Story by Benjamin MorrisonPhotos courtesy of Calvary Chapel Svitlovodsk This is a first-person account from Benjamin Morrison The city’s location in Central Ukraine makes it a crossroads and temporary place of refuge for many of those fleeing the heavy bombing and fighting in many parts of the war-torn country A full month has passed since Russia began its full-scale war on Ukraine none of us knew how things would play out or how long it would last We probably expected that this would all be over by now Calvary Chapel Svitlovodsk has been helping to meet the practical and spiritual needs of refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine Svitlovodsk is located in Central Ukraine at a crossroads on the way to the bordering countries Most refugees stay just a short time; however with the overcrowding in the Western Ukrainian cities some evacuees are choosing to stay in Svitlovodsk long-term It’s ironically comforting to know that [Russian President] Putin definitely thought this would be over by now as well—but He did not count on how hard and how well Ukrainians would fight against his wicked schemes He did not count on losing more Russian soldiers in Ukraine over the course of a month (15,600 as of March 23) than he did in the Chechen wars in two years While the suffering and loss and death are real—God is showing forth His victory in the midst of it He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved Most people in most places in the country don’t react when the air raid sirens go off This is a stark contrast to how everyone promptly headed for bomb shelters as soon as the sirens sounded during the first days people have learned to listen for what kind of artillery is being fired and how far away it is we here in Svitlovodsk have still not heard anything close—only some faint explosions in the distance or missiles flying overheard on their way to some other location (Learn about a Christian Discipleship all-encompassing re-entry ministry for men and women trapped in the deceptive, never-ending cycle of addiction from one of our sponsors, U-Turn for Christ)                    At this point we’ve had well over 100 refugees who have stayed in our church building Many during the beginning stayed only for a night before continuing west as fast as possible The reality is that the big cities in the west of Ukraine are already severely overcrowded With 12 million internally displaced Ukrainians (not counting the 3.5 million refugees to other countries) This means that more and more refugees are looking for other options for relocation more and more people are looking to stay here despite the fact that we are further east than Kyiv Over the last week we’ve helped four different families to find long-term places to rent This means that our relationships with the refugees are also becoming more long-term Men from CC Svitlovodsk load a van with large bags of flour That flour will be delivered to a hot point near the fighting to provide what is needed to make desperately needed bread the opportunities to share the Gospel have similarly become more of a “long game.” Some of the recent refugees who have stayed in our building have been outright atheists or at least not particularly open apologetic-type conversations (though always at their request—I'm not about to debate a shaken refugee if they aren't interested) the ministry team that's present is getting a crash course in apologetics has been staying at our church for the last few days After a lengthy conversation on the nature of morality and he has slowly been making progress in it I expect it's only a matter of time before the Lord breaks through Sometimes the plowing stage takes a while before seeds can be planted but we are grateful that the increase is all from God whatever part He might grant us to play in the process Recently our family also decided to do something we haven’t done since the war started: take a day off When everything was chaos and adrenaline in the beginning But it has become obvious that we need to approach this less like a sprint and more like a marathon We went on a nature walk in the beautiful spring weather We watched the end of the sunset over our reservoir we didn’t go to the church building at all We still had a few questions that had to be solved during the day by phone but we were able to mostly unplug and recharge Both city residents and refugees attended last Sunday’s service at CC Svitlovodsk Pastor Benjamin Morrison has had the opportunity to share the Gospel with refugees We are reminded that Christ is our Keeper; He is our strength and our song He is the One who gives us victory and certainly doesn’t need us to do His work—though He delights to include us I was blessed to end the day by joining a short prayer meeting in Dublin (via Zoom) and being prayed for by the saints there I’ve been so thankful for the body of Christ in this time and how God has used this tragedy not only to work in the lives of many in Ukraine but also to beautify His Church throughout the world Pastor Benjamin Morrison and his wife Lena we ask you to continue praying: • Pray for God’s justice to shine forth swiftly • Pray for God’s comfort for the thousands who are suffering: who are trapped in besieged cities with almost no food • Pray that God would stir His people in Russia to stand for truth at whatever cost I’ve been blessed to hear and see the bold stands made by a number of ministers there Many are trapped by fear of what it might cost to speak out Pray for boldness of the Holy Spirit for them • Pray for strength and wisdom for all of us: for us not to grow weary in doing good for our soldiers and leaders