Ukraine crisis fundraiser racks up cash at Rackham’s
Ukrainians living in Cayman sell tickets at the fundraiser (photo by Lana Gilyun) 
(L-R) Lana Gilyun, Volodymyr Mavrych and Olena Bolgova, Ukrainian nationals living in the Cayman Islands 
Governor Martyn Roper and his wife, Lissie, at the fundraising event 
Khrystyna Shevnyuk (left) and volunteers selling raffle tickets 
Photo by Lana Gilyun
(CNS): Rackam’s bar was jam-packed Sunday night for a fundraising event to support the people of Ukraine, who are fighting to survive and fighting to defend their homeland from the invading Russian army. Through a raffle and an auction of prizes donated by local businesses, CI$28,500 was raised, which will go directly to the Ukraine Red Cross.
Every penny will go to the “boots on the ground” in Ukraine to help the people who need it, said Tim Langfitt, who manages the waterfront bar. He said he hosted the event after hearing about the need from a long-time staff member at Rackham’s, Olga Korobova, who is from Ukraine.
The invasion began on 24 February, and so far there have been 406 confirmed civilian deaths as a result of the unprovoked attack, according to the UN human rights office, but the actual number is thought to be much higher. And with a number of cities under siege and refugees fleeing the conflict within Ukraine and heading across the borders, the humanitarian crisis is growing rapidly.
Khrystyna Shevnyuk, an auditor who has been working here in Cayman for the last 18 months, told CNS that her family and many of her friends are in Sumy, a city in north-eastern Ukraine on the border with Russia. “They can’t leave,” she said. “They are surrounded by the Russian army and are in hiding.”
She said there is still internet access in the city but some areas are without power. As a result, while she is still able to speak with her family every morning, she has lost contact with some of her friends. “I hope they managed to escape or they just need to charge their phones,” she said, clearly worried about their safety.
Shevnyuk spoke to her father on Monday morning and told him about the event in Cayman Sunday night. She said it gave him hope that people were supporting Ukraine and willing to help, and that he was going to share this with his neighbours.
For the first few days after the invasion began she just felt helpless and didn’t know how to help, Shevnyuk said. But she felt she had to do something, so when the idea about the fundraiser came up, she thought the least she could do was to help with this. She and the other organisers, Tim and Trish Langfitt, Olja Khodzhaeva, Lisa Perejma and Olga Korobova, pulled it together in just six days.
“Everyone was on board. Over 60 businesses donated prizes, and vouchers were still coming in on Sunday,” Shevnyuk said. “The support has been incredible; people are so generous.” She thought that the turnout might be high, since the poster had been widely shared on social media and some businesses had printed it out and posted it in their premises. But the crowd was bigger than she had imagined.
She said that ever since the invasion started, she has been contacted by friends here in Cayman who want to know how they can help, and she said it’s wonderful to know how people from around the world are supporting them.
Shevnyuk said she is proud of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has remained in the capital Kyiv and is keeping in touch with the people through social media and keeping them up to date with what is going on.
“He is very brave and one of us. Sometimes you feel that government is separate, but he is definitely one of us and not willing to give anything to Russia,” she said. “Ukrainians will never give up. That’s our homeland. You cannot invade and expect us to give up.”
Max Kazakov, a local musician and DJ, was born in Saransk, Russia, but has lived in the Cayman Islands since he was six years old, when his family escaped the repressive regime. In total support of the Ukraine people, he said Russian President Vladimir Putin just has too much power. “He needs to die as soon as possible,” he said frankly. “If he is not stopped he will be the next Hitler.” Nevertheless, he believes Ukraine will win the war.
“Putin is angry that he can’t win,” said Ukraine national Lana Gilyun, who has lived in Cayman since 1999. “He thought he would win in two or three days, but Ukraine is now a bone in his throat that he cannot swallow. He’s going to fail. There is no way Ukrainians will let the country get into his hands.”
Governor Martyn Roper and his wife, Lissie, attended the event, and in a message on social media afterwards he said, “We are all shocked by Russia’s actions in Ukraine and the terrible suffering of its people as cities are shelled and bombed indiscriminately. Such a war in Europe in 2022 is unthinkable.
Roper noted that the invasion is also in violation of international law and the UN Charter. “If bigger countries invade smaller ones because they are more powerful, the international rules based order that has brought prosperity and stability for decades is at risk. It underlines how valuable our freedoms and democratic way of life are and that we should not take these for granted.”
Russia’s parliament has passed a law banning any media coverage that calls what is happening in Ukraine an “invasion”, and journalists in that country face a 15-year prison sentence for writing the truth. Taking Putin’s crackdown on press freedoms seriously, several international media houses, including the BBC, have temporarily suspended their operations there.
In addition, Russia has blocked access to the BBC, Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Deutsche Welle, along with major Ukrainian websites, The Washington Post reported Friday. Facebook has also been blocked and there is restricted access to Twitter.
In support of a free press, Roper said, “The lies and misinformation being fed to the Russian people should make us all appreciate the valuable and essential role a free and diverse media plays in our societies. We need to stand up for our democracy, rule of law and a rules based international system.”
Langfitt said that donations continued to arrive at Rackham’s on Monday and this cash will be added to the money going to the Ukraine Red Cross.
All future donations can be sent directly to the Ukraine Red Cross via credit or debit card. See here.
See here for wire transfer details.
The Cayman Islands Red Cross also has a Ukraine Crisis Appeal, and donations can be given online by credit or debit card, via bank to bank transfer, by mail or by phone.
See here.
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Category: Community, Eastern Europe, Local News, World News
Photo #1. Lana Gilyun, Volodymyr Mavrych and Olena Bolgova, Ukrainian nationals living in the Cayman Island.
