by: Bogumił Pacak-Gamalski

co-contributors and assistance: Jarosz Bogumił, Monika Queis-Brząkała and Paweł Cichoń,

I have written here about Russian invasion of Ukraine numerous times. It is extremely brutal war on the part of the invading forces. It is the first war since Cuban missile crisis decades ago, that the world is faced with real possibility of new global conflict. A hot war on the old lines East versus West. Just the lines have shrunken very much (by thousands of kilometers eastward) by emergence of new independent states from Baltic to Black Sea. Most of them returned to their own, pre-Soviet, western type of democracies and become members of NATO and European Union. These, which never were really independent (former Soviet republics) established their own sovereignty. I will not dwell here on Caucasian and Asian former Soviet republics, as they are not really involved much in current conflict.

Of the European ones, the major states are Belarus and Ukraine. Two extremely different states in almost all aspects. Belarus much more backward, with weak industrial output, have chosen a close alliance with former master from Moscow. Over time it has become a very authoritarian, dictatorial regime of one ruler – president Lukashenko. To the south lies even larger and much more populated country of Ukraine. It does have old and strong nationalistic legacy and struggle for independence going back hundreds of years. It’s dreams of sovereignty did not came out of blue moon but from a long line of political, military and historical thoughts and actions. Ukraine, more than any other country, is the true linchpin between Western and Eastern cultures and civilizations. Now it has become the line of defence of the West. The conflict at the beginning looked like a dangerous spot but still very much viewed as strictly Russian-Ukrainian war. Yes, with active political and very limited military support for Ukraine – but localized. It is no longer. That is clear, now. It is a war between Russia and the West. And everything must be done to make sure, that the West succeeds. The theater of all military actions is still (hopefully will remain that way, although it is tragic for Ukrainians) in Ukraine. But neither NATO, nor Europe, nor individual western states (mostly in Europe) can say – we are supporting Ukraine but we are not part of the war. We are part of it. Very much so. From political side, military side, ideological side. But also, which has become increasingly visible and important from societal, cultural and I would add, very philosophical standpoint. Apart from the governments, the armies, the politicians, military and economic alliances. The societies of Europe, the nations, citizens has become involved and formed unprecedented pressure, its own organizations, groups, even single individuals (in thousands) that are involved in that struggle. For every government sanctioned and paid truck or planeload or train container with war supplies for Ukraine – there is ten or twenty trucks, containers or columns of cars with humanitarian aid traveling day and night, mostly through Polish-Ukrainian border. All of it without government involvement, without millions of dollars of taxpayers money and directives from politicians. Separate, societal ‘humanitarian war’ for Ukraine. Unprecedented in scale and effort. A new, non-military frontline. I would call them humanitarian divisions, regiments and battalions that actually put their boots on Ukrainian soil. An Army of Angels. A dedicated Corp of individuals and civic organizations that risk actually, on every trip across the border, their life. But they do it nonetheless for every trip saves certainly lives of Ukrainian people, who are being internally displaced, shelled upon, murdered by Russian invaders.

Do not forget about them. They are your outstretched arms, extension of your thoughts, your feelings and hearts. If you feel overpowered with thoughts: ‘but what can I do, there is so much misery and need and I am just one person, far away!’. There is a way, you can do a lot because there is a lot of ‘yous’. And although you resources are limited – put together with others, it creates a treasure. A treasure that the army of angels can use to buy thousands of items, that they know were and by whom it is needed. And they will deliver it themselves in their own or rented for that effort cars, buses. Help from huge organizations, with large funds (national or international) is different and differently distributed. It also requires  a large administrative cost and employees cost. They have access to governments funds and donations, other large international institutions, national campaigns. They do have an important not to be forgotten role. But there is an enormous need for the smaller lives savings provided by these angels – selfless individuals delivering individual packages of food, equipment, often tailored for particular community or group. In places not always accessed by the large organizations. And adjusting from day to day to constantly changing situation. As often happens in real war. I have been hearing, watching and reading of some of them, some of their actions for a long time now. And my amazement kept growing. My respect for them, their courage. Their humanity.

I always had a strange fascination with the concept and presence of Angels. Not saints, god or gods. No. Angels, some mystical and mercurial Beings. Turns out I was right. They are! They are just neither mystical nor mercurial. And they are truly among us, ordinary people. In many ways they are – ordinary people. With extraordinary hearts.