of the country to experience God’s strength and wisdom in this time Financial Assistance To support the work being done in Central Ukraine, donate to Horizon Christian Fellowship (Benjamin Morrison) (To learn more about U-Turn for Christ, visit their website) Articles or photographs may not be reproduced without the written permission of CCM Nevada 89502540.373.7882contact@calvarymagazine.orgMon – Thu • 8am – 4pm (PT) Look for a verification eMail after submission We sent a verification email in your mailbox Calvary Chapel Magazine is a 501(c)3 non-profit ministry Story by Trinity Grau and Margot BassPhotos courtesy Benjamin Morrison continues to actively serve and assist Ukrainian citizens and refugees in the days following the Russian invasion—in their church and in a bomb shelter members are not only feeding and housing refugees but have also celebrated a wedding Residents take refuge in a bomb shelter in Svitlovodsk shared that there are frequent sirens and warnings Each night in the Central Ukrainian city of Svitlovodsk making sure their clothes and some basic supplies are laid out—not for a trip—but to take to the bomb shelter in their apartment building when the sirens go off The province has witnessed the shelling of an aerodrome (airport) not too far from us,” shared Benjamin His family of four spends time regularly in the bomb shelter with their neighbors People fleeing into the basement of Benjamin’s apartment building—its bomb shelter—play a game to pass the time Benjamin uses the opportunity to pray with the residents and refugees The time in the bomb shelter is not wasted for evangelism “I regularly lead the neighbors in praying "Our Father" and have gaving some brief 45-second messages about the importance of receiving God's mercy through Christ I trust the Holy Spirit will water the seeds in these conditions.” One of those neighbors was “an old grandpa,” he said “I had a discussion with him about how the whole Bible points to Christ ( Bridge for Life 2022 is a 2-day conference focused on equipping the church to play an active role in the fight against abortion. Discover how your church can be a Bridge for Life and learn how to launch a mobile ultrasound ministry in your community. )                    Food is joyfully received by those coming to CC Svitlovodsk for refuge Feeding and Housing Refugees Benjamin posted on Wednesday that following the bombing of civilian targets in Kharkiv a wave of refugees has been heading toward Svitlovodsk “Many are getting stranded on the way as they run out of gas We’re working with people along the route [to] … transport them … here We are planning to serve them all we can.” The number of refugees grows into the thousands The majority of refugees will only stop briefly at CC Svitlovodsk the church and its members hosted 22 refugees “Pray for us to share the hope of Christ with them in practical love on their way.” Children enjoy the food that Benjamin’s wife Lena (standing) is feeding them Because of the generosity and hearts of compassion of many around the world “We've been able to buy enough flour (1.5 tons so far) to make bread for all of the refugees here for the next few days.” They seek to meet other needs as well “This is only the beginning of the needs that we’ll be facing in the coming days and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever Beds are made up and ready at CC Svitlovodsk for evacuees fleeing from Ukraine’s large cities they stay for only a short time before moving on to a border country for safe haven Members of CC Svitlovodsk also host refugees A Joyful Wedding In a time when many might cower Benjamin had the honor and joy of presiding over a wedding during the first weekend of the war has much in common with the many citizens who are now fleeing to local borders.” They are refugees from capital of Ukraine “Nadya was a member of our church for many years before moving to Kyiv a couple years ago She and Andrey met and were planning to be married in Kyiv But the bombing in Kyiv that began on February 24th forced them to head to Svitlovodsk.” He acknowledged that many may question the appropriateness of a wedding in the middle of a war what better reminder that even war cannot stamp out love what better way to say that we serve a higher King and have a deeper joy than to rejoice in the midst of chaos The light is not afraid of the darkness; it dispels the darkness.” Benjamin Morrison and his wife Lena (third and fourth from the left) with refugees and volunteers at the church Pressing ForwardDespite the chaos and darkness Benjamin described the motivation of the pastors and missionaries as they serve: “We are all feeling a lot of exhaustion but we press forward believing that Christ has put us here for this moment.” knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord Prayer Requests • Pray that the political will for world leaders to make the bold steps necessary to defeat Russian President Putin quickly pray for God to supernaturally crush this evil and injustice.• Pray for many in these difficult days to find their hope and strength in Christ.