TWH – This is an update to our previous reporting on Pagans within Ukraine. Today marks the 19th day of the Russian invasion with current reports from multiple media noting that Russian forces continue to very slowly advance on Kyiv primarily from the north and east. On Sunday, Russia conducted air strikes targets in Lviv and in elsewhere in Western Ukraine close to the Polish border.
A new “green corridor” or safe evacuation route out of Mariupol has finally been established today after multiple attempts last week failed. According to reports, at least 160 cars containing civilians were allowed to leave the city, making it to Berdyansk and headed towards Zaporizhzhia.
American journalist and documentarian, Brent Renaud was killed by Russian forces in Irpin, Ukraine, first reported by Kyiv region police in social media posts on Sunday. Since Renaud’s death was first reported, friends and colleagues have shared remembrances in tribute. Renaud is the first foreign journalist reported to have been killed in Ukraine since Russia invaded.
The situation is getting much worse. For those of us reporting, even at a distance, it is impossible to keep one’s voice out of the stories. The events are horrendous.
Russian-besieged towns still suffer under an artillery barrage. Civilians are often unable to escape without fearing being killed. They run the risk of running out of food, water, and medicine. Some cities have reportedly started to dig mass graves.
Adding to that is the repellent behavior of some media outlets – like the state-controlled news services of Russia and China – collectively gaslighting entire populations about the war and Russia’s rationale for its invasion of Ukraine.
We will tell you that it is surreal speaking with someone in Ukraine and hearing explosions. It has happened more than once and it is certainly something none of us ever thought we would be doing while reporting for The Wild Hunt. And yet it is here and happening with shocking regularity.
Motherland Monument in Kyiv, Ukraine [Photo Credit: Mir09info – CC BY-SA 4.0
TWH has been able to get some updates from Pagans, Heathens, and polytheists. We heard from Titus of TEMPLVM, a religious organization based in Ukraine and focused on building Temples and Altars according to the tradition that was followed by Ancient Romans. We previously reported on TEMPLVM’s action to get individuals to safety.
Titus said that TEMPLVM had “successfully evacuated the first batch of refugees – women and children – across the border and after coming back home made sure the families of our community are provided with food, water, and medicaments for at least 5 days. This was made possible thanks to the support of the international polytheistic community.”
Titus later added, “Thanks to the help from the international polytheistic community we managed to get a pagan family of 7 people out of Kharkiv which is being bombed and they are now safe at TEMPLVM.”
In Kyiv, a member of Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.) said that he will stay through the invasion. We’ll call him Olin because even his spiritual name may not protect him from being identified if the Russians gain control. There are too many possibilities that an individual can be accidentally outed by Western reporting and then later targeted by Russians for having shared their experiences.
“Even if it were possible, I wouldn’t leave. Here are my relatives and loved ones, my homeland, my property, and my cats. If I can help in any way, I should be here,” Olin said. He added that as far as he knows none of his O.T.O brothers and sisters had left Ukraine and that they are in constant contact with each other. He said just the opportunity for contact helps tremendously.
Olin said, when we spoke, he was worried about what has happened in Kharvkov, “[T]he aggressor has been shelling residential areas there for several days, and this is the case in many cities.”
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The worry comes with practical consequences like being able to sleep and get rest. Olin said that “In the early days, it was difficult to sleep, as they constantly bombed. Especially after the rocket hit a residential building near work. Now it’s easier, and it’s comfortable to sleep in the bathroom.”
But the stress is always present. Olin said, “I try to do individual practices when I’m not under stress – most often in the morning, every morning inspires optimism. The previous experience helps a lot, when you already know that death is not everything, there is less fear, it is more controllable.”
But Olin has also run out of incense. “I regularly burned incense for the Gods, unfortunately, they are over, and only critical shops work in the city.”
We’ve not heard from Olin for a few days since Russia began new attacks on the Ukrainian capital.
