From the horrors of war to an island peace

That seems unlikely given the strange exclusion of one side from proceedings, which surely suggests that, whatever is agreed, it can only be very temporary.

And for a short period during an informal gathering of about 20 or so guests late on Saturday afternoon, despite such matters seemingly being so far away, the collective thoughts went out to those who have suffered – and are still suffering – from what, to the layman at least, looks like an unnecessary act of aggression for an end-game that no-one can predict.

It is now three years since relative peace in Europe was shattered, when Putin ordered the invasion of his neighbours and set on a path that was to lead to the deaths of thousands, a large number of them innocent civilians.

According to figures released by the United Nations, the total death toll – from both sides – stands at 148,359 as of last week, although the true number is almost certainly far higher. Millions have been displaced from their homes, whole communities turned to rubble, the true cost of which will be incalculable, both from human and practical perspectives.

Ukraine’s resistance in the face of a powerful invavding enemy has only been possible thanks (along with their impressive fortitude) to the backing of other European countries and, of course, the USA, which is now threatening withdrawal from that support thanks to the bombastic interventions of Donald Trump.

At the County Hotel event on Saturday there was not much discussion on these huge over-bearing themes. It was not intended as such, but simply to remind the Ukrainian refugees who now live in Lewis that they are in the thoughts of the people here and that this community will offer a welcoming home for as long as they desire it.

The gathering was organised by Na h-Eileanan an Iar MP Torcuil Crichton who told the audience that prior to entering politics he was involved with the Jeeps for Peace charity, which sends out old 4x4 vehicles to Ukraine to be used for whatever means they deem necessary, often ending up on the front line.

Standing beside him during the opening remarks was Vladyslav Chystiakov, who was summoned to act as interpreter as some of the Ukrainians who had gathered at the County did not have a huge amount of English.

Speaking to the Gazette later, Vladyslav revealed that he was from the city of Kharkiv, just 60 kilometres from the Russian border in the east of Ukraine.

It has been at the epicentre of much of the conflict and a prime target for the Russian onslaught. With a wife and young child, like many others, he fled west at the onset of war.

“My wife and daughter came to Scotland in June 2022 just after the war started,” he said. He himself followed a year later.

He now works for CalMax Construction as a labourer, though he is rather highly qualified for that job. He has a masters degree in Accountancy and Economics of Enterprise from Kharkiv University, but there was no opportunity back home for him to pursue that career so he ended up in civil engineering, constructing roads.

Now he’s in Lewis doing the same kind of thing, happy for the simplicity of a sense of peace, safety and a secure job.

“When the war started I stayed in Kharkiv for about 10 days,” he said. “But I have a wife and four year old daughter, at that time she was just two, so we just packed our luggage and headed west, so we didn't experience the frontline ourselves, but obviously we know a lot of people who have. It’s where people are dying and you have drones flying over your head constantly.

“We moved to Odessa, a port city, because my wife’s parents stayed there, and then the UK Government opened the route for the refugees and that route was called Home for Ukrainians.

"My wife’s mother is a psychologist and she had a friend near Glasgow and we got a sponsor that way. You need a sponsor. We applied for the Visa and my wife managed to come to the Hebrides and a year after I joined them, leaving Ukraine and re-uniting with my family in the Hebrides.”

He added: “I can’t complain. It’s peaceful, calm and quiet. It’s a wonderful place to stay; you have all the essentials here – except maybe for the weather.”

Right now the situation doesn’t exist for a return to Ukraine and Vladyslav doubts whether it will any time soon.

“To be honest with you, even if they get some kind of peace deal and the war ends, I don’t believe something good will happen to Ukraine in the next 10 years or so. I’ve got my wife and daughter to think of. If the UK doesn't have a plan for us I would just go to some other country, maybe Ireland.

“Even if negotiations happen, Ukraine won’t be the winner, we’ll just get the leftovers from the table and it will lead to more conflict and unhappiness… there will be more strife.

“You’ve got to remember Ukraine wasn’t that great before the war. What’s the minimum wage here, £12 an hour, that’s 12 times what it is in Ukraine. What’s it going to be like after the war? I know that as long as I’m here I’ll be fine for tomorrow; I don’t need to worry. The first year here was hard but now it’s easy and I’m settled.”

Another familiar face beams across the County Lounge: one of the employees at the fuel filling station in Barvas, north Lewis. His accent and the fact that he was at the event gave him away as being from Ukraine.

“Yes I know your face,” he says, with the formal introductions complete. It turns out his name is Denys Dzrmbak from the west of Ukraine.

And, if anything, his story is even more remarkable, his natural happy and smiling demeanour belying what’s clearly been some personal horrors and chastening experiences of life and death in the face of the worst that humanity can deliver.

“I was on the frontline defending Ukraine,” he says, almost casually and as a matter of fact. “I had a few concussions from mine explosions” and then adds: “But I like it here; it's good, really nice island, people are friendly. It’s like the island is one big family.

“For people in Ukraine it’s tough. It’s not just the war, the government doesn't support you the way they do here, with medicine and helping old people. If you want things like a good doctor you have to pay for it, but here it’s provided by the government.”

But back to that whole frontline thing which he so casually referred to. “Yes two weeks after the war started I went to the frontline to help. A lot of people did that. For us in Ukraine it’s a feeling that we had to do it.”

Asked to elaborate further on his experience, he hesitates. “I can talk about it but nobody can understand it. What you see, you can’t explain it to someone who has never seen it.”

He served as a paramedic and suffered several concussions and injuries to his spine, so he was removed from the main theatre of war. Prior to that, in normal life, he was a large crane operator on building sites.

His wife works with him in the filling station and they have a young daughter and a 16-year-old son who attends the local college.

In terms of harbouring any thoughts of going back to Ukraine, he says: “I’m not sure, we will see. It’s hard to know what will happen. We left everything behind and built a new life here. My daughter and son have good English, so we’ll see.”

He has a younger brother who also served in the front line and who was also injured and a mother back in Ukraine.

With all the talks currently going on in terms of some kind of peace deal – remote as it may seem now – has he been following the latest events?

“I never watch the news," he said. “I haven’t watched the news since I was on the frontline. They don’t tell the truth; they can’t tell the truth, it’s impossible. If you watch the news, you can’t even begin to understand it.”

A worthy initiative

The charity Jeeps for Peace has delivered hundreds of 4x4 vehicles to Ukraine. Many of them have seen their best days here, but with some minor works and improvements they are ready for another stint, whether as vehicles delivering aid or helping with the frontline effort. They are driven across Europe by volunteers and once in Ukraine undergo more alterations.

Torcuil Crichton was part of a group who headed to Ukraine in a convoy in 2023

He said: “The charity buys old pick ups from farms and crofts, puts them through an MoT and gets volunteers to drive them over, handing them over directly to Ukrainians for use as frontline vehicles. It’s a very direct way of helping the effort.

“When I saw Ukrainians were working and living right across the islands we thought on the third anniversary of the war breaking out that we would show them some solidarity - to show our home is their home and their struggle is our struggle. It’s really important, particularly just now, that we stand by the Ukrainians and stand by Ukraine.”