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Saturday, March 19, 2022

Supporters of Ukraine continue Walks for World Peace on Lift Bridge

By Michele Bourdieu

Participants in the fourth Walk for World Peace in support of Ukraine on March 16, 2022, display flags and signs to passing traffic on the Hancock side of the Portage Lift Bridge after crossing the bridge from Houghton. Click on photos for larger versions. (Photo © and courtesy Adelina Oronova)

HOUGHTON-HANCOCK -- About 30 participants in the fourth Walk for World Peace in support of Ukraine displayed signs and flags to rush-hour traffic crossing the Portage Lift Bridge between Houghton and Hancock on Wednesday, March 16, 2022.

According to organizer Adelina Oronova, Fulbright Ukrainian scholar at Michigan Tech, these walks will continue every Wednesday until the war of Russian aggression in Ukraine ends. 

Adelina Oronova, one of the leaders of the group Yoopers for Ukraine, welcomes the participants in the March 16 Walk for World Peace in support of Ukraine and announces the beginning of the Walk from Houghton to Hancock. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

Adelina and her Ukrainian husband, Nazar Gora, also a Michigan Tech graduate student, have been active in spreading the word about Ukraine both on and off campus. They have led demonstrations on campus at noon near the Husky statue and hosted presentations and open discussions on Ukraine in both the Michigan Tech library and the Portage Lake District Library as well as offering an online presentation during last week's UPEC (Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition) Celebrate the UP! online event.

As participants gathered to begin the March 16 Walk in Houghton, two visitors from Marquette, Ukrainian mothers accompanied by their small children, spoke to Keweenaw Now about their reasons for making the two-hour drive to Houghton in order to participate in the Walk.

Ukrainian mothers Violetta Boyle, with her daughter, Lily, and Natalija Iskhakova and her son, Boris, came to Houghton from Marquette, MI, to participate in the March 16, 2022, Walk for World Peace and support for Ukraine. Both still have family members in Ukraine. Click on YouTube for a larger view. (Video by Keweenaw Now)

A little after 5 p.m. the walkers began their trek across the Lift Bridge, flags flying in the wind and signs aimed at passing traffic, stopping on the Hancock side of the bridge to face the traffic there.

Led by Nazar Gora, the March 16, 2022, Walk for World Peace in support of Ukraine begins. Participants cross the Portage Lift Bridge from Houghton to Hancock, displaying their signs and flags. (Video by Keweenaw Now)

Walkers face traffic on the Hancock side of the bridge. (Photo © and courtesy Adelina Oronova)

Boris, Lily and their Moms are with walkers who pause for a photo on the Hancock side of the bridge. (Photo © and courtesy Adelina Oronova)

Participants in the Walk cross the Portage Lift Bridge as they return from Hancock to Houghton. (Video by Keweenaw Now)

Michigan Tech professors Craig Waddell and his wife, Victoria Bergvall, have participated in more than one of these Walks for World Peace in support of Ukraine. They spoke with Keweenaw Now about why they think it is important.

Craig Waddell and Victoria Bergvall of Houghton give their reasons for supporting Ukraine. (Video by Keweenaw Now)

Another local Ukrainian resident, Anna Hill of Chassell, told Keweenaw Now she joined the Walk because she wants Americans to support Ukraine.

Anna Hill, who is Ukrainian and now lives in Chassell (MI), speaks about her reasons for joining the Walk. With her is Elizabeth Flynn, retired professor emerita in Humanities at Michigan Tech University, who tutors Anna in English. (Video by Keweenaw Now)

Beth and Tom Maki of Lake Linden said they walked for Ukraine because their son, Matt, is there, in Lviv. He has been in Ukraine for 10 years working as a teacher.

"He just loves it there," Beth Maki said. "I was there in 2019 with him and got to know the people. I'm hoping to go back there to see him and his friends again."

Tom and Beth Maki of Lake Linden said they walked for Ukraine and their son, Matt, who is there now. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

Organizer Adelina was pleased with the turnout for the Walk, noting it was good to see new participants each time.

Adelina Oronova, organizer of the March 16 Walk for World Peace in support of Ukraine, comments on the turnout at the Walk and her hopes for her country. (Video by Keweenaw Now)

For more photos and videos of the March 16 Walk, see the Yoopers for Ukraine Facebook page.*
 
Presentations on Ukraine available on line
 
Some recent presentations on Ukraine, which were held via Zoom and Facebook Live, are still available on line. During those presentations, Adelina and Nazar were joined by Nadija Packauskas, a Lithuanian American who is concerned about Ukraine and organized previous marches, and Zenia, a Russian student at Michigan Tech. Their presentations include some history background on Ukraine as well as updates on the present struggle against Russian military aggression.
 
One of their more recent presentations was included in the UPEC (Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition) Celebrate the U.P.! event on March 12. The video recording of this presentation is available on YouTube.
 
To open the presentation on Ukraine for UPEC, Nadija lights a candle for a moment of silence for Ukraine. Pictured with her, from left, are Zenia; Nadija's 91-year-old father, Vytautas Packauskas; Adelina and Nazar. (Photo courtesy UPEC)
 
Earlier in March the group also spoke at the Michigan Tech library and the Portage Lake District Library.

A video recording of the most recent presentation at the MTU library, on March 17, is available via Facebook live on the Yoopers for Ukraine Facebook page.

Here the group gives a presentation at the Portage Lake District Library on March 8: from left, Nadija, Nazar, Adelina and Zenia. (Photo © and courtesy Nadija Packauskas)
 
In addition, demonstrations for Ukraine have been held at the Husky statue on the Michigan Tech campus. These will now be continued at noon next Monday, March 21, and Thursday, March 24.

Supporters of Ukraine gather near the Husky statue on the Michigan Tech campus. (Photo courtesy Adelina Oronova)

For information on how you can help support Ukraine in several different ways, visit https://linktr.ee/RazomForUkraine. For more updates visit the Facebook page Yoopers for Ukraine.

* Editor's Note: See also our March 4, 2022, article, "Second Walk for World Peace supporting Ukraine: Participants speak out."

Visit our friend Kateryna Lapina's Facebook page for updates on her work for Ukraine. (She was interviewed in the above March 4 article)

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