Last blog for 2009

I met up with one of the past Presidents of the Kiev Lions Club in November 2009. He was a really interesting man,and gave me an insite as to what the Lions Clubs are about.They do a terrific job raising money to help thousands of Ukrainian children who need their help. One of their main fund raising activities for several years has been their Burns Night and every year it goes from strength to strength. Their web site is really worth looking at on www.kyiv-lions-club.org They are a very good organisation and I hope to meet up with them when I return to Ukraine in 2010.
cheers Jim Gillies.

Malin Mov.2009

Two days before leaving I received an email from my friend in Ukraine telling me that I should get vaccinated against swine flu. Ukraine was experiencimg a pandemic,this was the first I had heard about this happening in Ukraine.However all my arrangements were made and for the sake of the hospital children I could not alter my plans they needed my help and I had to ignore the risk and go.When I arrived at Kiev's Borispol Airport all the passport control people were wearing masks just like the cabin crew had been wearing. It was a bit worrying, when my friend collected me at the airport, I saw many masked citizens on the way to his apartement. Later I was told that Schools,Universities,Colleges,Cinemas and Theatres, along with markets had been closed due to the Quarantine Restrictions.On our arrival at the hospital everything was under Quarantine and we had special permission to enter.I was able to buy medicines,small electric room heaters,cleaning materials, paper for their computer which I had bought some years earlier, I also paid their internet for another year. I bought a fridge to keep food for the children fresh. Unfortunately because of the Quarantine I was not allowed to go to villages or orphanages. Bohdan Sobolevski the wee boy abandoned in the hospital 2 years ago, reunited with his mother last year had been brought down to Malin by his mother for a health check,and he looks better wearing some of his new clothing bought with money left with my friend Anatoil Artemenko by Danny Livingston last year when he filmed my work at the hospital, thank you Danny.At the hospital a young man had died due to a mutated swine flu virus that totally destroyed his lungs. I kept away from my grandchildren on my return as a precaution just in case.
The new beds and equipment I have supplied over the years are very much appreciated by Doctors,nurses and parents of the children,but there is still a lot to be done.

Next Trip to Malin.

I will soon be setting of on my next visit to help the children in Malin Hospital. I am hoping to return to the village where Bohdan Sobolevski lives,to see how he is. I also want to visit the orphanages where some of the hospital children have been sent to.
I am flying this time as I am not carrying my usual bags of medical supplies as no companies would help me.But when I am over there I will help the Doctors to provide medical items,medicines,food,clothing and other things the hospital needs for the children. The World wide Economic situation has effected Ukraine,and Malin hospital's financial position,which was already bad,has deteriorated. But I must do what I can for the children in their care. I would like to thank people who gave me donations to help,and assure them that 100% of their donations are used to help the children. I have always paid all my own expenses, and I will continue to do so.
I will post a blog. on my return.

mini bus to Malin

As soon as the woman on the bus listened on my phone she smiled as Dr.Victoria explained the situation. When she handed it back to me I said to Victoria understand! she said yes. Relieved the hospital knew I was not lost after all and was on the correct bus. The driver was collecting fares,however when I tendered my fare of 12 grivna, he said something, but what just then the telephone woman came and sat beside me handing the driver 2 grivna on my behalf (apparently the fare can vary dependant on the mini bus drivers company) I decided to practice my Russian language by thanking Galina for helping with the phone and the fare, she explained that she lived on the outskirts of Malin and worked in Kiev. I was aqble to tell her about my family and she told me about her own family, this conversation took a lot longer than normal due to the language barrier, but we managed. I asked her where she worked, replying with a few words which I never understood Galina brought a square of paper from her bag handing it to me,unfortunately I did not know the wording on the paper. Suddenly Galina reached into her large shopping bag and produced a bag of doughnuts " I work " here. A Bakery,she worked in a bakery offering the bag to me I took a doughnut, I was hungry and the doughnut was great. Later on the journey the bus left its normal route turning into a forest track as the road ahead was blocked. We were at least 40 minutes driving through the forest finally emerging back on the normal route. Finally I began to see parts of the surroundings that I recognised, Galina who had been an interesting fellow traveller stood up to leave asking if I knew where to get off in Malin, insisted on handing me another doughnut before getting off. I have found that Ukrainian people are generally friendly and helpfull on my travels. At last I arrived in Malin, snow covered roads and icy pavements. Next blog finding how to get to the hospital from the centre of Malin, on my own.

