A kamikaze drone flew over our house last night. It fell near our fence and exploded. I looked out the window and saw a red flame. Then I opened my eyes and realized it was a nightmare. In the morning, I called my mother. She said she heard a drone over our town at 3 a.m. These soulless killing
From Ukraine: The second summer of war
FIRST PERSON | As harvest begins, farmers wonder if they should bother
From Ukraine: the living and the dead
As summer approaches, thoughts turn to harsh times yet to come
A centuries-old spring tradition has been preserved in Ukraine, through the communist occupation of the last century and the current war. Every year, a week after Easter, we go to cemeteries. Tens of millions of people dress in nice clothes and take food with them. Coloured eggs — krashanky — and special tall breads —
From Ukraine: Farmer struggles after Russians driven back
Yuriy Zayikin lived under Russian fire for close to a year, now plans to rebuild
Yuriy Zayikin has had a front row seat to the war in Ukraine. And at times he’s been forced onto the stage. He farms in the southern Kherson region. At one point 95 per cent of the area was occupied by invading Russian forces. Just five per cent remained under control of Ukraine, which is where Zayikin was ‘lucky’ enough
From Ukraine: The goal now is to save the farm
How a well-known Ukrainian farmer survived a year of war and now views the future
Colleagues from other countries often ask me about the situation of Ukrainian farmers. It is difficult for me to answer this question, because every farmer is in their own unique circumstances. The main thing that unites them is the understanding that life will not be the same for a long time, if ever. To describe
From Ukraine: The song of winter corn
As a mild winter lets farmers harvest corn, spring is just around the corner
Have you ever seen combines in the middle of January going into a field? And behind them – huge disc harrows. It’s no wonder that this year Ukrainian farmers use some warm days in the middle of winter to harvest corn. After almost a year of war, thousands of combine harvesters were destroyed or stolen
From Ukraine: Two Christmases and one dream
Despite the threat of a renewed invasion, the population of Ukraine celebrates the season
Winter in Ukraine this year looks quite Canadian, with frequent snows and severe frosts, ice-covered roads and power lines. Of course, we are not very pleased with such a rampage of winter elements this year, because the electricity in Ukrainian houses is unreliable. I read in the news about what is an ordinary event for us – over Kyiv, our
From Ukraine: Rebuilding in the ashes
Farmer Yuriy Vovchenko survived occupation and siege and now must overcome the damage to his farm and himself
Ukrainian farmer Yuriy Vovchenko survived the Russian occupation and constant shelling for eight months, but his life has changed immeasurably. I have known him for many years, and since the invasion I have wanted to phone him many times but each time I dialed, I stopped, because I was afraid to hear that he was
From Ukraine: Watermelons, raccoons and laughter through tears
FIRST PERSON: The people of Ukraine are coping with adversity any way they can as winter's grip deepens
I can imagine how Canadians feel when they watch news from Ukraine on television. Not long ago, we in Ukraine watched reports from Iraq and Syria, and it seemed to us like a broadcast from another planet – a planet of cruelty and destruction. Now we live on this planet. To maintain a healthy mind,
From Ukraine: Driven from his fields
Ukrainian farmer hopes to see his farm liberated from Russian invaders
From time to time, Oleh visits the positions of troops on the front lines of war in east Ukraine. While there, he looks hopefully to the horizon. There, just one mile away, are his fields, shop and grain warehouse now occupied by Russian invaders. I will not write Oleh’s last name, nor will I show
Rebuilding after losing the farm to war
Garlic grower in Ukraine already considering the future after the war is won
Volodymyr Fedorchuk may have lost his farm business because of the war. But he hasn’t lost heart and he’s ready to start new projects. I first met him years ago, at a Ukraine conference on the use of liquid fertilizers held by a well-known American company. It turned out that we were compatriots. His hometown
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