Sabine is a Pagan in Mykolaiv and made contact a few days ago. They said “it is bad. Very bad.”
An hour later, we received another message, “The Russians are bombing again. I heard that many houses and buildings have been destroyed. I have to leave. My father is staying and said goodbye, not see you later. Goodbye.”
The BBC reported that Mykolaiv was under heavy attack. “Mykolaiv’s governor Vitaliy Kim is standing in fatigues, explaining how Ukrainian soldiers, helped by new reinforcements, had pushed Russian troops back.” Kim added, “We are winning this fight, but not this war.”
TWH was also able to recontact Yulia on Wednesday, March 9, to assess her situation and attempt to understand the reality of a war that has only crept closer and closer.
“Active fighting for Chernihiv continues for the second day, but Ukrainian forces are defending my city. The occupants are bombarding civilian housing and other non-military targets, so we regularly hear shooting from high-caliber weapons, including, for the past couple of days, airstrikes and rockets. I hear that sound nearly permanently and some of them get really close, It is scary, it is how war sounds” she shared with TWH.
For Yulia, as for many Ukrainians trapped in Chernihiv and other cities upon which the Russian army has laid siege, everyday life has turned into a somewhat dreary existence characterized by daily trips to the bunker: “We always wake up around five or six in the morning, when the siren goes off. Then, if needed, we hide, if not, we just have breakfast as normal. Mostly we sit at home and when the siren goes off, we run to the bunker. We spend something like five to six hours in the bunker per day, sometimes less, sometimes more, it depends on the bombings from the Russian occupants.”
When she is not hiding in her flat or holed up deep underground, Yulia has little to do but attempt to get essential goods. “Food stores, pharmacies, and other stores work when they are not being bombed, but there are huge queues. There is a poor selection of food and medicine but we are still good. In the fourteen days of the war, I have not gone hungry.”
When asked if she noticed the outpouring of sympathy and assistance coming from abroad, Yulia expresses much appreciation: “People are so supportive to my nation nowadays, thanks a lot! Many have been buying digital items to support me, and a lot of people abroad have offered shelter, however, I find it safer to stay at home.”
Still, in the past couple of days, fighting has only been getting more intense in and around Yulia’s hometown of Chernihiv. According to Vladyslav Atroshenko, the town’s major quoted by the New York Times, the city is currently being encircled by the Russian forces, thousands of people have lost their homes due to bombings, and the local administration has run out of land to bury its dead.
When asked how she thinks the war will end, Yulia is hesitant. “Usually, I am a person who plans everything, but not now. When it’s war, you don’t know what will happen, how it will end, and when.”
Nevertheless, she remains undeterred and keeps praising her compatriots who are risking their lives in the field. “Part of the money I got from my followers and friends abroad in this period I have donated to the Ukrainian forces. Everyone is doing their part: soldiers fight, the police and city protection units control the town, volunteers support everyone and all other civilians are donating money and don’t bother others, but just help. That is great that we stay together and strong, a winning country should look like that and I am proud.”
We lost contact with Yulia for a few days but thankfully, on March 12th, she wrote that she and her family were still fine despite the lack of supplies.
She added, “At the moment connection with gods is the thing I believe in and wish everything will end as soon as possible and with a victory”
For readers who may wish to help the Ukrainian people, below are some NGOs to consider. The following NGOs have all stated they are directly supporting Ukrainians.
- SOS Children’s Villages Ukraine – an organization committed to caring for orphans and vulnerable families.
- Ukrainian Red Cross provides emergency care for people regardless of nationality or status.
- Come Back Alive Foundation is an association committed to supporting the Ukrainian soldiers, mostly through medical and logistical purchases
- Nova Ukraine is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to raising awareness about Ukraine in the US and throughout the world and providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
Editor’s note: TWH will be following events in Ukraine and updating our readers as the conflict progresses. If you are a reader in Ukraine or have connections to the country and would like to speak with TWH about your experiences, please send us a message to ukraine@wildhunt.org.
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