bus to Malinpart 2

Having the Mini Bus Terminus in sight was a definate success, I would soon be on my way! However I could not find a bus with the Kiev / Malin signboard on the windscreen.
It was a very cold day, and I tried asking various queuing passengers about a bus going to Malin,no luck. After walking around the area looking for a bus with a Malin sign for another 15 mins. I found it, on a board leaning against the windscreen, Kiev/Malin I hurried forward with my large holdalls thinking at last I am on my way, but there was no room for my luggage. What could I do but watch the bus leave without me.At least I was waiting at the correct bus area. I tried to ask a man also waiting around but my russian language/accent was not understood. 35 minutes later another bus going to Malin arrived, boarding as soon as I was able to,my mob. rang it was the hospital,where are you Jim I could not,reply properly,suddenly I had an idea handing my mob.to a woman sitting behind me, I said in in Russian,please talk to my Doctor friend. Lookig puzzled she took my mob.and listened.

Find a bus to Malin part 1

In 2007 I went by Metro and Mini Bus from Kiev to Malin Hospital accompanied by Anatoli,no problem. Two days later I set of on my own to Malin with clothing for the children in the hospital. I managed to get the Metro ticket, but after two stops realised I was going the wrong way. I got of at the next station, and went back to the original station got off and looked at the list of stations once more. I counted the number of stops to the station near the Mini Bus terminus and made sure I was near enough the door to get off with my large holdall of clothes,as it was "Sardine Time " on the Metro. Watching and listening carefully,to the onboard,next station announcments, I arrived at the correct station.
Good I thought I should arrive at the hospital as arranged by Anatoli and the Doctors at the hospital for 13:00 hrs. Not good I wandered among the underground,stall holders selling a variety of goods,looking for the exit that would lead to the Bus, up one, back down, try another further along the tunnel,no luck. Tried to ask a few people but either they did not understand me,or I them. Went up a third exit and emerged in a market area with lots of stalls and shops beside a busy road, but no Mini Bus terminus.
There were bus stops with trolleybuses, also mini Buses but I had no way of finding out where to get my bus. I tried asking in a couple of shops, but as before no communication was possible. Eventually I made my way over some rough ground behind a stall selling shoes and came to a railway line,and I was happy to see that behind the
railings of the railway was a bus station, where I could just see what looked like Mini Buses at the far side. Making my way slowly back down the stairs to the underground stalls I walked past an avenue of flower sellers and passing through plastic curtains I went up stairs emerging near the bus station. Was it the correct place hurrying over the road passing under a flyover, I was relieved to see the Mini Bus Terminus at the far side.However by this time I was already late,and due to be further delayed.

Dog Story 2

Returning from looking at all the artist's displaying their paintings in a street market, I headed down a steeply cobbled street towards the river. It was a very interesting street with a small theatre and small picturesque church.View photo of Theatre. I noticed a statue further down the street, (see photo)leaving the statue I wondered who he was, his name is in the Ukrainian language. Hearing snuffling and whimpering I looked down to see 5 puppies trotting out from under a parked car,a black and white collie dog was on the pavement near the beige coloured pups. Camera ready I started to take some photo's of the pups when I heard snarling and felt a sharp pain in my leg,I jumped round nearly dropping my camera. The collie was hanging onto my leg,I managed to free myself by spinning round. Needless to say all I got was a photo of the sky,no puppy photo's. After this dog bite I had a couple of marks on my leg,thank goodness I had been for my anti rabies injection prior to that years visit.

Dog story 1.

