My Ukrainian story
Maybe someone doesn't know, but I'm Ukrainian.
My last name is Mamai. It comes from an ancient family of Ukrainian Cossacks. Or somehow related to this, since my grandfather comes from the area where the legends about the Cossack Mamai came from. Ukrainian writer Oleksandr Ilchenko said this about the Cossack Mamai: "our Cossack - Mamai, a kind of embodiment of the Ukrainian character, an eternally living image of freedom, stability, and immortality of the people. Cossack Mamai, who for centuries, fighting off all enemies, cherished an old dream: not to fight, not to be violent, not to enslave anyone, but to sow bread, lay stone, and build at own home".
How could anyone think that Ukrainians could attack someone first? We are historically peaceful people who love their land and want to live peacefully on it. But the spirit of the Cossacks and freedom in us will call us to fight and defend ourselves if anyone rises up against us.
I was born in Ukrainian Crimea in 1995, spend there 18 years of peaceful life, speaking Russian, and never once felt slighted in any way during all this time. I had to run away from there in 2014 when Putin "saved" me from something. He stole my Crimea from my Ukraine.
I moved to Kyiv, lived, and studied there for 4 years. I spoke Russian. I was in the west of Ukraine. I spoke in broken Ukrainian there and no one even said a word to me about it. The kindest souls live there, not the Nazis. From big love and thankfulness to my country for sheltering me when my home was taken from me, I learned Ukrainian. No one forced or tried to shame me into speaking Ukrainian. It was my personal choice. I spoke with my Ukrainian friends in Russian, and they answered as it was more convenient for them: some in Russian, some in Ukrainian. Language does not define a person. If I speak Russian, this does not mean that I am Russian and I need to be saved. Those who are not blinded and deceived, please tell Putin, that we are running from his help far away from the Russian borders.
I still remember all that propaganda in Crimea, the burning of Ukrainian flags and passports, tanks, soldiers, completely unfriendly people with buckets (not boxes for votes, but dirty buckets) knocking on my door to force my family to vote in a fake referendum. Even Crimean news was telling lie, a terrible lie. As a journalist, I was so ashamed of my colleagues. But what is happening in Russia now is 1000 times worse. The hope for their future will soon be lost unless a miracle happens and everyone rises against their petty miserable man.
We are Ukrainians, we cannot live a lie, we yearn for truth and freedom. And that's why we will win.
When my home was taken from me, no one asked if we really wanted it. This is theft, not salvation. My life was turned upside down, I lost "friends" because of my beliefs, I had to run without looking back. I saw grandparents once every 3-4 years, because of many humiliations and discomfort on the way to Sevastopol, Crimea. Is this fine? Not at all. Now I don’t even know when I will be able to come to Crimea again and see my grandparents... Maybe never.
But this is nothing compared to what is happening in Ukraine now. This is unforgivable murder, overt extermination, not salvation.
My heart hurts so much... for my dear friends who are in Ukraine. I'm so angry! And I still don't have the right words to describe all my feelings. I can only pray for Ukraine, friends, our president, and all people there. The guilty will answer for everything before God on the Day of Judgment.
I will cherish all warm memories about my Crimea, my Ukraine. We will soon win. Very soon we will hug our friends and cry. We will again be walking along Khreshchatyk, laughing, thinking about the Kyiv cake and how many calories it has, drinking coffee, and then going up Andreevsky Descent (when everyone goes down the descent, which should be obvious). And finally, I'll show one of the prettiest cities in the world – Lviv, to my husband 🥰
Love you, my dear Ukraine. You are stronger than ever. You are deep in my heart and prayers.