Putin’s war crimes strike close to home
It’s seven letters. Four vowels, and three consonants. And it’s been all over the news. If your Wordle skills aren’t developed enough to figure it out already, it’s Ukraine. Since the start of Russia’s war on the European country, every news article and trending YouTube video seem to mention the topic. Although the actual conflict is taking place overseas and thousands of miles away, there is a little-known link between West and the besieged country in the form of a young man named Sasha Shymanko. Shymanko spent his time at West in 2013, when he visited through the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Program.
“I was 16-years-old when I came to the US,” he said. “I’ve been learning English since the first grade, and I really liked it. The pop culture phenomenon usually comes from the West, and they’re all usually in English as well. I heard about the exchange program at my school and thought I should give it a shot.”
The Cottrells, Shymanko’s host family, felt a special connection with him from the beginning. Baylee Cottrell, the youngest daughter of the family, remembers the selection process.
“Our family actually hand-chose Sasha,” Cottrell said. “We were able to look through a lot of applicants, and he just really stood out to our family. He was musical, very intelligent, sweet, and he just fits right into the family. It's funny, if you look at family pictures, he looks more similar to my brother Austin and I than my brother Kevin.”
Cottrell attributes her global awareness and viewpoints today to growing up with individuals with completely different cultural backgrounds.
“It's definitely interesting learning things that I had never learned before,” she said. “I feel like in America we're almost sheltered, so I hadn't really branched out and looked at other cultures and other places in the world. But, I found it really interesting how some of the things that Sasha was really fixated on and really excited about because they were really normal for us. I think I was able to learn so much and just recognize how different the United States is from every other country.”
While studying abroad, Shymanko noticed substantial differences in his new lifestyle compared to his hometown.
“It was like living in a dream,” he said. “When you come home, you have all the sweets in the pantry, all the latest games on your Xbox, you have an Xbox, you have everything. That was something you look at and just understand that there is a better way to live life that you should strive for. It's just like something that makes you want to push harder, go harder, and live better.”
Despite his admiration for the US, Shymanko holds immense love and respect for his home country. When Vladmir Putin ordered troops to begin their assault into Ukraine, Shymanko was crushed.
“The first day we had really hard panic attacks,” he said. “A lot of people were staying in the basement. We turned off all the lights after six and just stayed really quiet.”
It’s common knowledge that Russia has been eyeing its neighbor over the past few years. Yet even in the first few days of the war, Shymanko was still in disbelief.
“I really did not believe Russia would start the whole invasion, the war,” he said. “You have to say one thing and do another thing with politics, and it’s really dirty. A lot of people told me there may be war, and I was like nobody would start a war. Who would start a war and do that? I do not know how this world works.”
This is not the first time Shymanko and his host family have been worried about his safety. Cottrell had an unfortunate premonition that conflict was imminent.
“Actually, when Sasha was here, we were worried about him getting drafted,” she said. “It was shocking because I care about Sasha so much. He is 100 percent a brother to me and having someone that you care about so much being in danger was terrifying for me. It was very emotional, but it unfortunately wasn’t a shock and was really upsetting for me.”
The war quite literally hits home for Shymanko.
“I live in the western part of Ukraine, in the city where Putin’s bad dreams come from,” he said. “In his speeches, he usually calls people who live in the western part of Ukraine Nazis. It’s extremely funny to hear all that propaganda from Russia.”
One of Shymanko’s first priorities after the first sirens sounded was checking in on his loved ones.
“I have people near Kyiv, and their street was bombed,” he said. “It didn't hit their house, but their neighbor's house was demolished.”
Shymanko is actively trying to do his own part in helping his fellow Ukrainians any way he can.
“I'm waiting for another one of my friends from another part of Ukraine so we’re all going to live here at my place,” he said. “We call it Noah's ark, and it's easier to live all together and go through all this. I'm trying to make sure all my friends need support and are safe and can come to my place.”
Although Shymanko is currently stable in his sector of the country, he knows that can change at any moment.
“Right now, it’s pretty quiet, but we still have sirens and we are ready for anything that can happen,” he said. “We have our documents and everything in one place so we are ready to go to the shelter.”
Cottrell and her family are doing their best to support Shymanko and his family. Students who are interested in joining the collective effort are encouraged to message Mrs. Nan Cottrell at 920-379-8112.
“Our funds are going directly to Sasha's family because he is so important to us,” she said. “Eventually things could be bad and they need to flee. The money might go towards that. Sasha and his family are the type of people to help anyone that needs it.”
In terms of media support, it may seem like the news is doing its part by bombarding and filling with headliners involving Ukraine and justice. However, Shymanko believes that there are several inconsistencies in the media.
“A lot of numbers, they’re not real,” he said. “You can’t count how many people die from this. Just yesterday, more than a thousand people died, just civilians. The information is updated and you get the numbers from yesterday and there are always people missing. You can’t find the missing people.”
Still, Shymanko is grateful for the community he has back in Oshkosh and the international solidarity.
“The first thing I want to say is that I’ve never felt this much support,” he said. “I just received so many calls and messages with support. It’s vital for me. Because when you stay in the basement and hear sirens, you have to find something that makes you happy and remember the days. The first thing that hit me were the days spent back in Wisconsin.”
On the brighter side of the conflict, Cottrell mentions the unity she has seen as nations pull together to help Ukraine get through the war.
“What I've seen is a lot of support from the US and both sides of the political spectrum, which warms my heart to see because in America we have been really divided recently with every social justice issue and economic issue,” she said. “Especially with the pandemic, but I've seen over social media and outpour of support towards Ukraine which really makes me feel good that all these people want to help a country that deserves it and my brother who deserves it.”
Shymanko tries to look at the small things and positivity in the bigger picture of the situation.
“It may sound crazy, but I believe that there are a lot of opportunities when there is a crisis,” he said. “ It’s really powerful and, in the future, I believe it will work in a good way. It’s pretty hard, but you know you have to do something to do good. That’s what all nations go through, you can see it in the history of countries. The country became stronger after the war. Even in the US, when people strive for freedom there is nothing that can stop them from striving for freedom. That’s a great power that defines the way people are going to live in the future.”
Shmyanko urges students to be active and update themselves on the scene.
“It’s about making a statement and spreading news,” he said. “The regime does not want freedom of speech and it doesn't want you to become a person. It wants you to become a part of the regime. The main fight is for values and it's not here in Ukraine, it’s here in people's minds and choices. I believe that all people should understand what values they should defend and what issues to spread.”
Shmyanko would like others to learn from Ukraine and try to make interventions for a better future.
“It’s really important to stay positive,” he said. “I understand it's hard to believe, but when you're distressed everybody can feel it and see it. You have to be the light and lighten up yourself.”
By Hannah Chung
March 18 2022
Volume 118 Issue VI