Benefit aids victims of violence in Ukraine

Lesya Romanyshak knows her food. From potato salad to stuffed cabbage to pierogis, the owner of the Euro Deli has a knack for cultural dishes.

Romanyshak also knows the meals she made during the weekend are only a small contribution to a far larger effort to help provide medical care to people that have been injured during protests in Ukraine.

The Euro Deli, along with Runcible Spoon and Bloomington’s Ukrainian community, organized a benefit Saturday where people could experience Ukrainian culture and donate money to Maidan Medical USA.

They raised more than $3,000 through the event, said Sofiya Asher, an IU lecturer in the Slavic Languages Department and one of the event’s organizers.

“I just feel so bad,” Romanyshak said, becoming emotional at the thought of the suffering occurring in Ukraine. “I just want everything to be OK.”

IU graduate student Shaun Williams served in the Peace Corps in Ukraine from 2008 to 2012.  

“I have a lot of friends over there,” Williams said.

These connections made Williams decide to reach out to Maidan Medical, a Chicago-based organization providing aid to the victims of violent protests and victims’ families.

Williams said donations made at the event and online are the easiest way for people to get involved and help. 

“A lot of people are going to be in the hospital for a long time yet,” Williams said.

Maidan Medical USA is not an incorporated organization, Williams said. It has worked directly with doctors and hospitals in Ukraine since the originally peaceful protests turned violent.

“The crisis is evolved into this brink of war situation,” Williams said. “We all feel pretty helpless. I hope that there won’t be more injuries. I hope that there won’t be a war.”

Since Ukrainian hospitals are not fully equipped to deal with gunshot wounds and burn victims, people have been sent to places like Poland and the Czech Republic, Williams said.

Williams said Americans should appreciate how the Ukrainians stood up for Western values in an attempt to make a change for the better and improve their quality of life.

Their grassroots efforts have spread to the Bloomington Ukrainian Club, which discusses Ukrainian language and culture weekly in Runcible Spoon. Runcible Spoon owner Matt O’Neill overheard his customers’ distress about the Ukrainian situation.

Though he often overhears conversations happening in a variety of languages in his restaurant at what he called language tables, he took notice of this one because of how visibly upset the group was.

“All I could do was provide the space,” O’Neill said.

O’Neill spoke to attendees, saying this is a global situation and his thoughts are with Ukrainians.

Williams described the benefit as a kind of party where people would be exposed to and learn about Ukrainian culture, music and food.

Dressed in a traditional embroidered Ukrainian shirt, Williams played folk music on the accordion and tsymbaly, an instrument consisting of many metal strings and pins.

Some of the group’s friends were protesters before things became violent. IU graduate student and Ukrainian Club member Damon Smith said many people have been killed and 259 are missing.

The protests began after Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych decided to avoid conflict with Russia and not sign an agreement with the European Union.

During the past 100 days of protesting, things have only been escalating, Asher said.

Though the government originally ignored the protesters, violence erupted as the people demanded their rights be expanded.

Natalie Kravchuk, a member of the Ukrainian Speaking Club, prepared food for the event, which she said was put together in less than two weeks.

After living in Ukraine about 20 years ago, Natalie and Robert Kravchuk made friends in the country. Natalie said she hasn’t heard from their friends recently.

“I’m getting kind of concerned about what’s happening to them,” Natalie said of a family whose daughter shared Barbie dolls with her own.

“Even two weeks ago, this would have been a different conversation,” Natalie said. “Russia is showing its true face now.”

Robert, director of the Master’s Program in Public Affairs at SPEA, said politics have overtaken dialogue of concerns for Ukrainians.

“Things have sort of shifted,” Robert said. “Putin is a very bold player.”

Vitaliy Kyryk learned about the benefit from his cousin, IU student Serhiy Vernei, and traveled down from Indianapolis to show his support.

“It’s been difficult,” Kyryk said, “watching the news.”

Kyryk said he was disappointed that even though people were speaking out as individuals in a way that Americans should appreciate, the news didn’t cover the protests until things turned violent.  

Svitlana Melnyk, a part of Bloomington’s Ukrainian community, said she was grateful for the small but active community rallying around Ukraine.

“I’m really happy to see so many people are here,” she said.

Romanyshak said she hopes that the benefit will help at least a little bit, and though it cannot bring peace by itself, that is what she hopes for the most.