The prayer of the Ukrainian priest, a family who has been at the mercy of the Soviet Nazis March 8, 18:08
Many Ukrainian people are now gathering and praying at churches in Tokyo.
The priestly man once executed his grandparents by Soviet authorities.
His parents were taken from Ukraine by Nazi Germany and fled to the United States after the war.
A man who was at the mercy of the history of Ukraine's hardships and arrived in Japan far away.
He learned that Russia's military invasion had begun, and his eyes were bluntly sobbing.
One Ukrainian Orthodox priest in Japan
"Withdraw from Ukraine!"
A protest rally was held in front of the Russian embassy in Tokyo on the 23rd of last month, just before the invasion of Russian troops began.
About 30 Ukrainians in Japan gathered with the blue and yellow Ukrainian flags.
He verbally appealed to the media for Russia's injustice and the support of the international community.
At exactly the same time, a priest was praying in a church about 300 meters away.
Paul Kororuk, the only Ukrainian Orthodox priest in Japan.
A special church was opened so that the Ukrainians who gathered at the protest rally could take a break.
Priest Paul Kororuk
"The Orthodox Church of Ukraine continues to protect its ethnic identity. The church wants to be a place where Ukrainians can feel peaceful and be themselves at all times."
Ukrainian-American priest Paul came to Japan about 30 years ago and usually works for an international patent office in Tokyo.
The priest's work is volunteered twice a month on Sundays.
The fate of his family has been at the mercy of the turbulent modern history of Ukraine.
Soviet, Paul priests who have been tossed by the Nazis
During World War II, the family of Priest Paul lived in western Ukraine.
At that time Ukraine became part of the Soviet Union after a fierce civil war.
However, it is said that the Soviet authorities were potentially dangerous to the Ukrainian people because of the fierce resistance to communism.
1941.
Priest Paul's grandfather and grandmother were executed by Soviet authorities for no apparent reason.
Shortly after the execution of his grandparents, the invasion of Nazi Germany into the Soviet Union began.
Then the situation of Ukrainians gets worse.
Most of the land became a battlefield, and residents were taken to Germany as a labor force.
Priest Paul's parents were also sent to Germany by Nazi Germany.
Some experts point out that millions of Ukrainians were taken to Germany during this period.
Even if he wanted to return to Ukraine after the war, he was in danger of being executed as a "traitor" by Soviet authorities or sent to a Siberian camp.
Priest Paul's parents chose to move to the United States.
Priest Paul was born in a small town in northern New York where Ukrainian immigrants gather.
It is said that it was the church that felt at ease in a foreign land.
He grew up listening to Ukrainian worship in a church built by asylum seekers and interacting with immigrants.
Soviet collapse church is the source of Ukrainians in Japan
The grown-up priest Paul came to Japan in 1988 because of his interest in Aikido.
Three years later, 1991.
With the collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukraine achieved its long-sought independence.
"I was excited because I thought it wouldn't happen in my life," recalls Priest Paul.
Independent Ukraine has begun to seek "away from Russia", such as seeking accession to NATO = North Atlantic Treaty Organization and EU = European Union.
In terms of religion, it is said that a gap with Russia has been created.
At that time, Ukrainians in Japan attended the "Russian Orthodox Church".
As the political gap between the two countries created, it became difficult to reach churches with many Russians, and the desire for churches belonging to the "Orthodox Church of Ukraine" began to increase in Japan as well.
However, it was economically difficult to summon a priest from his homeland.
There, Paul volunteered to study theology for several years and became a priest.
Priest Paul Kororuk
"Ukrainians and Russians have done well so far, but recent actions in Russia have made it difficult. We are not better than others, but I We need a place where we can stay as they are, play with our children in the words their parents used, and pray to God in the same way. That's all we want. "
Sudden military invasion A prayer for tears
Priest Paul's desire to pray calmly was shattered on the 24th of last month.
Just as I was having lunch with Priest Paul in a park in Tokyo, my smartphone reported that Russia had begun a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine.
Priest Paul finished his meal with a few words and muttered, "Singing a hymn on the bridge over there."
Priest Paul walked to the middle of the bridge over the pond in the park and began singing towards the west where Ukraine was.
"Great God, protect Ukraine ..."
However, the sobbing did not stop on the way, and I could not finish singing until the end.
