A Ukrainian family from Lévis organizes musical brunches every Sunday and raises funds to send humanitarian aid to their country of origin.
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Hanna and Vadym Khrystyuk and their three children, a Ukrainian family who arrived in Quebec 12 years ago, decided to act in the face of the invasion of their motherland by collecting donations.
“Every Sunday that the war will last, we will organize brunches,” said Vadym, adding that “donations were sent directly to the population in the city of Poltava.” This municipality is located 140 km from Kharkiv, where fighting is raging.
The initiative for the musical brunches comes from Hanna, piano teacher and director of a choir. She was able to gather around her local artists for the event.
On the menu, traditional Ukrainian tea and biscuits, piano and songs.
“We must help each other in the face of this cruel invasion. Even if we are in shock, we must keep hope, ”said Hanna, just before performing on the piano “When men will live on love”, accompanied by the members of her choir.
PHOTOS Julien Garon-Carrier.
The choir sings in support of Ukraine. MARCH 6, 2022. PHOTOS Julien Garon-Carrier.
Chantal Langlois, chorister for the polyphonic choir of Lévis, explains that she is present at the brunch to support her friends Hanna and Vadym. “We feel powerless in the face of so much violence, but every little gesture counts”, she explained, specifying that her participation represented “a surge of solidarity [pour la communauté ukrainienne]”.
Speaking of solidarity, it was partly at Hanna’s request that the City of Quebec projected blue and yellow stripes on the silos of the image mill in the old port, reminiscent of the colors of the Ukrainian flag. “The symbolism is important. It gets people thinking,” Hanna said.
Family at risk
Like all Ukrainians in the country, the Khrystyuks fear for their relatives in Ukraine. Naturally, they would like to repatriate their respective families here, but do not want to wait to act.
“When our brothers and sisters are bombed, we can’t do anything,” said Vadym, explaining that several civilians had been killed since the beginning of the conflict.
The Khrystyuk family has therefore picked up several boxes of equipment of all kinds over the past few weeks (medicines, sleeping bags, flashlights, etc.) with the generosity of the Lévis community. They will soon be sent to Ukraine from the Toronto airport, like a little balm on the misery that afflicts this country.
“It’s our little drop in the ocean,” Hanna concluded.