adding helplessly, “I don’t know what I will do.” Antony Tsiona, 24, a documentary filmmaker, is helping translate what Gaivoronskaya is saying. From Kyiv, he is capturing the experiences of those like her, to convey the trauma of his countrymen. Tsiona’s parents, both actors, met at the theatre, and his father is now its director. In its appearance, Lviv is like any other quaint town in these parts, with cobble-stoned streets not really conducive to driving, small cafes and bars, grand churches, university buildings, opera houses, museums. The difference lies in the ancient trams still trundling across the city, the old Soviet vehicles visible on the streets, jostling with the Porsches, BMWs and Bentleys — 31 years after Ukraine left the Soviet Republic. In a street on the eastern part of the city, an old man is selling Soviet-era coins — 1 ruble can be bought for 20 Ukrainian hryvnia. In his bag, he carries a small album, containing an old photograph of him shaking hands with what seems to be former US president George H W Bush. A closer look reveals it is Bush Senior’s wax model. H W Bush had been the US president in 1991, when the Soviet Union came apart. He is most remembered in Ukraine for giving a speech weeks before the country voted for independence, warning against “suicidal nationalism”. This was seen as support for the USSR, which was hoping to retain influence over its rebellious republics. The coin-seller isn’t the only one out on the business-as-usual Lviv streets. There are musicians playing at most open spaces, with the plaza in front of the Lviv National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre a coveted spot, couples walking dogs, youths taking selfies. On Friday, the war has been particularly easy to forget; it has been almost 72 hours without any air siren. The sirens are sounded at detection of any in-bound Russian aerial attack. On Friday, the peace is finally broken around 4:30 pm, but perhaps lulled by their relative safety, few pay heed. And yet, war has been inching closer. Russia has attacked a military station and an airport near the city, and on Saturday, hit a telecommunications tower, while its ally Belarus has deployed forces that are seeking to march into Lviv from the north. Outside the city’s limits, a group of youth are readying themselves for just such an eventuality. Neither members of armed forces or the territorial defence that many civilians have joined, they are volunteers teaching locals self-defence. Maksym Stodolia, 20, a journalist who lives on the outskirts of Lviv, is a member of the Galizian Arma, which is coordinating training in self-defence and medical aid, and supply of donations like night-vision goggles and bullet-proof vests to soldiers on the frontline, and medicines and surgical equipment to cities facing Russian pounding. There are many such organisations across Ukraine now. Stodalia says the Galizian Arma was created by army veterans with battle experience, and now has over a hundred volunteers. They have converted an arts school for young children into their base. On Friday, they had two American volunteers over to teach basic first aid. Medicines coming in from all of Europe are sorted and delivered to Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Dnipro cities, among others. Stodalia says he desperately wanted to join his friends on the front. “But they told me to stay in Lviv and help, send medicines, and other important things.” Volunteers say that while help has been unprecedented, sometimes the quality is an issue. Stodalia shows a combat helmet that has seen the Vietnam War and is now unusable. Alex Manzyuk, 34, who handles medical aid, says often all they can retrieve from donated medical kits are gloves and gauges, even as demand has been rising. Germany is the leading donor, sending the best quality equipment. Among those helping out is Carlos Fransisco, who has this evening brought food and tea for seven soldiers who have come from Peru, his native country. He claims to have coordinated movement of more than 200 soldiers from Peru and other nations to the frontlines. Tony Soza, 42, has come from Lima. Soza says he was a soldier with the Peruvian army for 15 years, and later joined American private companies which were part of the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan — during 2006-2009, and 2012-2013, respectively. These tours paid him US$1500-$2000 per month. In Lviv, he was not looking to fight, but help, Soza says. For now, along with six other soldier friends, he is providing security for evacuation of the Peruvian Embassy staff. He says they are doing it for free, but with their “expenses” covered. However, Soza adds, he is open to joining the war, “for good money”. He claims another group from South America is already on the frontlines in Ukraine. After the Ukrainian government announced an International Legion, asking foreigners to join the fight against Russia, it is believed to have received nearly 40,000 applications. Military experts say the actual number of foreigners on the frontlines though is no more than a few thousand. The other big group here from different parts of the world is journalists, whose number runs into hundreds. With the war also being fought on the information front, Ukraine has set up a media centre in a three-storey bar in Lviv. Important officials hold regular interactions, facilitating information about refugees and providing needed help. Alcohol sales were banned within city limits after the war began, till Saturday, and the stacked bars across Lviv would not sell any. However, as many marvelled, being in the city felt like a vacation, given the abundance of choice and availability of what was needed, unlike the eastern parts which have borne the brunt of Russia’s attack. There are sobering reminders of this though, especially in news of journalists killed on the front. The latest to die is a Russian journalist who used to work for an independent media platform, taking the toll to five in the past month. Lviv itself is prepared for the long haul —and the cost of that. Two days before the war began, Bohdan Tykholoz, a philosopher and literary critic, wrote in the local newspaper Lviv Now that Ukraine will win and Russian President Vladimir Putin will lose. He wrote about how for Ukrainians it was about fighting for their homeland. He talked about Putin’s mortality and Russia’s feet of clay. “Our forests will become hiding places, fields battlefields, cities and villages traps and labyrinths, every stone a weapon, every action resistance, and every word a manifesto of dignity and freedom,” Tykholoz wrote. “We will win because we can’t lose.” It’s war Feb 24: Russian forces launch a “special military operation”, invading Ukraine’s Donbass region from Crimea in the south and Russian territory in the east. Russia also bombs several cities, including Kharkiv, port city of Odessa, and Ukrainian capital Kyiv – Explosions are also heard in Lviv oblast (province) Feb 25: Russian forces enter from the north towards Kyiv, from the east towards Kharkiv and Sumy. Iin the south they reach Kherson, and move to Mariupol March 1: Russian troops continue to make progress along these ingress lines, continuously pounding many of these cities with cruise missile, rockets, artillery shells and ballistic missiles. They reach the outskirts of Kyiv March 11: Airport and airfield in Lutsk hit by Russian missiles. Lutsk is about 150 northeast of Lviv, and a little over 110 km from Polish border March 13: Russia fires missiles at the International Peacekeeping and Security Center, also called Yavoriv military base, 30 km northwest of Lviv, and just 10 km from Poland’s border. A military training facility, it has hundreds of International Legion volunteers training. The attack kills 35 and injures over 130. No foreigners are killed March 18: Russia attacks airport just outside Lviv. Missiles target an aircraft repair plant. No casualties – Russia’s progress towards Kyiv, Kharkiv, Mariupol, Chernihiv, Sumy etc has largely been stalled. But street fighting and shelling is on. Regards Team Express