• Pray for God’s provision to serve the millions of refugees in neighboring countries as well as the local refugees here in Ukraine Donate here to the work of the Morrisons and CC Svitlovodsk. Donations can also be made through Calvary Chapel of Philadelphia at app.securegive.com (Click here to read more about and to register for the Bridge for Life conference) was walking in Kremenchuk with a large teddy bear in her hands She was joyfully recording a video in which she thanked her interlocutor for the gift the money for the toy had been sent to her by a Russian special agent she was documenting infrastructure and military facilities the girl was apprehended by the Ukrainian intelligence services a town near Svitlovodsk in the Kirovohrad oblast She graduated from a secondary school in neighboring Kremenchuk She then studied at law school but was expelled after two years At the time of the full-scale invasion by Russia in February 2022 she wasn't engaged in anything and lived in Kremenchuk and Kyiv she received a message from an individual who introduced himself as a Russian officer named Igor Ruskikh He offered money in exchange for videos and coordinates of military and infrastructure facilities She was not secretive about her pro-Russian views She had named her profile on TikTok "Russianlady" and stored videos of Russian soldiers and the Russian president The investigation classified her actions under two articles: high treason under martial law and justification of Russia's armed aggression The case was heard by the Svitlovodsk City District Court she has been held in a pre-trial detention center by court order. The indictment was filed in August the court examined the evidence in the case and heard witnesses and the testimony of the accused The case may be revealing for understanding how young people who grew up in independent Ukraine and were seemingly unaffected by the "soviet genome" could decide to collaborate with the enemy and betray their homeland It also reflects a tendency that appears to have emerged in the work of Ukrainian law enforcement agencies The young woman pleaded guilty and signed a petition to be included in the exchange lists between Ukraine and Russia This suggestion was apparently given in the pre-trial detention center where it was explained to her that the exchange was only possible after the verdict while a prompt trial would be held if guilt is admitted Those accused of treason are often willing to trade a guilty plea for their inclusion on exchange lists in order to leave for Russia after being sentenced Some consider this procedure as legally dubious since Ukrainian civilians are not prisoners of war who are typically exchanged for military personnel the court examined the correspondence between the accused and the Russian Angelina's contact requested her to film infrastructure and military facilities in Pavlysh The investigation documented at least 10 occasions when she took pictures or passed information to the Russian She specifically documented a power substation checkpoints near a defence facility and a strategic bridge in Kremenchuk She went to the sites in person and also found information on Telegram channels she transferred a file with a fragment of a map showing the location of checkpoints near the Kremenchuk Oil Refinery: an arrow pointed out where it was possible to pass and a circle indicated where the passage was restricted she documented a railway station and nearby warehouses This last location may have been recorded by accident the bus from Kremenchuk that she took on her way home broke down and got stuck in Svitlovodsk she seized the opportunity and took a picture of the facility's facade from the bus window The girl said she found the photos of the oil storage site in Oleksandria on the Internet she changed the date of the file and sent it to him but I just found the pictures on the Internet he believed me." Igor also asked to verify the local quarries and for the sake of the conspiracy he called them "sand castles".   The court examined the videos that the accused made In addition to the recorded facilities that the Russian was interested in they also contained Angelina's personal thoughts she recorded a message in which she told him that everyone judged her and that she hated the Ukrainian security services She told Igor that "everyone knows what is good and what is evil." She also said that she had spent all the money he had sent her as she had "never been able to live at a low cost." A generator roared in the background There were long power cuts in March due to Russian strikes Another court file documents Angelina recording a video for Igor near the former "Amstor" shopping center in Kremenchuk saying: "It's not yet clear who shelled it But they are already making some kind of warehouse here." 22 people were killed in the Russian strike on the shopping center on June 27 the court examined the woman's page on the social media platform TikTok She posted videos about the Russian military and Vladimir Putin According to the court expert's conclusion the posts justified Russia's armed aggression Angelina insisted that the videos were not publicly available and were only for her private viewing she confirmed that at the request of two of her friends she showed them what was on her profile page.  One said that she stopped communicating with Angelina when she saw she had taken selfies in front of Russian soldiers and flags Another friend testified that according to Angelina she had some kind of job in Kremenchuk and had traveled to Russia He described her as a "peculiar and silly girl" Another witness said that in March Angelina asked him to give her a ride from Kremenchuk to Pavlysh because she had bought a large teddy bear he needed to stop by a quarry for a work-related matter Later he found out that she had taken a picture of the site An interrogation of the accused was held on September 27 the prosecutor of the Kirovohrad Regional Prosecutor's Office learned additional information about how Angelina took the path of treason She said that a month before the full-scale invasion she went to Crimea – a part of Ukraine annexed by Russia in 2014 – with her friends for a vacation the main