Lana is a citizen of the Cayman Islands (British Overseas Territories Citizen), she has been living in Grand Cayman since forever. She is an exceptionally nice person. Volodymyr and Olena are permanent residents. I am happy for them all.
There is a Russian speaking community in Grand Cayman- everyone who speaks Russian is the “member”-Polish, Bulgarian, Armenian, Ukrainian, Georgian, Latvian, Estonian, etc. They, at least that is how it used to be, celebrate national holidays, birthdays, religious holidays, Christmas, New Year Eve or get together for no reason at all, quite often, not seeing themselves different from each other- they are united by the Russian language they all speak. I hope this is preserved, even today.
Peace to all.
11:26, while I agree with you I am afraid that Putin and Russia have driven a dagger through the heart of Russian speaking communities around the world. It is going to take decades to heal the wounds, if ever.
Afraid that the unity of the Russian speaking peoples is over.
Sad but true.
Whilst I am glad to see support for Ukraine and the refugees I wonder : where was the support when US invaded countries looking for weapons of mass destruction? Where was all the fundraising for those refugees?
slava ukrain!!!!
Whilst some here in their hypocrisy can prance around here supporting the Ukraine two recent articles one in Politico and one in Newsweek have shed some light on that very hypocrisy we have to deal right here in Cayman. The first outlines the current UK Tories government’s addiction to Russian Money and other is a rather strange article because it list all of the UK OT’s Offshore jurisdictions that are unfriendly to Russia all but one . Perhaps and oversight by Newsweek, we can only hope. The positive side is Cayman must not any Russian business and therefore was not mentioned . Stay informed Cayman.
CNS: There’s little point in referencing articles unless you link them. I found the Politico article, see below, but if you google “Russia money London” there are quite a few similar articles.
Why Britain’s Tories are addicted to Russian money
However, the situation has changed and hopefully so has tolerance for this. This in the BBC – UK fast-tracks law to tackle Russian ‘dirty money’
Last paragraph is questionable?
Last paragraph?
Obviously local Russian trolls. Be thankful that you live in a free world because in Russia you have none of these freedoms! Unfathomable that anyone would think that it’s ok to invade another country that did not attack the other and kill innocent civilians and displaced millions of people. It will take at least another three generations to recover from this atrocity!
And while you ponder this – think that Putin a career civil servant is one of the richest men in the world!
Russia is surrounded by US military bases. Pray for the return of peace with Donald J Trump
LOL
You are a nut job like Drumph.
Russian terrorists are firing at bread factories and churches. Today they fired at and destroyed a historical church built in 1862. Reminds me of the times when ISIS was destroying historical sites in Palmyra in Syria. Evil terrorists.
Would America tolerate Russian nuclear weapons in Mexico or Canada?
The expansion of NATO has caused this.
CNS: Ukraine doesn’t have nuclear weapons, having given them up in 1994. See here for more.
As for the Nato excuse, here’s an alternative opinion – Putin’s Bogus Blame-NATO Excuse
I dunno, pretty sure it was PPM fault
Taking over Ukraine puts Putin on the doorstep of several NATO countries.
Ex Soviet Union countries were Russian to begin with.
Has anyone addressed the nazi issues in the Ukrainian military? The Azov battalion enjoys displaying Nazi regalia and the black sun patch, a symbol adooted by nazis is seen on many uniforms.
CNS: There is something seriously wrong with you. The issues surrounding the Azov fighters is known. But right now the Ukrainian government and people have to worry about civilians, including children, being bombed and killed, hospitals being shelled, cities under siege, food, water and medical supplies running out. Every country has extreme elements, including Ukraine, but by trying to pretend that it is a Nazi country is pure unadulterated Putin propaganda. If America was attacked, the Three Percenters would also be great fighters.
RUSSIANS ARE THE NAZI’S! Look for the Z
That phantom apostrophe again.
Z is the 21st century swastika.
The Ukrainian ambassador addresses racist abuse of Black & Asian refugees. Vadym Prystaiko told Select Committee that “problems arise” when foreigners appear to be prioritised for evacuation. Calls for racial segregation at borders to address issue.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-ambassador-black-asian-refugees-racism-b2031847.html
The article quoted says
“Gorbachev himself confirmed this in a 2014 interview (though he has also said that he considered eventual NATO enlargement to be a violation of the spirit of the pledge).”
“George W. Bush has been criticized for his push to get Ukraine and Georgia on a NATO membership track in 2008 (over objections from France, Germany, and the United Kingdom).”
“Russia currently shares less than 6 percent of its land border with NATO countries; if Ukraine joined NATO, that would go up to 16 percent, a significant increase”
Anyone really interested check out Putin’s speech on YouTube, he has some valid points, I can’t blame him for taking action, what’s the alternative?
Minding your own damn business.
Peace brother.
Putin is a dick. But NATO definitely pushed him into a corner. Should have left a neutral buffer zone of ex Soviet nations.
That dictator putin is angry that his neighbors chose freedom. He can’t win the hearts of the people nor can he convince them that his brutal dictatorship trumps a free democratic society. That’s why the loser bully shitebag has done what he has. Notice how his demands are softening as his terrorist military casualties mount. PUTIN WILL LOSE!!! GLORY UKRAINE 🇺🇦!!!
America in fact would not tolerate Russian nukes in Cuba and forced them to be withdrawn. No chance Mexico or Canada would consider nukes, so the issue there does not arise. Russia had nice, peaceful borders with Europe. That’s not going to be the case anymore, so long as Putin remains. I’m betting he gets whacked by insiders if this lasts more than a month.