Khmelnytskyi Counts Its Fallen But No Longer Counts On Others’ Promises
By: Giorgio Provinciali
* The original article: https://medium.com/@giorgioprovinciali/khmelnytskyi-counts-its-fallen-but-no-longer-counts-on-others-promises-3382e3aee01e?sk=7df5f9f00f8b13619ed41058f2d19571
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Khmelnytskyi – Ninety octagons in a row, each formed by two-meter-high stands and bearing the effigy of a hero born in this city, followed by the inscription, «He died defending Ukraine from the Russian invaders.» A single panel, the first, shows an angel with large yellow-blue wings flying in the sky, holding a sword in his right hand and a large shield with a tryzub in his left, firmly reiterating that all those defenders died «for Ukraine.» A concept now increasingly popular and widely shared by the population, replacing those that valued similar acts of renunciation, dedication, self-denial, and self-sacrifice in defense of values ??shared by the free world.
The gazes of those 719 young people and that message, repeated as many times in different words and nuances, welcome visitors to Khmelnytskyi and accompany them throughout its historic center, reflecting the spirit of the living rather than the dead.
Over the last 43 months of these twelve years of war, Ukraine has realized it is alone, fighting for itself, and must organize itself as best it can to ensure its security is not dependent on other countries.
This assumption is confirmed by the director of the city’s top pediatric hospital, which was damaged by the Russians during a raid on local civilian infrastructure, putting the lives of hundreds of children there at risk. «There isn’t a single family here that hasn’t suffered because of the war. All the patients have a father or mother at the front. Some have already lost a sibling. Many have never seen part of their family because when they were born, the Russians were already holding them hostage in the occupied territories of Ukraine» – explains the doctor in charge of that healthcare facility, recalling how her own closest loved ones are at the front.
When we ask her to compile a list of the most requested emergency supplies, she explains that – beyond medical devices for resuscitation and first aid – the urgent needs are so-called painkillers and psychological support. «The wounds caused by certain traumas are so profound that they strike chords in the human psyche that medicine alone cannot heal. We need the expertise of locally trained psychologists who understand dynamics that others, no matter how skilled, cannot remotely grasp. Come with me to the ward, and you’ll see dozens of psychologists working with children and their families right now. Without that invaluable help, an entire generation of Ukrainians would be at risk, leading to serious consequences for future generations.» – she adds, appealing to those leaders who can and must do something: «Stop financing Russian terrorism by no longer doing business with Moscow.»
Medicines aren’t the only thing residents of Khmelnytskyi need; they also need people who understand what it means to grow up under bombs – and that those who call themselves “allies” of Ukraine stop fueling the machine that destroys it. «It’s the only way to solve the problem at its root without spending additional resources to stem the damage» – insists the hospital’s head of external relations, using volunteer associations as an example: «Volunteers are our most valuable resource. They were the first to help us, they continue to be present, they know the territory and often shared problems. Yes, they have never done anything but good. We will always be infinitely grateful to them.»
The distrust of foreign political institutions is such that very few here in Ukraine believe promises made from those pulpits. «Please explain to me the meaning of those made in Budapest in 1994,» a young man asked us just before leaving for Zhytomyr. «The leaders of the countries that signed those agreements owe us an explanation, because while we can measure what we’ve lost and the damage that gamble has caused, it’s unclear what we’ve gained in return. Therefore, they should stop claiming they’re defending us, because if anything, the opposite is true. They pay for the stick that beats us and then send us the band-aids.»
Moving through those questions and the memorials to 719 young people who paid the ultimate price for broken promises that are still being repeated today is shameful, but it helps us see how things have changed in the past 43 months of war. You only need to talk to the local business owners in a former Soviet city like Khmelnytskyi, alongside the soldiers passing through the streets, the managers of its civilian infrastructure, the heads of military administrations, and even those you meet at the market or a checkpoint to realize that the mood has shifted and that Ukraine no longer wants to rely on countries whose policies can change with elections and whose commitments can be altered to serve distant interests.
Khmelnytskyi counts its fallen but no longer counts on others’ promises. Between the faces of those lost and the smiles of the surviving children, a new sense of national identity is emerging here: security cannot be handed over.