Ukrainian city on the Black Sea that got attacked and eventually invaded by Russia at the beginning of the 2022 war Angelina said she was hiding in basements because of the hostilities the Russian military found her and took her for further verification Then she started asking to be allowed to go home She was released with the requirement to sign a document about confidential cooperation she received a call from the above-mentioned Igor said that she was now a collaborator and had to cooperate The woman admitted that she was working to make money Igor sent her 2 to 3,000 hryvnias (between 50 and 80 euros) she received about 150,000 hryvnias (about 3,900 euros) "Do you understand the consequences of your actions and what is happening in our country?" asked prosecutor Leshchenko "I understand the consequences and understood them then I was worried that my father might die and I asked him to take days off work since I was doing this job," the accused replied She also said that she communicated with Igor via video and he would show her the areas to be checked on maps She mentioned that most of the locations she filmed did not have any military personnel or equipment and she was sending "at least some material to get the money." She wanted to "gain his trust so that he liked her and sent more money." hired under a contract with the Free Legal Aid Center She repeated that she wanted to make money The lawyer also wanted to know whether there had been any missile strikes on the locations she had sent the coordinates of the prosecutor insisted upon the court's withdrawal of this question as the accused may not be aware of all the information.  The panel of three judges addressed a number of anthropological questions to find out how the accused ended up in the dock The court was interested in the girl's education and her mindset She said that when she was in secondary school in Kremenchuk everyone spoke Russian and "it was not a problem." She said she often went on vacation with her aunt to the annexed Crimea "When did you develop the idea that Russia is a blessing and start acting against Ukraine?" Judge Tamara Harmash began the interrogation There are those who are nostalgic for the Soviet Union and their youth "Where and at what age were you in Russia?" when the hostilities in Donbas [Eastern Ukraine where the war started in 2014] were ongoing there was still a direct way to get to Russia Why didn't you leave then if you are such a patriot of Russia?" Nothing was stopping me from traveling back and forth." "You know very well what happened in "Amstor" a strike coordinator just like you was filming there In the video you made near the place where people died you explain to Igor that it "got smashed," although you used a different word what kind of person are you?" the judge asked What were you thinking when you were filming it Did you realize that there was no way back: you transmit it "You want to go to Russia in an exchange [of prisoners] We want it too because we'd rather have our soldiers protecting us "I don't know how the circumstances will turn out: some are sent to serve "You have just said that Igor paid you money Aren't you afraid of being held accountable for this in Russia?" Do you think you will go to your beloved man?" (probably meaning Igor) "When you were interested in these political events where he said that he does not forgive treason I still want to go ahead with the exchange." "And you are ready to become a Russian soldier?" "But I had the terms that I signed for in Mariupol." were you afraid to die or did you want the money?" Judge Yuriy Melnychyk continued the interrogation Angelina told him that shortly before the 2022 invasion She said that he died during training shortly before the full-scale war The judge also asked her to explain why she was keeping videos of the Russian military The accused said it was difficult to explain claiming that she just likes the servicemen these videos justify the aggression of the Russian Federation I cannot not support it and I cannot support it." "Do you like what is happening in the country now?" It could have led to consequences for people I do not repent of the rest of what I did." "If you were now free and asked to film similar facilities "There is a possibility that after conviction you may not be exchanged do you realize that?" judge Vitaliy Ivashchenko then asked "Are you not afraid of life imprisonment?" "Understand that you are accused not just of recording videos Do you plead guilty to the fact that you do not recognize Ukraine as an entity?" if I understand you correctly: everything you did you did it in order to make sure that Ukraine would cease to exist as a state and you would only see Russia in front of you you like the Russian servicemen and the money they paid you?" "I want to see Ukraine as Ukraine and Russia as Russia And what I did was not for the benefit of Russia "Did Igor explain to you why he needed the coordinates?" "He said in order to destroy the factories." You said that if you were sent to the front from Russia and had to shoot you realize that your friends could be on the battlefield?" The closing arguments in the case were heard on October 11 Prosecutor Leshchenko asked to find the accused guilty of both charges and sentence her to life imprisonment with confiscation of property He noted that in the diaries seized from Angelina in the pre-trial detention center showed that she had not taken the path of redemption.  