(originally published in the Chattanooga Times Free Press)
Always a fan of international projects, I eagerly attended the recent reception marking Chattanooga’s new collaboration with Ukraine’s city of Trostyanets. What a pleasure to meet its mayor, Yuriy Bova! Mayor Tim Kelly had formalized a cooperative agreement with the war-torn Ukrainian city that’s only 20 miles from the Russian border.
Speaking with Mayor Bova and his interpreter was a real pleasure. I was delighted when he mentioned his desire to be online. I told him about my podcast and asked if he’d like to do an interview. Never imagining that he would say yes, I held my breath as his staff made the arrangements to connect my office in East Ridge with his in Ukraine. Would this actually happen?
I’m reminded of what I learned interviewing Holocaust survivors for a documentary that I made more than 30 years ago. My videographer asked, “Are you sure you’re ready for this?” I assured him that I’d read dozens of history books and was ready. “It’s different when you hear these stories in person.” I said I’d be OK. And I was. But I was never the same. Those stories remain embedded deep inside me decades later. Mayor Bova’s stories of the month long occupation in 2022 by Russian troops will always be with me, too..
The troops that occupied Trostyanets were special forces that Putin had assigned to head the parade celebrating the Russian takeover of Kiev, Ukraine’s capital. During that month, the Russian troops killed civilians for amusement: folks walking in the street, grocery shopping, going to a doctor’s appointment. And they stole everything: groceries, clothing, kitchen items and hospital equipment. Not one computer was left.
Angry that Trostyanets had a modern hospital, the troops demolished it. They did the same to schools, stores, apartment buildings and homes that they didn’t take over as living quarters. Its historic monuments were badly damaged including the train station that had made Trostyanets one of Ukraine’s earliest railroad hubs. Bova noted that walking around and see this every day, is traumatic. Most of Trostyanets citizens fled, and Bova described the result as gut wrenching. “We need to restore everything and fight for every person who should return.”
Now liberated from Russian occupation, Trostyanets is one of six settlements being rebuilt in a pilot program to develop the skills needed for a broader reconstruction drive across Ukraine. With his 19 years of experience as mayor, Bova’s first initiative was to restore livable environment for citizens. He is very grateful for Chattanoogans raising funds for generators that ensure that school continues because Russians continue to target energy supplies. Trostyanets and Chattanooga are quite different in population but share similar goals for strategic development. Chattanooga is far ahead and Trostyanets will benefit from best practices. Our hospitals have modern approaches to trauma treatment, and economic development building new housing and using available land for new businesses. For education, Chattanooga has a long-range plan for schools and a focus for career development. Collaboration between Trostyanets’ university and UTC is already underway.
We should have hope for the future. International donors have helped rebuild a new wing of the main city hospital. And 95% of Trostyanets’ citizens have returned. If we can help restore their city, we will contribute to preventing Russia from taking over Ukraine and threatening surrounding countries. We will not only benefit cities like Trostyanets, but our own city, too. We are now a hub for international industries and cannot afford to have them eroded by Russia. Our new partnership demonstrates that Chattanooga is part of the global village. Follow Yuriy Bova on Facebook and learn more about deploying our influence for good.
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A serendipitous moment at a recent concert: When performing Ukrainian traditional tunes, I mentioned how a good friend who lives in Switzerland last year took into her small two-bedroom apartment home two Ukrainian refugees (mother and daughter) for over 6 months—very challenging for all of them, without language or culture in common, for starters. Now, though, my friend has become unofficial “godmother” to the daughter, who has moved to her own apartment and is studying law in Switzerland. Then— very magical—out of my relating that story, an audience member introduced herself to me and reported that sermons my husband Edmund gave inspired her to build an addition to her house and house an Afghani refugee. That refugee is now married and living with her (also refugee) husband in the audience member’s house, and the two are caring for her, as she lacks close family—a win-win. This gives me hope for humanity