Stories from Ukraine During the War
And how a Holocaust survivor made a daring escape from her Kyiv apartment
Hey everyone: Ziv here. I know…it’s been a while since Yarden and I posted anything on here…we’ve both been navigating busy work lives these past several months. As you probably know by now, I produce a current affairs program for a local radio station in Toronto. These days, we’ve been working hard to uncover stories of Ukrainians whose lives have been turned upside down because of Russia’s invasion which began in late February and continues to develop in real-time. There are two stories, in particular, that I feel compelled to share with you. The first is of Andriy Kulykov, a radio host based in Kyiv (Ukraine’s capital) who still lives there despite nearby explosions that have been rattling his windows. And, just after Andriy, we bring on world-renowned photographer Edward Burtynsky to talk about his efforts to raise money for Ukrainians and to share about his own family’s roots in the country. Listen to those conversations right here!
The second story is about a 94-year-old Holocaust survivor who found herself trapped in her Kyiv apartment after Russia began its war. She had no realistic way of escaping to safety due to mobility issues. Then, miraculously, she managed to do just that with the help of the local mayor, a legendary boxer, members of the territorial defence forces, and a German logistics company (yes…it reads like a book). We spoke to her granddaughter, Katia Savchuk, a freelance journalist based in San Fransico to explain how it all happened and where her grandmother is right now. That conversation is here.
That’s it for now. In the coming weeks, should I come across more extraordinary interviews, I’ll be sure to post them here for you all to listen to.
In the meantime, take care.
Ziv
About the creators:
Yarden Haddi: Graduate of the Image Arts Centre at Ryerson University. Digital Marketer at Grenis Media Inc.
Ziv Haddi: Graduate of the Master of Media in Journalism and Communication program at Western University. He currently produces a current affairs program on Zoomer Radio.