Amplification and broadcast

We all know what an amplifier does. It takes a signal from a microphone or a musical instrument and increases the power dramatically so that a relatively quiet sound can be sent to a loudspeaker and become very loud.

And we know what a broadcast is. It takes sounds and pictures and sends them to many different places, often very far away. So a TV broadcast will appear in many homes across an entire nation.

Sometimes it’s necessary and important to amplify and broadcast ideas – make them louder and spread them more widely. That’s what I want to do here. Please read this message from Yaroslava Antipina (Yara), writing from Kyiv, Ukraine. Here’s an extract to pique your interest.

Hi!

It’s a bit gloomy headline today. But it describes the reality we have in Ukraine now. russians kill children (adults as well, of course) and destroy our energy infrastructure. Often, homes without children and power don’t have walls, either.

I am writing to you surrounded by generous spring sun rays. It is warm and green outside. But these bright colours cannot hide our current reality.

A few words about the photos you will see in this letter. I will show you the pictures of a Ukrainian photographer, ethnographer, folk writer and artist, Paraska Plytka-Horytsvit (1927-1998). She is called Homer Hutsul. What is Hutsul? It is an East Slavic ethnic group spanning parts of western Ukraine (mainly the Carpathian Mountains). I will tell you shortly about Paraska in the second part of the letter.

Yaroslava Antipina, Sunday letters from Ukraine

Here’s something I wrote in reply, a comment at the bottom of Yara’s message:

‘It amazes me how people survive through the worst nightmares. Paraska is one example and you, Yara, are another. But you are both just examples of the determination of thousands, millions of ‘ordinary’ people. Actually nobody is ordinary, every living person is extraordinary. Every last one. It’s not just that people survive, it’s that despite the circumstances people actually thrive. We, in our comfortable countries, want all Ukrainians to survive and to thrive; but do we want it enough to make it happen? That is the big question.‘

And it’s a question I want to put to all my readers. What will persuade me to do more? What will persuade you? And what form might ‘doing more’ take? It’s easy to feel helpless as an individual. What can one person do? Here are some simple, effective suggestions:

Read about events in Ukraine. One good place to start is with Yara’s posts. But also read the news and dig deeper than just TV and news channels. Listen to blogs, watch video interviews. (You may need to scroll around to find the stories about Ukraine and the war, there’s world news here.)
Reply to some of the people out there, people like Yara. There are many of them, all with good perspectives, all worth your attention, all deserving and benefitting from friendly interest from beyond the borders of Ukraine.
Consider buying Ukrainian goods, hunt around on the internet, there are many outlets. This is one practical way to help Ukrainians directly. If you want advice, ask around. People like Yara who are posting articles regularly will be able to answer practical questions like this.
Lobby your government representatives, in the UK write to your MP asking them and their party to do more.
Donate to good causes in Ukraine or to organisations supporting Ukraine in your own country.

Here’s a little more from Yara’s Sunday letter:

Paraska Plytka-Horytsvit’s literary heritage includes 46 books, 500 pages each, mostly handwritten, and dozens of smaller ones. Thirty of them are spiritual works, and sixteen are philosophical reflections. There is also poetry and works on Hutsul folklore.

I do like her personality. To see more of her photos, please visit the Facebook page.

I almost finished the letter. At the moment, I am in the cafe, having a cup of warcoffee and enjoying the calm Sunday. People are passing by; children are laughing, and some may think that it is a perfectly normal life. But it is not. We became masters of pretending.

Okay, it’s time for me to go. Thank you for reading my letter, leaving a comment, and possibly even buying me a warcoffee. Your support is what helps me continue writing these letters and my war diary, as well as sharing my love for Ukraine with the world.
Yaroslava Antipina, Sunday letters from Ukraine

So be an amplifier and a broadcaster for Ukraine, we can all help in this way. Learn more about Ukraine, speak out (or write), tell your friends, share some of Yara’s letters.