Reminder of the bloody conflict on Instytutska on February 20
1/ Anatoliy Yakovych Adamovsky, born 23.03.1964, address: 14/2 Tushynska Str., Donetsk
Anatoliy decided to go to Kyiv and join the Maidan movement just after the student beatings on November 30, 2013. “I have a daughter studying in Kyiv,” he said “How could I just sit there and let them get away with it?”
Anatoliy is an agronomist by profession but, due to economic difficulties, has worked at many jobs – construction worker, food transporter to Russia, taxi driver, etc). He and some like-minded companions travelled back and forth from Donetsk to Kyiv, alternating weekdays, weekends and work. Anatoliy was badly wounded on Instytutska on February 20 when a sniper bullet tore into his left shoulder and forearm, shattering the upper bone (humerus) and leaving metal fragments in the upper arm (photo of Anatoliy with priest just after he was shot).
He was transported to a Kyiv hospital, his wounds were cleaned and bandaged and his arm was put in a cast (it was impossible to operate at that time). He was then taken to Lviv for medical treatment and to Germany for an operation. He stayed at the St. Catherine Clinic in Frankfurt-on-Main from 27.03 to 17.04. 2014. The metal fragments were removed from his arm and an artificial bone implant replaced Anatoliy’s shattered bone. He was then sent to a rehabilitation centre in Greece for therapy. He returned to Lviv very recently.
Anataoliy is a jovial and talkative man with a charming smile and lots of tales to tell. He plans to join the Donbas Battalion in the East and fight those “zombies” (as he refers to them). (photo of Anatoliy in Lviv café)
2/ Vasyl Halamay, born 29.11.1986, address: 12/30 Koroliova Str., Chervonohrad, Lvivska Oblast
Vasyl is a social worker employed by Lviv Social Services; he mainly takes care of solitary elderly persons. He decided to go to Kyiv after the student beatings on November 30, 2013. He commuted between Lviv and Kyiv until sniper bullets caught him on Instytutska on February 20. The bullet penetrated his right buttock, shattered his pelvic bone, severely damaging internal organs along the way. Vasyl was captured on camera by Eric Bouvet, a French photographer covering the Maidan, and his picture made the cover of an Italian magazine.
http://ericbouvet.com/Heroes-from-Maidan
He was operated three times in Kyiv, and then transported with 38 other Maidaners to a military hospital in Prague. Vasyl had three catheters for drainage and administration of fluids into his body. He underwent another operation and was sent to a rehabilitation centre in the Czech mountains. He is still in therapy in the Czech Republic and can now move around on crutches.
I gave the funds to Maryana, his sister, but I was able to chat with Vasyl over Skype. He struck me as a happy and optimistic young fellow with all sorts of plans for the future. We spoke for about 2 hours, about Maidan, his plans, our group, his vision of and hopes for Ukraine, etc. (photo at Rehabilitation Centre)
3/ Ihor Zastavny, born 14.11.1993, address: 392/76 Shevchenka Str., Lviv
Ihor had just finished the Wood Sculpting College in Ivano-Frankove, Yavorivsky District) when Maidan events prompted him to leave home and join the protestors. Ihor is an artist, very restrained and somewhat shy… and certainly doesn’t like talking about himself very much.
Ihor was shot several times on Instytutska on February 20. The bullets penetrated the abdomen, gastrointestinal tract, left arm and left leg, severely shattering the bone and causing serious damage to surrounding soft tissues and the neurovascular system.
He underwent treatment and operation in Kyiv. The doctors couldn’t save his leg; it was amputated below the knee. He was sent to Poland where he stayed at a rehabilitation centre, waiting for the prosthetic limb to arrive from Germany. This brave young man walks around with a strong limp, grimacing at each step, but voices no complaints.
I called Ihor at the end of June. He had just come back from Kyiv where he had had another operation on his urinary and gastrointestinal tracts. He’s planning to recuperate during the summer, get used to his artificial limb and the physical constraints. (photo of Ihor and Oksana (social worker) at Lviv café)
Conclusion
Why did it take me so long to distribute the funds? There are still so many scams and corrupt organizations in Ukraine that I took my time until I was sure I had found the right people. Thanks to Oksana and Ivanka, two wonderful and dedicated young ladies from the Lviv Social Services, I was able to meet these heroes, chat with them and give them the funds.
What do Anatoliy, Vasyl, Ihor and other Maidaners that I’ve had the opportunity to meet have in common? Their optimism, vision of Ukraine, hopes for a better future and their love of life. I have their phone numbers and will definitely do a follow-up when I return to Lviv.
May God bless them all!
Слава Україні! Glory to Ukraine!