there has been massive shelling of infrastructure and of everything that exists a terrible event happened in the Kharkiv oblast when they started killing entire villages I believe that good should be done with fists and the punishment for this kind of people should be severe," said the prosecutor Defence lawyer Pogribnyi asked the court to declare a number of evidence and materials of covert investigative actions inadmissible He emphasized that the accused admits committing high treason and denies glorifying the occupier He requested that his client be sentenced to the lower limit of the sanction stipulated in the law Angelina said about the diary mentioned by the prosecutor that she wrote it during the first weeks of her detention "I am not a state servant and did not pledge allegiance to this country I do not have the great honor of posting slogans like "Russian warship” and so on on posters in Ukrainian cities [a reference to a defying act of resistance by Ukranian Marines on Snake island early in the war that is now the theme of postcards and posters in Ukraine] I am not a Ukrainian soldier to shout "Glory to Ukraine" I am not a Russian soldier to shout "Glory to Russia." Just glory to God the court ruled on life imprisonment and confiscation of property Everyone accepted the court's decision in silence Angelina objected to her family being present at the trial This report is part of our coverage of war crimes justice produced in partnership with Ukrainian journalists. A first version of this article was published on the "Sudovyi Reporter" website Home page » Topics » Professions » The unifying radio Despite the proliferation of social networks the Facebook of the 60’s amateur radio still exists This “social network” was admired all over the world in the second half of the twentieth century but there are still thousands of people who keep in touch by communicating with simple radio waves This story is about two amateur radio enthusiasts from Svitlovodsk Radio Amateurs are people who are passionate about radio communication At home they construct special devices to communicate with colleagues from distant countries participate in radio expeditions and radio sports competitions This phenomenon spread throughout the USSR in the mid-twentieth century captivating people from different generations radio amateurs had the opportunity to receive various information before the Internet expansion to discover news and to communicate with foreigners In the 50’s in Ukraine this activity became so popular that people spared no expense to improve their equipment and gain new knowledge The first Ukrainian who conducted radio communications experiments (in the Russian Empire at that time) was Serhii Zhydkovskyi from Zhmerynka Serhii designed a radio station that allowed radio exchanges within two miles but eventually Serhii was arrested on suspicion of espionage Most radio amateurs live in the USA: according to data in 2019 there are over 700,000 people dabbling with amateur radio there are over 400,000 people enjoying the hobby there are over 17,000 shortwave-radio enthusiasts living in Ukraine Leonid Pasko has been interested in amateur radio communication for over a half of a century he communicates with Ukrainian and foreign colleagues through a home radio station Some people find it interesting to get in touch with different countries and to make that connection Others just like to construct devices that reach thousands of kilometers Others take part in competitions that are held almost every week in different countries The development of electronic devices and communications in the territory of the former Soviet Union was progressing gradually Leonid tells how radio access in Ukraine was born: large scale economic reforms were carried out New power plants were constructed and electricty cables reached further lighting and the ability to have lighting and communication was now available you had to register it with the government and be a registered user Svitlovodsk Check location on Google Maps “Baltika” is Leonid’s favorite radio which was made in 1954-57 according to German post-war schemes at a plant in Riga Amateur radio was a common hobby of the teens of that time From 1930 to 1941 a monthly scientific and technical journal “Radio” was published in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialists Republic which then amateurs would exchange (such a magazine has been published in the USSR since 1924) Young people who had homemade tape recorders could broadcast music — The popular music of that time — “The Queen of Beauty” by Muslim Magomayev or “Girl” by The Beatles – could spread from Moscow throughout the Soviet Union in one day until 1968 There were groups of young technicians all over the Union; every student could buy the simplest radio transmitter with their savings This increased the level of technical education of young people This process continued until the beginning of the Prague Spring when the Czechs used short waves during the uprising a series of protests against Soviet influence amateur radio enthusiasts also participated in these events In order to prevent such resistance in the USSR the Communist Party decided to destroy this movement In order to become an amateur broadcaster and obtain a license under soviet rule amateurs were required to be tested for 2 years It was checked whether the candidate knew the machinery you also need to have a proper license — a license from the national communications administration the administration assigns each participant a call sign and with these callsigns other enthusiasts can identify each other Communication with different countries happens thanks to the radio waves that differ in length Shortwave frequencies are currently used for radio broadcasting as well as for amateur and professional communication short wave