Andrew Liszczynsky and Marusya Jacyshyn are two of the members of Friends of Ukraine attending the commemoration this weekend. Photo: Supplied.
Friends of Ukraine Canberra and Queanbeyan will commemorate the ninth anniversary of the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17) over Ukraine this Saturday (15 July).
The commemoration will be held outside the Russian Embassy for the second year running, in reference to a suite of findings released since the passenger flight was downed in 2014, including the revelation pro-Russia separatists brought down the plane with a missile, the trial of two Russians and one Ukrainian in The Hague and the recent implication of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Friends of Ukraine member and Ukrainian-Australian Andrew Liszczynsky says it’s important the 298 people who died on the downed flight, including 38 Australians, are not forgotten.
“It’s what we do. We remember people who have died, whether they’re family or not,” he says. “We commemorate loss of life, whether that’s in the [Russia-Ukraine] war or not.”
Protestors have been a constant presence outside the Russian Embassy on Canberra Avenue since the war in Ukraine began on 24 February, 2022. Photo: Supplied.
Ukrainian Orthodox priest Michael Solomko and Ukrainian Catholic priest Wally Kalinecki will stand beside flag bearers for Australia, Ukraine and the Netherlands (most MH17 passengers were Dutch nationals) to open the service with a prayer and minute’s silence. “In Ukraine, they clap wooden spoons together for that minute, so that happens regularly as a show of unity,” Andrew says.
Attendees will be invited to participate in the symbolic gesture of holding candles as they hear from several speakers, including Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations co-chair Kateryna Argyrou, former ACT Liberal leader Bill Stefaniak, daughter of two Australians on board MH17, Jane Malcolm and the leader of a Sydney-based Ukrainian support group, Anton Bogdanovic.
A number of the Sydney-based group’s members will also be attending the service, which will be concluded by attendees signing a journal and singing the Ukrainian national anthem.
Andrew says even once the MH17 commemoration ends, he and the other members of Friends of Ukraine are “in it for the long haul” and will continue protesting six days a week outside the Russian Embassy. “[MH17] is just one of the acts they’re [Russians] capable of and we’ve seen more in the last 18 months in Ukraine, where more innocent lives have been lost,” Andrew says.
“They’re just trying to destroy the Ukrainian psyche and the Ukrainian identity, so that’s why we’re there as Australians of Ukrainian background in front of the Russian Embassy.”
It’s personal for Andrew, whose Ukrainian parents were displaced from their country several years ago and found safety in England and later, Australia.
“For them back then, the Ukrainian identity was very important, and they passed that on to my sister and I,” Andrew explains.
“And you feel you have to do something. It’s better than sitting and just watching the news and getting frustrated.”
Post protest, Andrew says he uses social media to show his remaining family and others in Ukraine the support they have in Australia.
“And we hope the soldiers in the trenches are uplifted by seeing that support, so that they know that they’re not fighting a lost cause,” he says.
The commemoration will be held in front of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Australia at 78 Canberra Avenue, Griffith on Saturday, 15 July, from 11 am.
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