Canada’s minister of defense expresses support for Ukraine
Andriy Parubiy and the Ukrainian community of Ottawa pay tribute to the Euro-Maidan’s heroes on Parliament Hill.
OTTAWA – EuroMaidan Ottawa organized a photo exhibit and fund-raiser marking the first anniversary of the brutal sniper attacks in Kyiv that killed over 100 peaceful protesters on the Maidan in 2014. The February 23 exhibit followed events earlier in the day with Verkhovna Rada First Vice-Chairman Andriy Parubiy, who was in Parliament on an official visit. The former secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, and co-founder of the People’s Front party, who now is vice-chairman of Ukraine’s Parliament, also participated in a remembrance ceremony at the Confederation Flame in front of Parliament’s Center Block.
“It was an exceptional honor to have Mr. Parubiy present as we commemorated the heroes of the Maidan. He is a genuine leader, and he stood with the people at Independence Square in Kyiv,” said Anna Dombrovska, co-founder of EuroMaidan Ottawa.
Defense Minister Jason Kenney, Immigration Minister Chris Alexander, and MPs James Bezan and Ted Opitz of the Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group joined the commemorative photo exhibit, demonstrating the strong support of the government of Canada for a free and democratic Ukraine.
Canada has been one of the foremost leaders in supporting Ukraine since the beginning of Russian aggression against the country. “Canada will always recognize Crimea as sovereign Ukrainian territory,” Defense Minister Kenney said in his keynote remarks that evening.
Ukrainian Canadian Congress National President Paul Grod was also in attendance at the event.
The commemorative exhibit comprised 20 works by Maria Arseniuk, photographs taken in the days after the shooting on Independence Square. Ms. Arseniuk was born in Kyiv, but has lived in Ottawa most of her life, where she is currently completing a master’s degree.
EuroMaidan Ottawa activists at the photo exhibit with MPs and community leaders (from left): Natalia Stepaniuk, MP James Bezan, photographer Maria Arseniuk, Yaroslav Bezverkhnyev, Minister of Defense Jason Kenney, Bohdan Tomiuk, Natalia Romas, Anton Sestritsyn, MP Ted Opitz, Yaroslav Baran, Ukrainian Canadian Congress National President Paul Grod and Anna Dombrovska.
“In choosing these particular pieces for exhibition, we were consciously trying to capture the zeitgeist of the Euro-Maidan,” noted Yaroslav Baran, one of the exhibit organizers. “Tremendous things happened on that square. A revolution was born, and many lost loved ones. We wanted to ensure these events were given the proper respect.”
EuroMaidan Ottawa is a grass-root organization in solidarity with the Ukrainian pro-democracy movement; it seeks to help raise awareness and assist in the strengthening of democracy and rule of law in Ukraine. Since November 2013, EuroMaidan Ottawa has organized over 20 demonstrations, commemorative services and public speaking events to raise awareness in Canada about the Ukraine crisis.
Minister Jason Kenney speaks at the photography exhibit of Maria Arseniuk (left) that was organized by EuroMaidan Ottawa.
With the support of the Ukrainian Canadian community and its friends, EuroMaidan Ottawa has raised over $25,000 in support of Ukraine – ranging from medical supplies and sleeping bags for Ukrainian soldiers on the front to direct support for internally displaced Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars.
EuroMaidan Ottawa partners with multiple organizations in Ukraine to ensure that aid is received by those who need it most.
“In these critical times, we have every intention of continuing our work for as long as it is required. We will carry on with new initiatives, and are always looking for new ideas and partnership opportunities,” said Yaroslav Bezverkhnyev, one of the group’s founding members.