The Oxford University Ukrainian Society was formed in 2004, but like many student societies, its activities were somewhat curtailed during the peak of the pandemic.
And then the war came.
Suddenly, the society re-commenced its activities: the day of the invasion, they organised a mass protest in the centre of Oxford at the Radcliffe Camera. Since then, the Oxford University Ukrainian Society has become a truly impressive organisation, coordinatining further protests, in addition to raising over £50,000 in aid, collecting more than 300 boxes of supplies, and even donating a 4×4 vehicle to a Ukrainian army unit.
Ruslan Pavlyshyn has been President of the Ukrainian Society since April, previously acting as the Secretary. He sat down with The Blue to reflect on the achievements of the Society over the past six months.
Why was it important for the Oxford Ukrainian Society to renew its activities?
“It was very important for us to do something, especially in the beginning [of the war],” Ruslan explains. “The society gave us an opportunity to survive psychologically through a very difficult period in our lives.”
“For me personally, it was a way to release a lot of anger, anxiety and frustration in a constructive way, especially in a period when it seemed like we were living in two different worlds: one […] the active, busy, immensely rich student life in Oxford and the other world which is with our relatives and friends in Ukraine,” Ruslan shares.
“Over time, the Ukrainian society has become a cherished community of friends. Having this kind of community at this time has proven very important for all of us because we understood what it meant to be in this kind of situation and we were able to give each other exactly what we needed.”
How did the Oxford University Ukrainian Society initially respond to the invasion?
In addition to the first mass protest, which was followed by others, the Society organised a huge donation drive. “We got a whole unit in the Clarendon Centre in the centre of Oxford, and we asked the Oxfordshire community to bring their donations there,” Ruslan reports.
“Most of us being Ukrainian and having family in Ukraine, we felt a strong need to support this internal refugee movement. At the very beginning of the invasion, Ukraine itself had so few resources with which it could help [internally displaced] people.” In addition to sourcing humanitarian supplies, Ruslan explains that the society also collected non-lethal military equipment such as combat boots.
“We had a very big team of volunteers who would come to help us at different times of the day. In fact we had a spreadsheet with time slots where people could register themselves, and sometimes we would have so many volunteers that we would have to create more tasks for them… people were very supportive of us,” he reflects.
“One of these volunteer initiatives was a ribbon-making campaign that I initiated at the Ertegun House.” Ruslan’s studies at Oxford are funded by the Ertegun Scholarship Programme in the Humanities; the Ertegun House functions in many ways like a small college. “My friends from the Ertegun community, in just a matter of three days, made more than 1000 Ukrainian-coloured ribbons.”
“We had so many volunteers for this work that we finished it way sooner than we expected. Before we knew it, all major cafés in Oxford, and all major events that had something to do with Ukraine distributed these ribbons as a sign of solidarity. I remember this moment in March when you could see people in the street that you have never met before wearing these ribbons. It was a very beautiful sign of solidarity for us.”
What other events has the society organised?
“With the term break in spring we had to re-think our strategy and also where our strengths and general potential was as a student group. There were suddenly no more students in town and we had to think of something different,” Ruslan explains. The society decided to organise a charity dinner and auction. Nuffield College offered their hall for the occasion as a donation. “It was the perfect place to organise a Ukrainian fundraising dinner because they have Polish chefs, who were able to cook Ukrainian food,” he says. Polish-Ukrainian ties are particularly close at the moment, and Poland has accepted the highest numbers of Ukrainian refugees. “We raised a substantial amount of funds [from the auction] that we sent immediately to Ukraine.”
