From the 2022 event, Understanding The War in Ukraine, to the recent, Ukraine Today: Report of a Recent Visit, Brookdale has kept students and members in the Brookdale community informed about events in the war in Ukraine. The Current staff writer Isabel Shaw also a reported on a former student’s experience living in Kyiv, Ukraine in 2022. (See story here.)
With the student body showing interest in politics, the discussion of war is always prevalent. Dr. David Bassano, a history professor, gave a talk on Oct. 24 about the three weeks he spent as a volunteer in Ukraine last summer. “There were a lot of reasons (to volunteer in Ukraine) as a historian… human rights, volunteering.”
“It was that important to global history,” Bassano said. “I wanted to be there.”
The talk was attended by many older, community members, all interested in hearing about Bassano’s experiences. Bassano shared that he volunteered with two different charities while he was in Ukraine. At one point, he was located in the capital, Kyiv, which he noted “had a different feeling than being close to the frontline.”
At times, he made his way down to the frontline where he heard explosions a few times during each night. But, he said, most importantly, he saw the strength and resilience of the people, especially the women. Bassano documented his journey with nightly journaling to keep track of his daily activities and also took many pictures that added vision and insight in his presentation.
In an interview following the talk, Bassano shared that he reached out to a non-governmental organization in Ukraine called Hell’s Kitchen, founded in Kharkiv (Harkiv), the day after war began to learn how he could go to Ukraine to help.
“I spoke with Franklin O. who’s an American living in Ukraine before the war. He was working as a translator and taught English,” Bassano said. Franklin aided Bassano in planning his trip and his volunteer agenda while in Ukraine.
Bassano highlighted that Franklin is the “middle man” that connects locals in Ukraine to people in the West who can aid in providing necessary supplies such as generators or other needs. Franklin helps arrange “ways to help Ukrainians without going to war,” Bassano said. Especially, “considering the cost of hotel and flight, sometimes it’s easier to donate the money,” he said.
Bassano had a frightening experience when his Finnish volunteer mate, who was only 18 years old, checked for booby traps in the warehouse the town had allowed them to store their supplies in.
“No measurements, no recipes, and they make incredible food,” said Bassano as he discussed his experience volunteering besides “strong” Ukrainian women in a station where hot food was prepared for soldiers in combat.
In Kharkiv, he saw the strength and resilience of the people, “especially the Ukrainian women.” Bassano presented pictures of some of his favorite meals, such as a cold cucumber and dill soup (similar to a tzatziki version of soup) and many bowls of chicken soup in addition to recipes to make the meal.
This was Bassano’s first trip to a war zone, but not his first trip to Ukraine.
Bassano said he “visited Ukraine in 1997 to meet with a penpal, Tatyana, (and) spent one week and a half in Ukraine.
“I had a penpal from Ukraine, before email. She was a translator. I would send her magazines in English, and she would translate them to Ukrainian. Cosmo articles were really popular.” Bassano and his penpal have lost connection, but his familiarity with Ukraine helped him in his recent visit.
“I had photographs from 1997 and went to where I was before to take pics again. No cell phones in 1997,” Bassano reflected on the difference in the landscape and the activities he captured people in nearly 27 years ago.
When asked how he prepared for his journey, Bassano said, “I studied a little about Ukrainian culture. (For example,) a woman does not shake a man’s hand.”
Bassano said “Speaking their language gets you a little further.” However, he also noted, “if you don’t see someone do it, don’t do it. Be aware. Be polite.”
“I was told don’t speak Russian if you go over to Ukraine,” however Bassano noted you can hear both Ukrainian and Russian languages spoken among the people.
“Ukrainian culture is making a resurgence because of the war. People were once questioning, ‘Do we turn to Russian influence or the West?’… I heard of a lot of hate toward Russians.”
Overall, the presentation showed a side of Ukraine we don’t see in news reports, how locals are working together, charity work in communities to aid soldiers, and people still attending cafes and restaurants in Kyiv.
Over about two hours, Bassano shared his three-week experience. Questions at the end asked about NATO’s support to Ukraine and the referendum in 2022.