2000+ Winnipeg Residents came to a Solidarity Rally to Honour Ukraine's 365 Days of Indomitability

On February 24, 2022, Ukraine shuddered at the first Russian missiles on its territory. A year has passed since then, a year that will forever be etched in the memory of millions of Ukrainians. More than two thousand Winnipeg residents came out to honour the memory of the fallen soldiers who courageously laid down their lives defending their native land. And hundreds of blue and yellow flags indicate that Ukrainians are indomitable and invincible in their struggle.

Winnipeg is one of 50 cities in Canada that held rallies as a sign of solidarity with the Ukrainian people. Here, with the hope for peace and victory, the slogans of Glory to Ukraine and calls to the Canadian government to strengthen support for Ukrainians who are fighting not only for peace on their land, but also for the entire democratic and independent world, are heard.

"The most important thing for us is to show the world that Ukraine does not stand alone. Obviously, Ukrainians are fighting at the front, but we in Canada show that Ukraine is not alone. The whole world is united with Ukraine and here we are trying to get more resources, weapons, finances from politicians, as well as sanctions against the Russian regime. And this is the way to help Ukraine," Oleksandra Shkandriy, volunteer of the Congress of Ukrainians of Canada, shares.

Since the beginning of the CUAET program, more than 160,000 Ukrainians have come to Canada. 17,000 of them chose Manitoba as their new home. This makes the province one of the places with the largest number of newly arrived Ukrainians in Canada per capita.

And while Ukrainians are forced to look for a safe place to live abroad, they consider it their duty to constantly talk about the war so that the world does not forget.

"I think that every Ukrainian abroad has a mission to be the same reminder to the world that the war continues and that we still need help and support on all fronts. We are here today to show that we can unite and stand up for each other, no matter what it costs us," said rally participant Ksenia Khudyntsia.

Although a whole year has passed, Ukrainians still remember with tears in their eyes and pain in their hearts that terrible morning when it all began:

"I woke up today with very heavy emotions. I was particularly struck by this in the evening. I remembered that time last year. It was four in the morning in Ukraine then, it was nine in the evening here. I remember talking to my parents that evening. We thought whether something would happen or not. After the conversation, I checked Twitter and saw that someone wrote: "it's all starting." I remember a little, a little not, my emotions, I was just in shock. She was terribly worried about the family that still lives there.

I experienced it again this time this year. I sat and looked at the clock, and when nine o'clock came, I couldn't hold back the waves of emotions and fear, it was difficult for me to remember everything", Maryana Sklepovych, a volunteer of the Congress of Ukrainians of Canada, shares with us.

To mark the first anniversary of the illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Canadian Museum of Human Rights launched a temporary installation Ukrainian Artists United, featuring multimedia portraits of Ukrainian artists whose lives were affected by the war.

"The exhibition we opened today is called Ukrainian artists United. She describes eleven artists from Lviv who were photographed during the past year. The exhibition collected and presented the illustrations as a reminder of the incredible power of art, music, the artistic word to connect us with each other, to truly remind us of the true cost of war and the incredible importance of achieving peace and supporting those who have suffered," says Rorie. McLeod, Media relations, Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

The Hoosli men's choir also performed at the presentation with the song "Oy u luzi chervona kalyna", which became a true anthem of the war and struggle of Ukrainians for independence against the Russian Federation.

Yuliia Kovalenko, Ukrainian View, U Multicultural.