I will show you two of them (among countless), with whom I become close. Monika Brzakala and Pawel Cichon. These two, with a group of determined friends and ‘co-conspirators’ regularly travel from Poland, Holland to the Polish-Ukrainian border with small caravans of cars, finish their packing with last bought or donated equipment in Poland and … cross the border to enter a different world. World of people running from bombs, from rape, from hunger. They go, usually through Lviv, to small towns, villages. To some local churches, orphanages, run-down and overcrowded hospitals. To private huts and homes. Give the awaited and badly needed packages … and give them hope. And promise that we remember and will not let them down. Tell me that no, there are no angels? If you do – you are wrong, they are. I just talked to them while they were on the last ‘pilgrimage’ to Lviv. And when they were traveling back toward Polish border. Saw the pictures of them there, the cars. Felt like I was there, helping them. But, of course, they were there on their own. Hoping that this time the Russian rockets or artillery will not find them. I hope they never will. Yes, they did find in their journeys corpses of people. They found people telling them with tears of their friends, husbands, daughters, who were murdered by Russians. Children alone – lost, abandoned, perhaps orphans already? – crying, scared. They had to manoeuvre their cars on roads scared with bomb holes, with metal remnants of exploded and unexploded rockets. Sometime, in most difficult places, they had to use armed assistance of other friends. In case of encountering someone from the other side of the conflict. No, they are not military trained people. But they are practical. There is an old Polish saying: God protects the ones, who protect themselves … . They are angels – but lacking the wings. Can you lend them some?

I asked both of them one  question: why? Almost stupid in its simplicity. Still, I wanted to know. Pawel wrote to me that he started on February 25. More than a month. He went to Przemysl, the main Polish border city, were majority of Ukrainian refuges start their new journey. Just to see what he can do. He started simply by transporting people with his own car from there to other destinations in Poland. By helping them with new settlement. Some of them are now in different countries. But they still keep in touch with him. Their first angel. But that was not enough for him. He needed to do more. And he did. A lot more. At the beginning on his own, with only his own car and money. Sometimes it led to transporting Western volunteers to Ukrainian armed defence units. That was dangerous, as were transports of… let’s say: ‘stuff’ to the frontlines. I can’t provide more details on these journeys, understandably. Day after day, week after week he become familiar with particular places, particular needs and people. Often the transport was both ways: with ‘stuff’ to Ukraine and with refugees back to Poland. Friends help with donations, gifts. He organized some in his own city of Mielec in Poland, asked for some on his Facebook profile. In one sentence he adds: “By helping I know that goodness does come back, there is a person, who says: help gives us wings.” When I read his words from him, I smile. Wings? How does he know what I think of him? Hmm.

Monika lives in Holland, she moved there from Poland already some time ago,  before the war. Said that she couldn’t bear reading these stories, the tragedy of war in Ukraine. Human misery. To do something she volunteered to go once to Lviv with some donated and bought articles. While there – she met the people. Heard their stories, their cries. And the children … . No, she couldn’t say to herself: that’s it, I have done my part. Tells me: “when you cry with them and when you hold in your arms their children – you know that you can’t return anymore to your normal life.”  She couldn’t and didn’t.  Why, you ask? Here is Monika’s answer: “They need to know, that they are not alone, that we are with them.”. They need to. Simply as this. That’s why Monika is my other angel. Angel that saves Humanity. Or what’s best in it.

Now Monika travels from Holland, meets Pawel in Poland and they do the convoys together. With other angels that they are able to gather in their mission. Of course they are exhausted. Physically and emotionally. They avoid the dangerous emotional exhaustion by not dwelling on it, not thinking too much. There is a job that needs to be done. Again – simple.

One think they can’t avoid is the financial situation. Yes, friends and good people help them. But they also used up most of their own money. Renting of buses (their own cars are not enough for the amount of people and goods they move back and forth now), crazy high gasoline prices, exploded tires and so on cost a lot. And how many time you can ask the same people in your own community for help, for donation?

_{Separate thank you for my good companion from the days of an original KOD (Committee for the Defence of Democracy) in Poland, who guided me toward these wonderful people and asked me: how can we help them? He also provided a lot of the photographic material. Thank you, Jarosz Bogumił.}

 

You can help them with a small (or large) donation by visiting them on their Facebook profiles (Pawel Cichon or Monika Brzakala and contacting them via Messenger; you can visit two separate crowdfunding addresses: in Poland https://zrzutka.pl/72y53z (this one is in Polish and for particular items – electric generators); in Holland https://www.doneeractie.nl/help-monika-mensen-in-oekra-239-ne-helpen/-62300 – this opens in Dutch but in your top part of screen should be a button for translation (in Google there is) and you can choose English language version. That funding collects general donations for their convoys.