That wasn’t all that the society achieved at the dinner. “We invited the members of Oxford city council, various academic and Ukrainian figures in the University of Oxford [to the dinner],” Ruslan adds, “and it was a moment where we initiated a discussion about what more can be done, in terms of scholarships and other ways the University can support Ukraine.” This shift in focus is part of the continued evolution of the society’s goals. Pre-invasion, the society’s mission was “to promote Ukrainian culture and heritage within the University,” he says. “Former society committees were particularly active in bringing important guest speakers and organising cultural events to raise awareness about Ukrainian culture. After the invasion, the society’s key objectives shifted to also include raising funds for humanitarian aid and supporting the local Ukrainian refugee community. “Since the UK started accepting refugees from Ukraine, we very much shifted our focus to supporting the refugee community” whilst continuing to fundraise “for trusted Ukrainian charities”, Ruslan explains. “While the war is ongoing we see that as much a part of our mission as igniting and encouraging this discussion of Ukraine within the University.”
“We are very proud that Oxford has offered so many scholarships to Ukrainians who are refugees, both undergraduate and graduate. This is something that is really unparalleled and unique in the UK. It is one of the most supportive institutions of higher education. We are very honoured to be part of that effort and part of this community.”
What other milestones has the Oxford University Ukrainian Society reached?
“One of the big milestones the society has achieved was to co-found the Ukrainian Student Union, which is a union of 14 Ukrainian societies from across the UK, and we have done that with the generous support of the Ukrainian embassy in the UK, and the LSE Ukrainian Society in particular.”
The Ukrainian Student Union, with the support of the Oxford Union and the Oxford University International Relations Society, hosted the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensry, online for a joint address to the students of the United Kingdom in June. The event was held online, and simultaneously hosted in person by the societies in each of their respective universities. Each society had the opportunity to ask a question to the President and present what they have done to support Ukraine. “It was a great honour for us,” Ruslan says.
What has been the secret to the society’s success?
“The strength of the Ukrainian Society [which is made up of both students and faculty members] is we all help each other and learn from each other,” Ruslan says. “We all have different resources and we try to bring them jointly together to help our society deliver effective work and to help the cause and our mission.”
He adds, “we have a very balanced and dedicated team. Every member of our team has contributed in a tremendous way in one particular moment.” For example, Ruslan explains that the donation drive was principally organised and coordinated by Dr Olha Homonchuk, who currently works as a researcher at Ipsos Public Affairs. “This was something that was an enormous effort. She took holidays from work to do it and she dedicated maybe two weeks or even three weeks of her time.”
What can we look forward to next?
The Ukrainian Society shows no sign of slowing down its immense efforts. From 28th September until 2nd October, the society is celebrating Ukrainian Culture Week. This multi-day, multi-venue event is a continuation of the Bouquet Kyiv Stage Festival in Kyiv. The society will be hosting Ukrainian artists, musicians and intellectuals. The hope is to establish an ongoing, yearly festival following the inauguration in Oxford this year. “As a major intellectual centre in the UK and a centre of culture and free speech, Oxford is the ideal place to host this festival,” Ruslan explains.
It’s clear what a privilege it is for Oxford to host this event, which will include a concert from the most-performed Ukrainian composer, Valentyn Sylvestrov. Ruslan adds, “He is very highly-regarded and world-renowned for his work.” Ukrainian musicians will perform his music in honour of his 85th birthday in the Sheldonian Theatre on 30th September.
Finally, do you have any words of wisdom to share with Ukrainian freshers in particular?
“I would definitely invite the undergraduate and graduate freshers to join our society. The amazing work we have been able to do is due to the initiative, commitment and energy that our members bring to the society.”
“Think beyond your limitations. We have all faced a moment this year when we have identified the limits of our possibilities and then discovered that we can do so much more than that to help Ukraine and other members of our community. Don’t limit yourself: set yourself free in the realm of possibilities, and trust yourself.”
“We have all faced a moment this year when we have identified the limits of our possibilities and then discovered that we can do so much more than that to help Ukraine and other members of our community.”
Ruslan Pavlyshyn
To find out more about the upcoming Ukrainian Culture Week, you can follow Ukrainian Culture Weeks on Facebook.