radio was considered to be impractical so the whole frequency band was provided to amateur radio enthusiasts for experimentation To establish a connection with another country Leonid has several high frequency antennas for communication with distant countries: Australia He also has two low frequency antennas: one for communication within a radius of 1,000 kilometers Amateur radio is very similar to mushroom picking A broadcaster will sit on the air and wait for an emerging channel of communication QSL-cards confirm bilateral radio connection between amateur stations or the receiving a radio signal from a listener Typical QSL-cards are similar to postcards and can be sent by post or e-mail Leonid Pasko explains that speed and quality of radio communication depend on many natural factors the seasons and other external influences: — The electromagnetic waves of the sun bombard the air break into ions and electrons and then form ionized clouds Here the signal from my station in Svitlovodsk hits the clouds reflects and hits Tokyo; then I hear them in Japan perfectly Amateur radio connection is a kind of a competition: who gets caught by what channel; or will it be a connection to a faraway island or a remote country Because Leonid is mainly dealing with short waves it is important to have time to catch the moment of the signal Leonid explains that different layers of the ionosphere have different effects on the spreading of signal in the short wavelength frequencies: we need to avoid absorption of layer D and get to the reflective layer E If the broadcaster does not have a computer program that controls the emergence of communication signals he remains constantly alert and has to monitor the air on his own It’s easy to find Leonid’s house in Svitlovodsk: huge rooftop antennas are visible from afar He designed the first receiver when he was in 8th grade at that time amateur radio was still kind of a subculture and went to school when another era began: Stalinism was criticized The voices of children began to travel on the airwaves in schools Young people were drawn to new knowledge that was previously forbidden Music like the The Beatles or The Rolling Stones was forbidden but they could not be banned on shortwave frequencies Leonid became involved in broadcasting thanks to his neighbor — One day my neighbor showed that in a normal speaker hanging on the wall And when he showed that you could attach three wires and talk to your classmates The disease had already started spreading the amateur radio disease There were probably nine boys in our class After Leonid graduated from the History Faculty in Dnipro (formerly Dnipropetrovsk Leonid repaired nuclear submarines at the Far East Factory “Star” there was a constant shortage of radio operators in the navy the signalman traveled the Mediterranean and Black Seas it was not easy for amateur broadcasters — they were subjected to oppression and repression The connection was controlled by the authorities and the owner of an unregistered radio transmitter was considered a spy The situation has changed somewhat after Mykyta Khrushchov took the reins: I went out and saw that the remains of my radio were burning in the garden My father worked all the time in the fields and did not know about my hobby When he found out and understood what I was doing his immediate reflex was to burn my radio If the unfortunate situation with the burned radio didn’t happen the amateur radio might not have grown into a long-lasting hobby I would probably be fed up with this radio and forgotten about it This hobby has developed into such a “disease” for life Around the fascination with amateur radio a whole community has formed in every city radio fans can find each other by seeing their antennas — If I go somewhere and see a stretched antenna There is also a connection with Russia controlled by regulations Religious and political issues are not discussed in this case Communication with Russians depends on latitudes: — It is clear that an information war exists Especially these places deep in Russia — Tambov there are Ukrainians who have forgotten their language and have broken away Leonid Pasko taught history at a school for many years The teacher recalls how in 1995 he learned about “Plast” a national scouting organization in Ukraine that takes care of youth education At the first “Plast” camp the man visited in the town of Bolekhiv in Ivano-Frankivsk region which is in the foothills of the Ukrainian Carpathians Since then he has been actively developing “Plast” in Svitlovodsk this movement is a perfectly developed system of human education — School is probably 10% of what “Plast” can give a child The children who passed “Plast” in Svitlovodsk completed their studies and are successful in life They did not create problems for either their parents or the state With “Plast” the head develops local history trails literary-educational and archeological camps the Svitlovodsk’s “Plast” cell also visited the prominent Cossack places of Naddniprianshchyna: in the residence of the Hetmans in Chyhyryn the native village of Bohdan Khmelnytsky Subotov on the tomb of ataman Ivan Sirko in Nikopol You can love Ukraine through its knowledge In order for the children to explore their country and feel involved in it Introduce them to the heritage of the people of this country They already live here — it’s in their body Leonid even constructed a special device for receiving and transmitting signals — the transceiver This relatively small device allows amateur radio broadcasters to work in the field The man combines the management of the local “Plast” with the classes of the radio club Working