Just Another Sunday - Photo Essay In Ukraine
Photos and Text by Robert Thomas - Opinion/Commentary
With the talk of war in Ukraine seemingly dominating the newscasts and news websites in Canada and the United States just what is it like in the majority of Ukraine?
True, for those much further to the southeast of Ukraine there is shelling as allegedly Russian backed forces are shelling Ukrainian lines hoping for retaliation and a reason to start a further invasion.
But what is it really like right now on a Sunday afternoon further behind the lines?
Learning to skate - photo by Robert Thomas
Is the country full of fear? Just how are the majority of Ukrainians right now living their lives?
To show you what life is like in Ukraine here is a series of photographs taken over two and a half hours late this Sunday afternoon.
Mother and daughter out for a skate - photo by Robert Thomas
The photos show what is a typical Sunday afternoon that so may Ukrainians are out and enjoying.
People in the larger cities to the west are just living and enjoying their everyday lives as they would on an ordinary Sunday afternoon.
Holding hands and laughter out on the ice - photo by Robert Thomas
The streets are not full of doom and gloom.
The talk of war is not spreading throughout the country.
Certainly it is on all Ukrainians minds it seems in one way or another but it is not people’s foremost thought in the western regions of Ukraine.
The amusement park visited on a mild February day was not packed. But then again it is February and the daytime temperature almost reach 10 C. A mild day for this time of year.
Two women take it slow on the rental skates as they learn the fine art of skating - photo by Robert Thomas
The ice was not full but there were many people out skating laps and learning to skate on what started out as a sunny day until just after 3 pm.
It is much like Canada is, or was, when it comes to outdoor skating.
The ice here is refrigerated and it costs about $4.50 for just under an hour on the ice.
Many of the people were not professional skaters and many had the blue adjustable rental skates on.
People who were out skating - photo by Robert Thomas
In many cities most Ukrainians were just out enjoying their Sunday and day off.
Certainly there were demonstrations across Ukraine commemorating the Maidan Revolution eight years ago but compared to people out doing other things the crowds commemorating were small.
Out for a ride at the Midway - photo by Robert Thomas
The only fear I witnessed really was a woman hopping on a ride and immediately pulling her toque over her eyes.
My guess it was over her eyes so she did not have to watch was happening.
Are everyday Ukrainians hiding their faces in fear? Perhaps a little but in reality they truly are not.
The majority are not out there getting ready to pack a rifle and resist Russian invasion. It is just living.
Father and toddler son out for a ride - photo by Robert Thomas
In fact for a lot of Ukrainians they have heard all of this before and in the end nothing came of it.
As someone told me here “It is what it is. I can not change geo-politics so I just don’t pay attention to it.”
Yes there are those who seem to allow the nemesis of war to surround their lives but most are journalists (with their nationalist biases that are acceptable in the press here), analysts, nationalists and politicians.
Dad and daughter out for a leisurely ride on a Sunday afternoon - photo by Robert Thomas
For so many of them it is all about saying that the war must be stopped but in reality they need a war.
They need the crisis as this is what makes them necessary. They are necessary and so are their apocalyptic predictions.
This in many ways is what is scaring many in Ukraine. It is the biases and hawkish nature of so many in positions to influence public opinion.
Woman tries to catch up to the rest of her family on the bumper cars - photo by Robert Thomas
Things seem to be different in Ukraine as even on the bumper cars infants and toddlers ride and also in many cases are the drivers.
There is no need, in fact it is not acceptable, to go crashing into others on the bumper cars in this country.
It is a different attitude that might be hard for many to understand in Canada.
An attitude that there might be bumps out there but in the end hopefully they survive and get off the ride they are now in comes to its’ eventual conclusion.
People heading home during the evening - photo by Robert Thomas
As I look into the darkness of evening I see people heading home with the things they needed and picked up at the market. There is no rampant hoarding going on.
Despite what you may see and hear on the nightly news.
The war is there, hidden at the back of people’s minds.
It is not there in a surreal sort of way because in reality many Ukrainians in the western reaches of the country are just living their everyday lives.
The war seems so distant as life goes on here for most of Ukraine.
Robert Thomas is the Acting Editor of MJ Independent.
He is presently on a long duration stay in Ukraine as rumours of a major incursion by Russia continue to grip that country.
As an FYI MJ Independent is still being produced.