A few years ago while staying with my friend and his wife,there was a pollution problem with the main water supplies to Kiev. Citizens had to collect water from deep wells in various city locations. The weather was very cold with lots of snow and ice about. As we were down to the last,former soft drink bottle, of water Anatoli asked me to help replenish the water in the apartment. Walking in the bitterly cold but bright day carrying an assortment of empty plastic containers,we joined a long queue of water collectors, pensioners, children,disabled people,workers, all filling various types of container's from the communal well in one of the many parks. I wondered how such a scene would look back in the UK. Eventually we reached the well and filled our containers with water uncontaminated by chemicals, unlike the main water supplies.
The weather had improved since we set off on our water quest, and the sun shone through the clouds, I was however proceeding carefully,as laden down with two bags full of bottles of water I did not want to slip and sprain or even break my ankle in the icy conditions.
I was walking down a steep slope,watching a pack of dogs running about, there are many packs of stray dogs around the city suburbs. I watched as a large black pregnant dog ran in our direction passing behind me, I tried to look round but nearly lost my footing. Suddenly I felt a pain my left calf muscle as the pregnant dog gripped my leg in its massive jaws, I managed to swing one of my bags of water at the dog,as did my friend and the dog released its grip. Anatoli warned some mothers walking their children about the attack dog. When we got back to the apartment, I was very worried about Rabies as feral dogs can carry this potentially fatal virus. However although my skin had indentations, the surface was unbroken,the heavy denims I was wearing had protected me. I resolved there and then to get a course of anti Rabies injections when I returned to Scotland.

School visit part 2

When I recovered from the realisation that I was "the School Event " I was taken on a tour of the School which was very interesting. There are 1200 pupils and gaining educational qualifications are a high priority for the pupils as they progress through their school years. The School has a lot of old worn out facilities,despite this the pupils are proud of their School and respect the teaching staff. At the end of their final year their is a Graduation Ball with all the young ladies in long gowns and the young men in suits.
I was taken to see a permanent exhibition in the School Museum dedicated to a young girl called Nina Shoshena and her family. Nina was a pupil at the School, pictures of village and School life hang on the Museum walls, the girls who showed me round explained in English that Nina was a local Heroine. In 1942 during World War 2 during the German occupation of Ukrainian Territory Nina Shoshena who was a member of the local area resistance refused to give information about the resistance to the German Army. As she sheltered in a house with friends and family surrounded by troops,she bravely continued to oppose requests to surrender. Machine gun fire and Mortars pounded the house and most of the resistance members including the schoolgirl Nina Shoshena were killed. When I heard this story and looked at the faded black and white photographs It was like being transported back through time.
Just at that moment the lights in the Museum went out! but two of the girls went to fetch a couple of torches to carry on. Why did the lights fail when they did? Who should know.

Malin School Visit. Part one.

During one of my visits to Malin hospital, girls from no.1 School who had voluteered to translate for me at the hospital asked if I would like to see their School. I said I would be happy to go to see a Ukrainian School as it would be very interesting for me as I had not been in any schools in Ukraine. I was also invited to go on a hunt for wild Boar by friends, but I declined their offer as I had already accepted the Schools offer. Next morning Anton the Doctors son took me to a very large building which was down at a lower level from our vantage point,he pointed to doors in the middle and said, that's the entrance I will see you later and left.
Making my way down past a large World War 2 monument,I approached the entrance,wondering where my Schoolgirl hosts were. Pushing through the old worn doors I saw I was in a large reception area, over to my left sat a woman behind a desk,I was just about to go over and try to explain in my limited Russian why I was there,when she indicated that I should keep going forward. I suddenly became aware that there was a large crowd of girls, boys, and what I assumed to be teachers standing in rows.
I thought I had arrived at the wrong time, probably some sort of school function was taking place. I started to walk over to the side out of the way, where I could wait for someone, anyone, to come to my rescue!
I heard a shout ,Mr.Gillies, Mr.Gillies turning round I saw Anastasia one of my tranlators heading towards me, this way she said leading the way towards the assembled crowd. Girls and boys dressed in Ukrainian dress offered me a circular loaf of crusty bread, in the middle a section of bread had been removed,and filled with salt.It was handed a piece of bread which I was asked to dip in the salt and eat. Anastasia explained that I was getting a Traditional welcome, and the local Press and TV reporters were there to cover the story of my visit. I was amazed, it was indeed a school function but to welcome me!

Inside Malin Hospital,Ukraine.