as a teacher-organizer since the 1980’s he teaches pupils electronics and tries to find an approach to each student — Children are more interested in constructing as they no longer need to communicate on the radio All the boys who were at my classes can both construct and work on the radio Leonid inspires his students with his hobby in the classes: — To change the world is to dedicate your work to this world It is to fulfill your duties to the family I could work as an equipment controller at a radio factory for 200 hryvnias but I left this and opened my classes for 90 hryvnias Every year the students of the classes take part in an event called Jamboree On The Air (JOTA) organized by an international scout organization These are alternative scout meetings occur every third weekend of October JOTA was started in the 1950’s by English “Plast” amateur radio enthusiast Communicating with the help of shortwave stations jamboree participants exchange experiences and get acquainted with the world of electronics Jamboree on the radio waves takes place at the same time as Jamboree on the Internet (JOTI) — These are meetings of scouts from all over the world anything else… It is an international meeting where children share their impressions of the past year: where they were Leonid thinks that in recent years the local “Plast” is losing popularity organizing a children’s holiday was a headache for parents Now parents can go with their child to Greece a mother said that scouting was all just wet feet mosquitoes… And now mothers want to take their children somewhere comfortable Leonid Pasko became involved in samizdat (self-publishing) — a kind of dissident movement that consists in the publishing without censorship Leonid mentions that he used to make great efforts to find such literature to quench his spiritual hunger — You couldn’t buy this literature in the store — only in samizdat See what a tremendous work people have done It was especially difficult to find philosophical and historical literature the source of hard-to-reach texts for him was a library in Moscow — In order to study the history of my land I was forced to write copies of the work of the historian Dmitro Yavornytskyi in the Lenin Library in Moscow the publication “Zaporizhia in the remnants of antiquity and folk tales” If you read the history of Ukraine and had a copy of the book by Mykhailo Hrushevskyi Leonid has his own collection of samizdat and books which were forbidden in the USSR Leonid became interested in Indian philosophy and traditional medicine he studied methods of treatments with herbs and yoga poses — asanas for diseases of the throat he uses the pose of a lion In the city people have called him “yogi” for a long time Space and freedom of knowledge were limited Leonid Pasko involved his friend and neighbor Hennadii Kravchenko in amateur radio he suffered an eye injury whilst working in the mine and since then he has been blind Leonid worked as a history teacher at the school where Hennadii’s wife She told Leonid that Hennadii has been fond of radio since childhood and has his own “Baltika” Hennadii learns languages and actively communicates with the world through radio Despite the injury he managed to finish his studies at the Pedagogical Institute and later Svitlana began to help her husband to learn languages by reading books aloud Hennadii constructed a radio that could catch a signal at a distance of 190 kilometers amateur radio is a basic tool for communicating with the world Svitlana is helping her husband to learn Italian and Arabic Hennadii has studied German and English,and later plans to study Spanish and French With foreigners Hennadii usually speaks in English He welcomes Japanese friends in Japanese and then continues to communicate with them in English He also tries to speak to the Italians in their language especially East Germans understand Russian more and try to improve their own language During his years of admiring amateur radio Hennadii gathered a collection of long-distance connections Once he managed to catch a connection with the islands near New Zealand for 2-3 minutes He also managed to connect with Kalimantan Island in Southeast Asia and Australia It is much less likely to get in touch with broadcasters from North Africa Involved in the preparation of the material 13 volunteers Project support: Fundacja Euromaidan-Warszawa Use of materials is only permitted upon providing the source: Ukrainer.net Дизайн — Артем Зубкевич Розробка — Deluxcode This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom 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Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience many families in Ukraine have nothing to return to Their homes often have been destroyed and looted and the ground is full of mines left by Russian troops the Polish Center for International Aid (PCPM) is spreading humanitarian assistance not only to Ukrainian refugees in Poland but also to those who have looked for refuge in safer regions within Ukraine One of the forms of assistance provided by the PCPM Foundation is financial support for the most basic needs like rent “At the moment of Russia’s attack on Ukraine I was living in the town of Stary Saltiv (Kharkiv region) begging me to run away with them from the approaching front – I refused and I was so terrified that I only grabbed my blood pressure monitor and fled I took the last bus out of town to Kharkiv volunteers drove me to Svitlovodsk” – 75-year-old Tamara reported “I came here with absolutely nothing without which I simply wouldn’t have survived I still take hypertension pills and other medications I became very ill