Ukrainian woman tells Buncrana rally: ‘We don’t know if our mothers and relatives are alive’

A Ukrainian woman, living in Buncrana, has spoken of how she wakes up and does not know if her family in her homeland are alive.
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Natasha Baburova addressed over 100 people who gathered in Buncrana’s Market Square on Thursday evening for a sombre candlelit vigil, held to show solidarity with the people of Ukraine.

She was joined by two friends, who proudly held the Ukrainian flag and they were flanked by organiser Carol Doherty, Donegal County Councillor Nicholas Crossan, Donegal TD Deputy Padraig MacLochlainn and local clergy Canon Judi McGaffin and Father Francis Bradley.

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Prayers were said for all those caught up in the war and singer Mickey Herron poignantly sang songs that included John Lennon’s ‘Imagine.’

Natasha Baburova (centre) addressed over 100 people who gathered in Buncrana’s Market Square on Thursday evening. Photo: George Sweeney.  DER2209GS – 043Natasha Baburova (centre) addressed over 100 people who gathered in Buncrana’s Market Square on Thursday evening. Photo: George Sweeney.  DER2209GS – 043
Natasha Baburova (centre) addressed over 100 people who gathered in Buncrana’s Market Square on Thursday evening. Photo: George Sweeney. DER2209GS – 043

Addressing those gathered, Natasha said the people of Ukraine are suffering and dying on their native land.

In an emotional address, her tears flowed as she told how Russian troops are ‘powerless to fight the Ukrainian army, so they want to get as many civil victims as possible.’

“They use missiles and aircraft to bomb innocent children and women, who are homeless now. They’re orphans now. Children are born in underground shelters because Russians are bombing maternity houses and hospitals.

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“Children don’t see the sky and sun because they are underground for the past eight days.”

The Rev Judi McGaffin was among the speakers at Market Square in Buncrana on Thursday evening during a candle-lit vigil in solidarity with the people of Ukraine.  Photo: George Sweeney.  DER2209GS – 056The Rev Judi McGaffin was among the speakers at Market Square in Buncrana on Thursday evening during a candle-lit vigil in solidarity with the people of Ukraine.  Photo: George Sweeney.  DER2209GS – 056
The Rev Judi McGaffin was among the speakers at Market Square in Buncrana on Thursday evening during a candle-lit vigil in solidarity with the people of Ukraine. Photo: George Sweeney. DER2209GS – 056

Ms Baburova said that Russian President Vladamir Putin ‘wants Ukraine not to exist’ and ‘threatens the whole of Europe to bomb Chernobyl.’

She told how he bombed an 11th century cathedral, as well as Babyn Yar, a place where ‘half a million Jewish were shot by fascists’. “He killed them twice.”

Ms Baburova explained to those in the Market Square how their grandparents had ‘taught us to love Ukraine as a mother.’

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“And now, for eight days, it is torturing my mother in Ukraine, (her friend) Helena’s mother. He is torturing Ukraine. He has killed hundreds of mothers and now we wake up and we don’t know and are not sure if our mothers and relatives are alive.”

People gather in Market Square in Buncrana on Thursday evening last for prayers and a candle-lit vigil in solidarity with the people of Ukraine.  Photo: George Sweeney.  DER2209GS – 051People gather in Market Square in Buncrana on Thursday evening last for prayers and a candle-lit vigil in solidarity with the people of Ukraine.  Photo: George Sweeney.  DER2209GS – 051
People gather in Market Square in Buncrana on Thursday evening last for prayers and a candle-lit vigil in solidarity with the people of Ukraine. Photo: George Sweeney. DER2209GS – 051

Ms Baburova said she and her friends are ‘very thankful to the people of Ireland and the Buncrana community’ and appreciated everyone’s support and help.

The vigil was organised by local woman Carol Doherty and Donegal County Councillor Nicholas Crossan, who co-ordinated the event on stage, paid tribute to her.

Colr. Crossan said everyone in attendance had done so ‘in unity with the people of Ukraine’.

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Canon Judi McGaffin asked everyone to reflect on a piece of scripture, where the writer of proverbs lists ‘things that God hates and that are detestable to him.’

Local people gather in Market Square in Buncrana on Thursday evening last for prayers and a candle-lit vigil in solidarity with the people of Ukraine.  Photo: George Sweeney.  DER2209GS – 047Local people gather in Market Square in Buncrana on Thursday evening last for prayers and a candle-lit vigil in solidarity with the people of Ukraine.  Photo: George Sweeney.  DER2209GS – 047
Local people gather in Market Square in Buncrana on Thursday evening last for prayers and a candle-lit vigil in solidarity with the people of Ukraine. Photo: George Sweeney. DER2209GS – 047

“And the writer writes that they are arrogance, lies, murder, evil plots, feet that race down a wicked track and the kind of sins listed here cause enormous damage to lives and to society. And over the past week, we have seen all of these played out by Russia and visited on the people of Ukraine, in this instance.”

Donegal TD Padraig MacLochlainn also spoke and condemned the ‘ugliness of that view that we are greater than and have a right to take people’s freedom; that we are imperious, that our vision of the world means that other people can’t be free, that other people can’t have their own culture, identity, that they can’t live in peace, that they can’t grow - that we must crush and control it.”

The Sinn Fein Deputy said there have been comparisons in this war with ‘Naziism and the horror of Hitler and the evil that was unleashed on the world’. But, he added that the world defeated this evil by uniting together.

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“And I want to send a message to our friends here and fellow Buncrana people from Ukraine, we will defeat Putin and this evil. Your people will be free and you will have your motherland again and we will drag the Russian thuggery out of your country.”

Father Francis Bradley PP of Buncrana told how Ukraine, due to its fields of and exporting of wheat, has ‘earned the nickname the bread basket of Europe.’

He added how bread begins life as a seed, planted in the soil, ‘which in the cold and darkness of the earth germinates to produce a root and then a shoot.’

People gather in Market Square in Buncrana on Thursday  evening last for prayers and a candle-lit vigil in solidarity with the people of Ukraine.  Photo: George Sweeney.  DER2209GS – 052People gather in Market Square in Buncrana on Thursday  evening last for prayers and a candle-lit vigil in solidarity with the people of Ukraine.  Photo: George Sweeney.  DER2209GS – 052
People gather in Market Square in Buncrana on Thursday evening last for prayers and a candle-lit vigil in solidarity with the people of Ukraine. Photo: George Sweeney. DER2209GS – 052

“With the passage of time, it then produces its crop which is harvested and stored, ground into flour and baked into bread.

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“It is the people of the Ukraine, who are now being ground down, viewed as cannon fodder by an invading army. But, we now, we see and we hear their resolve is strong, led by their courageous president, their ability to persevere is deep rooted, like the mayor of Kiev.

“In 1986, when nuclear disaster took place in Chernobyl, it was they who bore the brunt of it. But even here, 100s of miles away from there, families threw open their homes to welcome children, who came in large numbers to enjoy themselves, to grow and heal in the relative calm of Buncrana. It was only natural that we should help in this way, for our own ancient Celtic roots lie near the Black Sea in that cradle of civilisation, perhaps even in the Ukraine itself. Now, it is our hearts that we open again in solidarity with the Ukrainian people.”

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