A Day In Ukraine

It was back in March when we first introduced you to Lyudmila Dulenko. We were doing several days of shows filling in for Lisa Dent on WGN Radio and a part of each day’s show was spent documenting the unfolding tragedy in Ukraine.

While doing some research, we came across a Facebook post from Lyudmila Dulenko, a woman who was posting pictures from her front window which happened to look out on Kyiv. We contacted Lyudmila and, after a few back and forth messages, she agreed to join us and share her story on the air.

If you’d like to hear that conversation with Lyudmila, just click this link.

She and her husband, Vitaly, like many in Ukraine, are extraordinarily brave people. We continue staying in touch with them.

Vitaly and Lyudmila Dulenko

We had to share this most recent post from Lyudmila with you. However your day starts out, we doubt it begins … or continues … anything like this.

Here is what Lyudmila wrote.

There is no fear. Waking up to the howling of the sirens for the second time. Unlocking the smartphone, the war is watching me from the screen, whispering “explosions in Kyiv “. Going to the balcony – over the right bank there is a black cloud of smoke.

There’s no fear, not even hate, nothing’s inside, just emptiness. And out of this wasteland comes the voice of my autopilot, which turned on in the morning of February 24. He says go and do it.

And I go into the kitchen to pick the morning crop of pastillas that I put out to dry yesterday before bed. Taking thin elastic bands out of the dryer that smell of jam and summer and thinking about this pastila going to the front. This is what I can do, this is my control zone, this is my answer to missiles – thin strawberry pastillas.

Then I mix dry soups. They will also go to the front. This is also my answer to rockets – little bags full of flavor, color and aroma, lunch or dinner for those standing between me and death.

Next, I’m rolling cans of canned pickles according to my mom’s recipe. I made them yesterday, and by all rules, I left them to grow until the morning under a warm pillow. And this too is my tiny glass shield from Russian missiles – my connection to my childhood, my way not to lose myself forever.

Kiev, Ukraine

In the photo – my district, filled with hot evening rays from the right bank of Kiev. From the shore that I look at every night from the balcony across the river, enjoying the sunset. Where did the Russian rockets fly today. Where the black cloud of smoke hung today.

There was a cloud of smoke over the buildings in the picture, too, three weeks ago, when I woke up to the explosions.

“Go and do it,” says my autopilot.

Going and getting it done.  ·   ·

The gift of Lyudmila and Vitaly’s friendship has been one of the positive results of social media communication. Please keep them and the incredibly brave people of Ukraine in your hearts.

Stay safe,

Steve & Johnnie

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