Journey back to Scotland

I watched the ballot boxes being opened and emptied on large tables pushed together to allow about 20 people and officials. They worked fast each person collecting a pile of ballot papers and sorting them into batches. When they were finished sorting, a woman standing at one end of the table took the batches of ballot papers lifting them one at a time reading out who's name was on the ballot paper. All you heard her saying was Yanacovich,or Yushchenko in a loud clear voice. At the end of all this the ballot papers were put in large sealed envelopes to be taken to a secure building in the city where only people of official standing could enter to see the final results from all the Polling Stations in the Region.We left Dnepropetrovsk the following morning to return to Kiev. On the way home we stopped at a roadside memorial cross to a politician called Chernobyl who died at this spot when his car ran into a large blacked out truck parked across the road one dark night. When I left Kiev on a bus to Belgium it was night time and the bus passed many bonfires surrounded by supporters of Yushchenko, chanting his name. In Lvov cars full of young men drove round and round the streets shouting Yushchenko,Yushchenko and sounding the car horns in a pattern like his name.It was unlike any other political scenarios I had seen. A few years later the Ukrainian people have become disillusioned with the Political landscape.On my arrival in Scotland I continued to follow the News about Ukraine holding another, election free of corruption.

Orange Revolution, next blog the end game

I was in the tent city and Kiev city centre in freezing conditions all night waiting to see if special forces would arrive to break up the massive demonstration of people power.A photo journalist friend escorted me as I talked with the tent city demonstrators, surprisingly many of them understood English. There was a young lawyer with her brother and a friend in one tent, wrapped up well against the bitter cold.She said they were worried about the possibility of special forces arriving but were resolute in their determination that elections must be corruption free. Young and old alike had come in the thousands filling Kreshatik Street the main square and surrounding areas. At regular intervals the chant "Yushchenko, Yushchenko,Yushchenko, began the noise increasing as more voices joined in. My friend's girlfriend arrived from another part of Ukraine, she and some others had been detained by security forces on their way to Kiev and held for a few hours while being questioned why were they going to Kiev. I understood her concern as I had been to Dnipropetrovski a large industrial city 500 Km. East of Kiev during the previous 48 hours.I went with a group of friends and they were worried in case our vehicle would be stopped and they would be detained for questionong. Coming from the West I was not used to travelling with this type of potential threat present at the many police roadside control posts. Fortunately we made it through without being stopped.
On arrival at the city we were able to get accomodation in an apartment,when the old person who lived there,moved in with a nearby relative and allowed us to use the apartment. Next day we went round various polling stations, one polling station with loud music playing through speakers outside had women running a temporary tea room inside with tea,coffee, soft drinks, and food. I think this idea could work in UK!
I was allowed to film voters in the polling station,and also later in another larger polling station I filmed the ballot boxes being opened and votes being counted.

Orange Revolution. part one. more on my next blog

I was in Ukraine in 2004 during the demonstrations against fraudulent elections. I watched as hundreds of thousands of ordinary citizens blocked central Kiev. There were families with their children, old people, students, lawyers, homeless people, farm workers, many had travelled to Kiev from other towns and villages. Tent City which started in Kiev's main Street was expanding by the hour, as more and more protesters arrived. During the night I had to admire the Tent City residents enduring freezing temperatures, in their determination to change the Political landscape in Ukraine. In
the Mydan ( Kiev's main Square ) a huge screen loomed above the crowds. The live show taking place on the stage below,with singers and political figures was also on screen.
The enthusiasm of the crowds listening to the singers,and political speakers was amazing, but when Viktor Yushchenko appeared on stage to speak to his supporters the crowds went wild, cheering and chanting his name. A strong rumour was circulating that at railway sidings east of Kiev a train full of Russian troops had arrived ready to be sent to disperse the crowds.Was this true,if so on whose orders. People became apprehensive,what to do.

Vigil Photo 24 April 2009.

The Lord Provost of Glasgow, Bob Winter came over to my 23 Chernobyl Vigil to offer his support.

The Incubator second attempt.