after arriving in Svitlovodsk If there was no financial support from the PCPM I simply would not have had the money” – she added The coordinator of PCPM humanitarian aid programs in Ukraine Anna Radecka describes that the financial assistance we provide in cooperation with our partner the American organization CARE International “We launched the program back in the summer More than 6,000 people received support for six months we provided additional over 500 displaced persons with benefits for three months” – she explained The program is not only limited to financial support it consists also of humanitarian aid: food and material assistance to the most needy refugees in Ukraine “We recently provided blankets and thermal quilts for 500 families and diapers for more than 50 elderly people with mobility limitations” – Radecka said One of the families that receives support from the Foundation is Hanna with her two daughters The younger one was born with a congenital kidney defect “We lived in the town of Pechenhy near Kharkiv We deluded ourselves that everything would somehow work out soon but soon we heard that the Russians were planning to destroy the dam on the Pechen Reservoir which would directly threaten to flood our town and our house My daughters and I were afraid to hide in the basement from the shelling the basement would flood and we would all drown in it,’ said the 36-year-old refugee to ask for advice – he said it would be wiser to take shelter in the basement after all but the moment seven bombs exploded near the house I decided that I could no longer stay here with the children” – she continued “We fled to Alexandria (in southeastern Ukraine).  which is why the PCPM program is such a huge support for us I don’t know how I would have managed without it” – she added Hanna wants to return to her home near Kharkiv but when she calls friends who stayed in Pecheniha they sincerely advise her not to return as the war is not over and moving around the village is dangerous because of the mines left there by the Russians “I am involved in handing over items donated by donors from other parts of Ukraine and Europe The work also helps me not to go crazy from all this I am glad I may contribute something good to this community” – she said Radecka points out that each of the PCPM’s beneficiaries is a refugee especially vulnerable to war or families where there are members with disabilities or members suffering from chronic illnesses One such person is 59-year-old electromechanic Serhiy from Izyum in the Kharkiv region who found refuge with his family in the village of Novi Sanzhary near Poltava.  “Already on the first day of the war Russia first aimed a school that was located about two hundred meters from my house On the first day of the war the windows blew out We spent more than two weeks in the basement because of the fear of shelling I decided that I had to take my family and run away” – recalled Serhiy “I guess it was only by a miracle that our car stayed undamaged Although it was covered in dust and debris from the explosion We first stayed for a week at our relatives’ house in Slavyansk so we preferred not to tempt fate and moved on from there” – he continued.  he replied that he called people who had already decided to flee “I was advised to take my family exactly there thanks to the support of the PCPM Foundation we have money to rent a house in a village some 10 kilometers from the town,” he said Serhiy is grateful that everyone in the family is okay “That’s the most important thing although my 4-year-old grandson has already learned what war is and what the bombs Russia threatens us with look like” After being unbound from Izyum by the Ukrainian army “It would have been better if I had never returned there Only the well and the basement where we hid remained I have the impression that even bicycles were viciously smashed by tanks and certainly to survive the winter” – he said All of Serhiy’s family’s belongings burned down “With the help of organizations like yours I sincerely thank you for the help you have given us!” – he said Winter support for refugees in Ukraine is essential Even in Kyiv heating in apartments is likely to be reduced to a minimum insulated shoes and blankets become items of first necessity “We donate humanitarian aid where it is needed most we have already reached the 11th location – Lutsk – with our transports” – said the coordinator of the PCPM program in Ukraine the Polish Center for International Aid (PCPM) delivered humanitarian aid to towns in western Ukraine where Ukrainians are hosting compatriots from the occupied territories: Truskavets the PCPM Foundation gave support to Kyiv and its surroundings and to Svitlovodsk They provided us with volunteers to help with the distributions We are grateful to them for this” – Radecka added one of the women supported by PCPM is Hanna from Pavlove Pole we saw and heard explosions and shelling on a daily basis killing many ordinary people who were walking in the streets at the time we decided that we could not take any more risks We took my mother and together with my husband and two children we fled to Svitlovodsk which is not so far away and is much safer than Kharkiv” – she said “Our children took what we saw in our hometown very badly “In Svitlovodsk I could not find a job in my profession I financed a course for a manicurist and I will start work in the coming days It’s very important for me to have a source of income now I will have to buy them some warm clothes” – Hanna continued I would probably have to return to Kharkiv where there are still air strikes and it is dangerous” – the refugee woman concluded