I decided to visit a new friend I had met online. My friend lives in the south western part of Ukraine on the Dnipro river. Where she lives there are a large number of metallurgical steel works on the banks of the river. Which dominate Zaporozhian skyline with their tall chimney stacks.
There’s a small island in the Dnipro river that was once the home of the famous independent nation of the Cossacks. Zaporozhian Cossacks were a strong political and military force that challenged the authority of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.
Evidently the name of The name Zaporozhtsi comes from the location of their fortress, the Sich, in Zaporizhzhia “land beyond the rapids”, from Ukrainian za “beyond” and poróhy “rapids“. Today it’s a nature reserve just below the large hydroelectric dam.
The Zaporozhian Cossacks had various social and ethnic origins but were predominantly made up of escaped serfs who preferred the dangerous freedom of the wild steppes, rather than life under the rule of Polish aristocrats. The term Cossacks is freeman.
For me this encapsulates the spirit of the Ukrainian people. Not to be dominated by others. Let’s face it aren’t we Brits similar being from an island nation. Weren’t we the ones who stood up to Hitler at the beginning of world war 2. Yes we lived on an island fortress like the Cossacks of earlier times. We Brits are free race of people. Partly this reflects how we felt about being member of the European Union. Don’t get me wrong I didn’t personally vote for Brexit but I understand the British mentality of being free men and women.
I guess that’s why us Brits came to help of the Ukrainian people early in the Russian Ukrainian war. We Brits don’t like dictators or authoritarian regimes. Yes we have Royalty but we are governed by a parliamentary democracy. We don’t have an overbearing state apparatus or secret police. We have free and fair elections. We can vote for who ever we want. Not coerced to vote for same man each election period!
My friend has a son of fighting age and he is fighting for his countries freedoms. For its fledging democracy. The Ukrainian people I admire for their sheer guts and bravery. Yesterday at the station ticket office there was wounded Ukrainian soldier at the ticket counter. My friend got very upset about this. She fears for her son’s life. Since the war her sleep has become extremely difficult.
When I arrived it was quite an eye opener for me. The city is quite large but in the outskirts where most people live are these large blocks of concrete flats or apartments buildings. They’re very clean and tidy inside. But the buildings have this austere bleak look about them. A throw back to Soviet times. They keep the interiors of the flats neat and tidy. Rather old fashion decor. But the wages are very low and cost of food is very high!
My sense is Ukrainians are a proud people a fighting people. On the rail station in Kyiv I ask a tall young guy for advice about the train that was coming into the platform. He spoke excellent English. Advised me of my carriage and my seat. Later once the train pulled out of the station he came to me and asked if I was okay.
I thought that was a nice thing to do. Later on the journey I went to see him and we spoke for a while . I could tell from his features he wasn’t from Ukrainian stock. His family were Armenians. He lived in Dnipro city. He spoke excellent English and told me he originally was in journalism but now he works in the IT world google and social media marketing. I found all Ukrainian people helpful and friendly towards me.
Last night I heard noise of an aircraft I thought that’s strange there are no commercial aeroplanes allowed to fly in Ukrainian airspace. I got out of bed and looked out of the window. I saw search lights scanning the sky and tracer bullet rounds firing up into the sky. Later in the week explosions from an attack by the Russians in retaliation to the sinking of another Russian naval vessel in the Black Sea.
Rather disconcerting it must of been a Russian drone attack aircraft. I must admit it took me while to fall asleep afterwards. On YouTube and podcasts I watched and listened to the assessments of Putin interview with an American Shock Jockey Tucker Carlson. Putin is a physiologically imprisoned man. He did an initial diatribe for 30 minutes about Russian history which is a pure figment of his imagination. Mental construct and that Ukraine actually attacked Russia. Talk about twisting the narrative. I think the guys become paranoid and disillusioned. Living in parallel universe contrived in his brain. Like all dictators of old! Sad guy destroying his own nation and others through a sort schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia is a mental health condition where you may see, hear or believe things that are not real. This is Putins problem. But to give a schizophrenia person a voice on a social media platform to millions of people, for me was a crime. It tells me we humans are going down a preverbal rabbit hole. What will become of the human race I do despair!
Back to Ukrainians and their fledgling democracy. Corruption is and was a way of life in the old Soviet empire. Part of the unfortunate element of communism. There wasn’t any free ownership the state owed every single thing. But that’s okay if everyone benefited but that didn’t happen in reality. Everything came down the lowest common denominator.
The political elite siphoned off the countries wealth and prosperity. Jobs for all even if you weren’t doing anything all day. My friend stated in the Ukraine war the young men are doing the fighting and dying and the old men are sitting on their fat arses! Which made me smile.
The Russian Federation is run by dictator and tyrant. With his cronies stealing all the Russians peoples wealth in front of their very eyes, like a magician using sleight of hand. I can see it myself the legacy of the soviet period in the fabric of Ukrainian society. However in Poland I get a sense of a more democratic feel about the country. However for all old soviet occupied countries it’s hard to completely sweep away an ingrained legacy of that period. Be it in the fabric of the buildings or the social fabric or the political fabric of these fledging countries. It’s simply an ingrained mentality! That will take time to completely wash out from the psychic!
The president of Ukraine Zelenskyy is constantly having to sack people from the old style Soviet style corruption. Kick backs on armament contracts, kick backs on people dodging the draft. We saw with are own eyes the state of Russian military machine. Caused through rampant corruption. The amazing superiority of western military hardware.
Now I know capitalism needs to have checks and balances. Hence why worker union were formed throughout the U.K. in late 1800’s. To give workers certain rights in working conditions. Number of hours worked, conditions and pay etc. I believe every single thing in life should be a compromise. No one person should have definitive power over others! Otherwise people and workers become totally exploited and have no safeguards against unscrupulous greedy capitalists or governing tyrants!
Driving the modern car you have an alarm indicator to tell if you veer too far to the right or too far to the left of the road. Surely we have to have system of checks and balances on governments politics and life in general. Isn’t that why we have laws, independent judiciary, freedoms of the press, limited government time periods in office, rules and regulations we humans have to adhere to our legal systems. Written in law by our democratic representative’s who we elect. The war in Ukraine is about stopping an imperialist nation trying force its will upon a democratic fledgling nation by invading it and killing its people. Surely as a freedom lover and democrat this can’t be allowed to take place. Putin and his perpetrators must be brought to justice in international courts and tribunals. If a leader and his nations commit genocide and murder surely there will be a day of reckoning? Otherwise don’t we revert back to the jungle might is right through sheer force of arms. I’m I being too idealistic in my thinking? I hope not! I can tell you this I would be willing to die for my country against any threatening tyranny! That’s a given!
Cossacks wanted to live a life of freedom. Wasn’t that the reason why the British American colonies broke free from imperialist Britain. They were ruled from Britain by a king and his wealthy oligarchs. Lord, Knights of the realm and wealthy land owners. They fought a war against a superior foe we the British but we were beaten in the end! Like I believe the Russia will be beaten by the Ukrainians. Like the Cossacks of old they want to break free.
Finally the other day I walked with my friend down the main city avenue. Near the main municipal building there are triangular yellow and blue picture posters of all the young Zaporozhian fallen soldiers adjacent to main highway. They have all paid the ultimate sacrifice for their country. Sometimes in life we may all be called upon to fight for the freedom of democracy. Why? Because democratic freedom is never a given.