I was determined to get the life saving Incubator to the hospital despite it being returned to the UK. Edinburgh has a Ukrainian Consulate and when I contacted them they
offered to help me get the Incubator into Ukraine without having to pay the import tax of £320. Although it took a few months the Consulate were able to obtain the neccesary Custom clearance which would allow the Incubator free entry into the country.
I contacted GB. Medical, paid £250 for a second international transport to Kiev by TNT International Transport and began making arrangemants for my annual visit to the Ukrainian hospital in Malin. When I eventually arrived at the hospital I would be able to see that the maternity Dept. had at long last received their incubator.
In November 2006 I arrived at the hospital with money to buy medicine and I also had some small medical items. The Doctors were as usual happy to get the aid I had brought for the children, but when I asked about the Incubator they were distraught. I was taken to the maternity Dept. where I saw my Incubator so badly damaged it could not be used. I was shattered by this,all those months of planning,and donated money wasted. When I contacted TNT International regarding compensation they told me that as around ten or twelve days had elapsed between the Incubator arriving at the hospital and my arrival I would get not a penny of compensation. I told them that the Doctor who signed for the Incubator had to sign at the Zheetomir Customs holding area without seeing the Incubator, she did not know it was damaged. When the Incubator was collected from the Zheetomir Customs by the hospital,they had to wait until I arrived to show me the damage. On my return to Scotland later that month I tried contacting various TNT Depots in the UK for help regarding compensation but to no avail. However Claire Grant a Reporter for my local newspaper, Cumbernauld News,
contacted TNT and asked them to reconsider, the outcome was that TNT told her that
if I was able to buy another Incubator, TNT would transport it to Ukraine free of charge. This said TNT's Mr.Walker was not an admission of guilt on their part. There
was no way for me to be able to get another Incubator as I had no more money,and after all the bureaucracy and not our problem, its your problem with TNT I put this project on hold until I work out a better plan of action.

Annual Chernobyl Vigil. April 24 2009.

On Friday April 24th. 2009. My Annual
Chernobyl Vigil will take place in Glasgow’s
George Square, from 08:00 hrs. till 20:00 hrs.
If anyone would like to come along at some time
During the Vigil I would be happy to meet them
Cheers Jim.

The Incubaror, first attempt.

During my 2004 hospital visit,I was shown round the Maternity section old broken down equipment was all they had. Their one Incubator was more twenty years old and broken, no parts to try and repair it were available,and the hospital had no money to buy another one. How could their Maternity section function properly without an Incubator to help new born babies to survive. I made up my mind to try and get them an Incubator,but how to begin? Back home in Scotland I found out the cost of a new Incubator was too expensive. I asked around various hospitals about the possibility of them donating an Incubator that was being replaced by a new one. Unfortunatly none of them were able to help despite me following the various tel.Nos. I was given when initially calling to be told: "this office does not deal with obsolete Incubators" "You could try this number" "the person you want does not work in this Dept" and so on. One day as I carried on with my quest for an Incubator I was told by a hospital stores manager that due to changes in the legal system any unwanted, obsolete or surplus medical rquipment from hospitals could not be disposed to a private individual.The reason being that in event of an accident involving such equipment, the hospital authorities could be sued for damages. However he told me that such equipmant was collected by registerd disposal companies,one of such was a
company called G.B.Medical in England.
I got in touch with this company and they told me that they had two refurbished Incubators I was happy to be told this good news after so long. The cheapest one was £500 and I was able to buy it. However the cost of sending this Incubator to Ukraine by TNT International carriers was £300 a total cost of £800. This would use up all the money I had left,but I knew it was a life saver and I arranged transport using GB
Medical to contact TNT ( one of the carriers their company used )to finalise the deal. Before I set off for Ukraine in Nov.2005 I contacted GB Medical and TNT to make
sure that the Incubator would be delivered to my friend's address in Kiev when I would be there .My friend would arrange with the hospital to have the Incubator taken from Kiev to Malin. In Nov. 2005 I awaited the Incubator delivery,but it never arrived. We phoned the TNT complex in Kiev a modern State of the Art warehouse to be told that the Ukrainian Customs wanted £320 to release the Incubator, I was stunned by this news, unbelievable how could this be. The following day we went to see the Customs Officers at the TNT Depot my friend pleaded with them on my behalf to no avail, he was asked by the Ukrainian Customs Officer to submit a written appeal. This letter was translated for me,and I signed it, submitting my passport details. We then left and after a couple of days,were told, that I must pay £320 no mercy, no money no Incubator for Ukrainian babies. Everone including the Media thought it was a bad situation but nobody could help. It was time for me to return to Scotland and my work. Maantime my friend in Kiev continued to try and get the authorities to free the Incubator.While back home I also tried to get answers as to why the Incubator was being held. There was also according to TNT a possible storage charge. Then in January 2005 TNT sent the Incubator back to GB Medical with a bill of £140
payable by me, thankfully GB Medical paid this for me as a donation. After all my work,my Ukrainian friend's work, many phone calls, personal visits to Ukrainian Government Depts. £800 donated by kind people the Incubator was back at source. What to do now. I have to try again, and succeed, but how. My next blog will second attempt.

