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.
Wednesday 25 February 2009
Thursday 19 February 2009
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 !
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 !
Friday 13 February 2009
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.
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.
Wednesday 4 February 2009
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.
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.
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