赫梅利尼茨基纪念烈士，不再依赖他人承诺
作者：Giorgio Provinciali
* 原文连接: https://medium.com/@giorgioprovinciali/khmelnytskyi-counts-its-fallen-but-no-longer-counts-on-others-promises-3382e3aee01e?sk=7df5f9f00f8b13619ed41058f2d19571
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Khmelnytskyi—一排九十个八角形，每个八角形由两米高的支架组成，上面都悬挂着一个出生在这座城市的英雄的肖像，后面是铭文，“他牺牲于保卫乌克兰抵抗俄罗斯侵略的战争”。而第一个块纪念板上绘制着一个长着黄蓝色大翅膀、在天空中飞翔的天使，右手握着一把剑，左手持着一个带有三叉戟的大盾牌，坚定地重申了所有这些捍卫者都是“为乌克兰”而牺牲的。这个概念现在越来越受到大家的共鸣，逐渐取代曾经那些重视类似放弃、奉献、自我否定和自我牺牲的行为，以捍卫自由世界共同价值观的观念。
那七百十九名年轻人的目光和重复的“他们为乌克兰牺牲”的信息，迎接来访者进入赫梅利尼茨基，并伴随着他们穿梭这座城市的历史中心，反映出一种生者的精神，而非死者的回忆。
在这十二年战争的最后43个月里，乌克兰逐渐意识到：只能靠自己，为自己而战，必须尽其所能组织自己，以确保国家安全不依赖其他国家。
（图：我在采访赫梅利尼茨基儿童医院勇敢的院长—版权所有，Giorgio Provinciali）
该市顶尖儿科医院的院长证实了这一假设，她的医院曾在一次俄罗斯对本地民用基础设施的袭击中受损，危及那里数百儿童的生命。她说：“这里没有一个家庭没有受到战争的影响。所有病人，都有父亲或母亲在前线战斗。有的已经失去兄弟姐妹。很多人从未见一些家人的样子，因为他们出生时，俄罗斯已经把他们囚禁在占领区”。负责该医疗机构的医生解释说，她回忆起自己的亲人是如何去前线奋战的。
当我们请她列出最急需的应急物资时，她解释说，除了复苏和急救医疗设备外，最迫切的需求还有止痛药和心理援助。“某些（身体上的）创伤带来的伤害如此深刻，以至于共振达到人内心心理层面，仅靠药物是无法治愈的。我们需要训练有素的本地心理专家，他们能理解这些人的经历，别人再专业精进，也难以设身处地”。和我一起去病房看看，你就会看到数十名心理医生正在为儿童及其家人工作。如果没有这种宝贵的援助，整整一代乌克兰人都将面临（心理疾病的）风险，也会给子孙后代带来严重后果”。她补充道，呼吁那些有能力的领导人必须做一些事情：“停止资助俄罗斯的恐怖活动，不再与莫斯科做生意。”
（图：我在本文采访赫梅利尼茨基儿童医院时拍摄—版权所有，Giorgio Provinciali）
赫梅利尼茨基的居民除了需要药品之外，还需要那些懂得在炸弹下成长意味着什么的人；他们需要那些自称乌克兰「盟友」的人停止为摧毁它的机器提供燃料。“这是从根本上解决问题的唯一途径，而不需要花费额外资源来遏制损害。”—医院对外关系负责人坚持，并以志愿者协会为例：“志愿者是我们最宝贵的资源。他们是第一个帮助我们的人，并且一直在我们身边。他们了解这片土地，经常分享问题。没错，他们做了无数好事。我们将永远感激他们。”
（图：我在采访医院对外关系负责人时拍摄—版权所有，Giorgio Provinciali）
对外政治机构的不信任如此之深，以至于在乌克兰，少有人相信那些权利圣坛上的承诺。在离开前往日托米尔之前，一个年轻人问我们：“请解释一下1994年在布达佩斯做出的那些承诺的含义”。他说：“签署那些协议的国家领导人欠我们一个解释，因为我们能衡量自己失去了什么，以及这场赌注造成的损失，但我们不清楚我们得到了什么回报。因此，他们应该停止声称自己在保卫我们，事实上恰恰相反。他们花钱买殴打我们的棍棒，却只给我们贴膏药。”
思量这些问题并纪念那些为违背承诺付出最终代价的719名年轻人，但今天这些背弃承诺的事情还在重复发生，这是可耻的，却也帮助我们看到，过去43个月的战争中，情况是如何变化的。你只要与像赫梅利尼茨基这样的前苏联城市的当地商人、穿过接到的士兵、民用基础设施的管理者、军事行政主管，甚至在市场或检查站遇到的人交谈，你就会察觉到氛围已经转变，乌克兰不再想依赖那些政策会随选举改变、为了海市蜃楼的利益打破承诺的国家。
赫梅利尼茨基纪念烈士，不再依赖别人的承诺。在那些牺牲者的画像和幸存儿童的笑容之间，一种新的民族认同感正在形成：安全不能交付他人。
（图：我站在文章提到的90个八角纪念像的第一排前—版权所有，Giorgio Provinciali）