Yana

I first saw Yana when she was 3 and half years of age abandoned in Malin hospital. She was a lovely little girl,who had trouble walking due to medical problems. It was sad to watch her wandering about the childrens department, smiling when people talked to her, what did the future hold in store for the sick orphan girl.
I found out a year later, Yana had been sent to a state orphanage because she was now too old to continue to live in the hospital she called home. There are many orphanages in Ukraine, the children in them desperately need help. The staff at the hospital do their best, but without funds to buy medicines,medical equipment,food,and many other items it is a never ending struggle.
Among a list of medical equipment the Doctors asked me to try and obtain for them was an Incubator for the Maternity ward, as the only one they had was broken and unrepairable. I will feature the Incubator story in my next blog, the bureaucracy
involved is unbelievable.

End First Visit

The day of the first hospital visit arrived and I set off with Anatoli and his friend Grigori to collect his minibus from the lockup. Two hours later we arrived at the lockups after a tram and Metro journey, magnificent metro stations deep underground with three long escalators, and marble halls. We headed North West from Kiev through a mixture of houses, factories, and farmlands. Travelling along the edges of long fast stretches of roads were traditional horse and carts, bicycles, people. The weather was cold but dry. We turned off the major road onto smaller roads
passing through small towns with strange sounding names, like Baradanka, where I watched a woman buying a large live fish from a water filled basin. The fish jumped off the weighing scales onto the street but was lifted and put into her shopping bag.
Stopping the minibus my friends pointed to an old wooden sign at the roadside, that’s
the original sign for Malin in Russian, now we just need to find the hospital. We drove past picturesque houses with gardens, larger buildings including the local newspaper offices and into the town centre. I was able to read a some Cyrillic names
one for shop, one for hotel, one for bank, as for me to try to ask where hospital was impossible. I listened as Anatoli and Grigori asked where the hospital was understanding not a word.
We arrived at the hospital, a large white tiled building looking more like an abandoned factory than a hospital, poorly dressed people outside the entrance, and really old ambulances in the yard. I followed my friends through the entrance where they asked how to get to the children’s Department. As we walked up broken uneven stairs, with loose banisters, broken light fittings, and draughty windows It was not just the outside that looked like an abandoned factory. When we went into the children’s Department introducing ourselves to the Doctors and Nurses they were so happy to see us. Anatoli explained to them about who I was, and why I wanted to help the children in their care, they invited us to a meal in their office.
I had taken £100 of my own money with me and I went with a Dr. Victoria to the
local bank to change into Ukrainian money then to the chemist to buy medicines
and baby milk powder for the children. As I watched a baby being given milk bought with some of the money I had brought, it was a humbling experience.
When we left waving goodbye to Doctors, Nurses, Mothers and children, I knew
that I would return.

First Visit Final Stage.