The priest shouted, "I don't know, why are we waging a meaningless war in this era?"
I couldn't find a word to say to the sobbing figure, "I didn't have enough imagination to do this ...".
Priest Paul is now widely calling on and worshiping Ukrainians in Japan other than believers.
I hope his family in his hometown is safe and peace will come as soon as possible.
He believes his wishes will come and prays to his homeland with sorrow.
Former "NHK Russian teacher" also broke up with Russia
About 2000 Ukrainians live in Japan.
Priest Paul's worship has become a source of ties to his homeland for many.
Oksana Pisknowa, who has lived in Japan for 26 years, is one of them.
She used to use "Russian" as her livelihood, and she appeared as a teacher in the Russian language course on NHK.
She now has her strong desire that she wants to separate herself from the influence of Russia.
Mr. Pisknowa, who is from Donetsk Oblast in eastern Ukraine, where Russian is often used, has worked as a Russian teacher and interpreter.
It was eight years ago that the turning point for the breakup was.
In 2014, Russia unilaterally annexed the Crimean Peninsula.
In addition, part of his hometown of Donetsk was virtually dominated by Russian-backed armed groups.
Oksana Pisknowa
"I couldn't believe it was a war with Russia, but it happened. Russian troops, Russian weapons, and Russian soldiers started killing my neighbors and my mother's classmates. That made me want to break up with Russia. "
Mr. Pisknowa quit his Russian-related work and began to use Ukrainian exclusively when talking to acquaintances.
I am keenly aware that the next generation should learn Ukrainian, not Russian.
I believe that Ukrainian education was neglected during the Soviet era.
Therefore, I started a class twice a month in Tokyo with my friends to teach the language and culture of my country to young Ukrainians living in Japan.
A 2-year-old child also participates in the classroom.
"Everyone speaks Ukrainian and loves Ukraine, and I'm really relieved to be here," said Pisknowa.
My biggest concern right now is my mother, who remains in Ukraine.
She has been evacuated to the suburbs of the capital Kyiv since she came to be dominated by "pro-Russian factions" eight years ago.
Immediately before the Russian military invasion, Oksana had repeated video calls with her mother, Lidiya.
Mr. Pisknowa "How is the situation around you?"
Mother Lydia "There are few people, but I am walking."
I still use Russian when talking to my mother.
Her mother, Lidiya, was born in Russia during the Soviet era, and she has lived in Russian since she moved to Ukraine.
Putin argues that "discrimination against Russian-speaking people is legislated in Ukraine," but Mr. Lidya has no discrimination or inconvenience in living in Russian in Ukraine. Says.
While she faced the threat of Russia, she expressed her strong feelings for Ukraine.
Mother Lidya
"I've lived in Ukraine for 50 years and I've always supported Ukraine. I don't support Russia. It's been a war since 2014! It's a nightmare."
"I want you to help me" Wish to Japan
Mr. Pisknowa witnessed the start of Russia's military invasion and his homeland surrounded by war.
"If we don't send it out, the world will not be informed of the tragedy," he spared no time to cooperate with the Japanese media and participated in a demonstration to support Ukraine.
At the end of last month, hundreds of people, including Ukrainians living in Japan, gathered in front of a station in Shibuya, Tokyo, to hold a rally to protest Russia's military invasion.
Pisknowa, who grabbed the microphone, complained with anger.
Mr. Oksana Pisknowa
"Our power is not enough. I would like to ask everyone to appeal to the Japanese government for strong economic sanctions. Japanese people may think Ukraine is a distant problem. But that's not the case, because Japan is a neighbor of Russia. "
Japan has imposed unprecedented economic sanctions on Russia in cooperation with Europe and the United States, but there is no sign that the Russian army will stop fighting.
Many Ukrainians in Japan are deeply shocked, angry, and saddened by the endless misery of their homeland.
What we can do is keep an eye on the current situation in Ukraine.
Focus on those who suffer and never allow military action to take the lives of innocent people.
We can't help but hope that showing solidarity around the world will be a brake that will hold back even the slightest invasion of the armed forces.
Eisuke Takahashi ,
Chief Director, World News Department,
International
Broadcasting Station
Joined in 1994 .
Hideharu Nakanishi ,
Director, World News Department, International Broadcasting Station
Joined in 2019
Currently, we mainly cover topics of foreigners living in Japan.