In Daugavpils, a group of friends provides the first support to Ukrainians arriving across the eastern border of Latvia / Article

The course of Ukrainians fleeing from the occupied territories is still complicated, they have to detour not only through Russia, but also Belarus.

Ukrainian Dasha from Kherson left Ukraine with four-month-old Mark and his father, now she continues her journey to Warsaw. The woman said: “We left a little earlier, before the shooting had started. The only ones who could help us were the transporters. That’s how we left, along this road. We crossed the Latvian border, and we were lucky to meet these wonderful people.”

The family spent their first night in the European Union in Daugavpils, where Aleksandrs Barbakadze arranged accommodation for them and delivered them from the “Silene” border point. Together with Evita Savickas and about ten other volunteers, they have helped about 1,500 Ukrainians in this way since May.

Savicka, a citizen of Daugavpils, said: “They just drive from their village. They say: “Oh, I’m abroad for the first time!” Many have never even been to Kyiv. They have lived in the village all their lives. Why were they forced to leave it at all? They had a normal life.”

On the other hand, the volunteer helper for the refugees, Barbakadze, expressed: “You really, really want to help everyone, but you know that tomorrow and the day after, and next month, there will be people again. You need to save strength, funds and heart.”

Now many are fleeing not from the war, but from the consequences of the war, assessed Savicka. From homes where there is no water for months and it is cold. Or from Russia, where they stayed for a while, for example, with relatives, but realized that even those closest to them believe not what they experienced, but war propaganda. The same thing that some Daugavpils also believe.

Savicka expressed: “From time to time people ask: “Oh, you help Ukrainians? Ah…”. Then Sasha says that they are the same people as the people of Daugavpils. They have the same problems with language, with means, with work. The only difference (..) is that Daugavpils is in NATO [paspārnē].”

Following the progress of Savicka and Barbakadze, xenophobia is disappearing in the Russian propaganda farm. Many Daugavpils responded and helped – an apartment was found, drivers applied, donations were collected. For example, on average, 100 euros are needed per month to fill the headlights of Barbakadze cars with fuel. Financially, a lot is covered by local and international organizations: “International Organization of Migration”, “Young Folks”, “I want to help refugees” and “Your friends”.

Daugavpils volunteers are united by a common hobby – intellectual games. Having recently participated in a championship in Georgia, the team made special pins with the inscription “Latvia helps Ukraine”.

Savicka said: “As citizens of Daugavpils, we speak Russian among ourselves and we were afraid that we would be perceived as Russians and there would be some kind of hatred. We made such notes and wore them.”

Pins are used here to help Ukrainians remove their telephone “sim-cards:+”. Someone recently donated them in bulk. Volunteers in Daugavpils are also considering founding their own organization, because they are aware that helping Ukrainians will be like a long marathon.

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