As I waited in a very large waiting room in Kiev's International Railway station surrounded by people talking in a language I did not understand. Tanya had prior to leaving arranged for someone to help me make contact with Anatoli, but how. Then I saw a man holding aloft a cardboard hand written placard with what looked like my name written on it. I made myself known to him and he took me by taxi to an apartment in a block of high rise flats. Everything was an experience,the people, buildings,trams, the Metro, streets, markets, everything. Sasha the man who collected me and his wife gave me borsh, bread and tea. I tried out some Russian words I knew, smiles all round but no understanding. About two hours later my friend Anatoli arrived and asked me why I never told him I was coming to Ukraine at that time. I suppose in retrospect I should have, but as he had said come anytime, I thought I would surprise him. When I left Scotland to go over I had no idea of the difficultie I would face trying to get there, but you live and learn. I was in Ukraine in Eastern Europe for the first time. Anatoli took me in the rush hour to his apartment, we travelled by Metro and tram what a journey, like sardines jammed in carriages on the Metro. That night I slept in a bed after three nights on buses, it was
great. The next few days were spent making arrangments to visit the hospital I had come to
visit. What would it be like, I was a bit apprehensive, what would the Doctors and hospital administrators think about me coming to their hospital.

First Visit Stage 2

Tanya first saw me while standing behind me as I was attempting to find out how to buy a train ticket from Warsaw to Kiev. I was trying English ( no good ) a few words in Russian, even tried saying "thank you" the only Polish word I knew. The clerk did his best, he said Kiev, I said yes, then things stalled. I did not know if there was a train for sure, what it would cost, how I would find the correct platform. Then Tanya came to the rescue, she bought her ticket to Kiev and helped me to get mine. She spoke English fairly well and suggested we travel together, I watched her luggage and she went off to buy some food and drink for the 40 + hrs. journey. We were in a sleeper compartment with two men. It was all so new to me quite a train trip, we all had a good chat Tanya translated as the men did not understand English. Some time the following night the train went into a large warehouse, lots of hammering, outside dim lighting and large office type buildings painted with dark green paint. The whole train was jacked up and different axle assembly's were fitted because Russian train lines are wider apart than the European lines. Next came customs and security controls, stern faced uniformed officials checked eveyone and everything, I felt like I was in some movie just about to be discovered by the Secret Police. Coming from the West I found it a bit unsettling, were my papers in order were any items in my luggage contravening unknown to me any rules, or regulations.
However everthing was good to go. On arrival at Kiev rail station, Tanya helped me once more by telephoning a number I had for some local Chernobyl organisation in Kiev. She told me that someone would come and collect me from the booking hall,after she took me there we said our goodbyes as she was travelling on to Oddesa. On my first journey to Ukraine to meet a young woman who was so helpfull was really great. In future years I met many kind Ukrainian and Russian people.

First Visit to Ukraine stage 1

I found out that I would need a Visa to go, also two letters one from my friend Anatoli inviting me to visit him, and an official one from the hospital. It took a few months to get this organised,writing
to my friend, writing to the Ukrainian Embassy in London, waiting for the hospital to send a letter
of invitation, organising time of work. When I eventually received my two letters I sent them off
to London along with my Visa fee and passport. However the Ukrainian Visa section returned my
papers without a Visa due to some irregularity in the letter from the hospital. I had by that time arranged the dates I would be off work, so I now had a race against time to resolve the problem getting my Visa. I had some difficulty finding out the cheapest way to travel to Ukraine because I
could not afford to fly with my extra luggage for the hospital. I went by bus and train. By bus from Glasgow to London on to Warsaw, then by train to Kiev. This first trip was to eastern Europe
was for me filled with many different experiences such as finding my way from the bus station to the railway station in Warsaw, and attempting to buy a train ticket for Kiev. If it had not been for
Tanya a Russian girl travelling to Oddesa I would probably still be in Poland !

Planning First Visit

After receiving the letter asking if I could help the hospital children, from Alexander the student we corresponded for a while,then his letters stopped. I decided to try and find more details about
Malin Hospital, but how to proceed, I sent a couple of letters addressed to what I thought was the correct address but no reply returned.
Then I saw an advertisement in a newspaper about a lecture in London University. the subject was Chernobyl and its aftermath. I got the overnight bus to London and went to hear the lecture by Mr. Anatoli Artemenko a Ukrainian. After the lecture I met him and other Ukrainians socially. Returning to Glasgow that night, tired but happy to now have a Ukrainian English speaking contact. I could now plan my first visit to Ukraine, with the help of Anatoli who would be returning back to live in Ukraine the following year.

