When war broke out in Ukraine more than two years ago, a southwestern Manitoba volunteer organization stepped up to help those displaced by the Russian invasion.
Julia Krykavska, co-founder of Brandon’s Ukrainian-Canadian organization Tryzub, says volunteers with the group have helped settle more than 400 families in the city since the war began.
Many of them hail from Chervonohrad, Lviv Oblast, Ukraine — soon to officially become Brandon’s new sister city.
“Emotionally and mentally that’s going to be a great support knowing that we as a community … as a municipal government are supporting the war efforts and supporting Ukrainian people who are fighting up against the aggression,” Krykavska said.
There’s a long history between Brandon and Ukraine which makes it surprising Chervonohrad will be the city’s first Ukrainian sister city, said Mayor Jeff Fawcett.
He says becoming a sister city with Chervonohrad— a city of 65,000 in Western Ukraine near the Polish border — will show support for Ukraine while honouring the deep ties shared with Brandon.
“It’s a connection. It’s like a relative in a place a little further away,” Fawcett said.
More importantly, the partnership allows Brandon to stand in solidarity with Ukraine during the Russian invasion, he said. It can remind residents of Chervonohrad that there are people across the world who are thinking about them so they don’t feel alone during the war.
Krykavska says it can also help to introduce Ukraine culture to Brandonites and show, “why it’s important to fight for our independence and democracy.”
The initiative is also a first for Chervonohrad in being a sister city in Canada. Fawcett said Brandon has had two sister cities in the past.
Many Ukrainians living in Brandon have ties to Chervonohrad — including Krykavska, who hails from the region.
A year in the making
Under the Agreement of Twinness and Cooperation, the cities will share tourism, culture, youth cooperation, sports, science and education, protection of the environment and cultural monuments and the exchange of experience in various fields.
It won’t affect day-to-day lives in either city and there is no financial exchange, Fawcett said. The cities will check in every five or ten years to ensure the twinning is still working.
Initial talks to find a Ukrainian sister city for Brandon began last year, Fawcett said.
Picking Chervonohrad happened after a trip to Winnipeg when Fawcett met the mayor of Lviv, here to celebrate 50 years of Lviv being a sister city to Winnipeg.
Chervonohrad is located about 70 kilometres north of Lviv.
Fawcett said he also spoke with the local community to gauge if there was an interest, especially because there are Brandonites from the area.
“We understand why Ukraine is looking for sister cities. They need people to believe in them,” Fawcett said.
Kryavask described Chervonohrad as a mining city with many technical schools colleges and universities.
There’s a number of mutual benefits from the arrangement, Kryavask suggests.
Brandon and Chervonohrad can bond with the experience of helping and accommodating those displaced by the Russian invasion, she said.
Individually, Brandon can learn how to survive in tough times while looking after its citizens and infrastructure to keep the city alive; while Chervonohrad can learn how to be more stable from Brandon and how to promote and build community connections, she said.
Connecting youth a key aspiration
Part of the partnership emphasizes bringing youth from both countries together, Krykavska said. Cultural exchanges and partnerships can help them embrace new skills, sports and experiences.
An early-morning signing will take place in August, officially cementing the partnership.
Fawcett said they want to connect with schools, including universities and colleges, to help include the greater community in the twinning. From there, they can continue to build meaningful relationships.
“It’s real-time you can talk, you can understand, you can see what’s going on and engage and be literally a sister city,” Fawcett said.
The twinning also shows support for Ukrainian refugees in Brandon who have been traumatized from living in a war zone, Krykavska said. It can help keep them connected to someone in Ukraine who has shared experiences.
She hopes the relationship with Chervonohrad can be an ongoing motivation for Brandonites to continue to support Ukraine during the Russian invasion.
“The war is very hard on youth and kids, so knowing that they have some support here across the ocean in a country that they’ve never seen before … it’s very important for them,” Krykavska said.