A vigil will be held tonight to commemorate the one year invasion of Ukraine and the people of Sheffield are invited to come show their support.
The event will start at 7pm in the Peace Gardens, and the Sheffield Town Hall will be illuminated in the Ukrainian flag colours blue and yellow, throughout the vigil.
Tanya Klymenko, secretary of the Association of Ukrainians Sheffield Branch said: “The invasion has made me feel helpless. I am worried for my parents and family that live in Ukraine. If something happens to them, I don’t know if I will be able to get to them in time.
“This vigil is important to remind people to push for help for Ukrainians, and to remind them that Ukraine is still standing, and to keep believing in it. It’s also a moment for reflection, to thank the people of Sheffield for their support.”
Mrs. Klymenko said many families in Sheffield came forward to open up their homes to become sponsors for Ukrainian refugees.
More than 700 asylum-seekers came to Sheffield, on the homes for Ukraine’s scheme, and were welcomed into 300 houses for no cost.
Alongside this, the Sheffield council twinned with the Ukrainian city Khmelnitskyi, to show support for the people living in the area affected by war.
Mackenzie Mytenka, 19, Student at University of Sheffield said: “My Grandfather grew up in Ukraine, and he would tell me stories of his childhood there. Now these stories are tainted by the destruction of Ukraine, and its heart-breaking to think where he grew up is now war stricken.
People need to recognise that this situation is on going and not just an event that occurred a year ago. This vigil is a reminder that people are still being affected. That’s why this vigil is important to re-emit the problem to the public eye.”
The vigil will consist of three speeches made by councillors at the Sheffield City Council, and a Ukrainian refugee playing folk music with the traditional instrument the bandura.
The Association Of Ukrainians and Great Britain are the organisers of the event, and were established in 1945, by World War Two Ukrainian refugees. For 75 years the organisation has been promoting the interests of Ukraine through Ukrainian culture and identity.
There are 32 branches of the organisation around the country In England and Scotland, and each brand will be arranging an event for the one year mark for tonight and tomorrow.