beginnings

Following my fund raising cycle trip to France, I donated some money to a Ukrainian group based in Slough who ran an aid lorry over to Ukraine. A few years later I had raised more money to help Chernobyl victims but I had no specific project in mind. However I saw a BBC documentry about a Ukrainian lady living in England, she came from the Ukrainian town of Chernigov. Nina Rogerson was her name and with a friend she had set up a children's refuge in her home town to help young victims of Chernobyl. I contacted Nina and arranged to meet her, she was a very kind person and was totally commited to helping the children. I decided to give the money I had in my fund to help her chernobyl children's refuge in Chernigov.
I continued with my annual Chernobyl Vigil's in Glasgow's George Square and trying to decide what was the best way to continue to help children in Ukraine cope with their radioactive Legacy.
Should I go down to Slough to meet the Ukrainian aid group, or try to visit Nina Rogerson's refuge in Chernigov and try to help directly.
Then in 1994 a letter came in to my possession ,it was from a young Ukrainian student studying
English at a university in the Ukrainian capitol Kiev. " Mr. Gillies who are you,what is your profession can you help our hospital in Malin, we have nothing" This was the beginning of my Malin children's project,that began that day, and has continued till the present time.

some photo's

Here are some photos from my Ukrainian journeys.

Cycle trip. 1992.

I decided to cycle from Cumbernauld,Scotland to Euro Disney in France. I set off in August 1992 when I got to Manchester my bicycle was stolen from outside a shop. I lost all my clothes, maps
and other items which were in my saddlebags. Fortunately a stranger saw my jacket which on the
back had " cycling cumbernauld to eurodisney to help children " when he discovered my plight he immediately offered me a loan of his bike to complete my trip. He was a fireman and paid for me to
have a meal and accommodation a really great guy. Later on in Staffordshire a car ran into me, but
after an ambulance took me to hospital for a check up I was on my way again. After more incidents I arrived at Euro Disney near Marni de Valley in France, however my request to take a couple of photo's inside was turned down by Euro Disney staff. I was disappointed with their decision but I could do nothing so I set off for Scotland. In Manchester I handed back the bike,and got a bus back to Cumbernauld.

When it all started.

On 26th. April 1986 there was an explosion and fire at Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station in Ukraine. At this point in history Ukraine was part of the U.S.S.R. The Radioactive Legacy has been inherited by future generations.
I along with millions of people all over the world watched the dramatic pictures from the Chernobyl region. I tried to imagine what it must have been like for the families involved in the evacuations ( when they eventually started ) a political smokescreen was taking place. The brave firemen, soldiers, power station workers were all heroes, and many paid the ultimate sacrifice. The memory of this event and its aftermath still effects thousands of children and should not be forgotten by the world.
In April 1987 I held my first Chernobyl Vigil in George Square,Glasgow, Scotland to remind people about the world's biggest nuclear power station disaster. I have held a vigil every year since in the same place. As time past I wondered how I could help Chernobyl victims, what could I do except hold my annual vigil.
I thought what could I do to raise money to help, if I raised any money, how could it be used. I could not speak the language and I knew nobody in Ukraine or Russia. Anyway first things first, a money raising idea was needed. My hobby was cycling, how about a sponsored cycle run. The planning began.

Ukraine, Mallin pictures

This is a photo from Mallin hospital.
Sharing some traditional Ukrainian dishes with
some Doctors and nurses.



This is Bohdan Sobolevski the baby
abandoned in Malin hospital. His Mother now has him back at the village.His future is uncertain.

STV Showing my last visit to help children in Malin Hospital, Ukraine.

At the end of October 2008 STV. Presenter/Reporter Debi Edward with cameraman Danny Livingston accompanied me on my eleventh visit to Ukraine.

The Doctors at Malin hospital childrens Dept. were happy to see me returning with some medical supplies and money to help the children's Department.

Dr.Victoria Baclanova who is in charge of the children's health went with me to buy new beds, medicines from the local pharmacy ( in Ukraine if parents cannot buy medicines,bandages or similar items then their children cannot get better)

Watch the first report here

Watch the second report here