May 14

May 14 Azov (The Steel Mill)

Chicago, Demonstrations, Protest, Public Declarations

Russia invaded Ukraine 15 month ago, with fierce and bloody battles enusing. It is easy to forget the names of the many locales where the Ukrainians have stood their ground against Russian suicide charges reminiscent of World War I trench warfare. “Run directly into deadly Ukrainian gun fire, or be shot in the back.”

For several months in 2022, the City of Mariupol captured the world’s attention. Located adjacent to the Sea of Azov, the city had been an industrial powerhouse, as well as a seaside resort. Beginning on February 24, 2022, the Russians began a devastating bombardment, which pretty much leveled the city. Mariupol’s current population is a quarter of its 425,000 pre-invasion number.

By early March, the conditions in the city were being described as “apocalyptic:” food shortages, severely diminished sanitation facilities, and largely non-existent infrastructure. As part of the process of destroying what they had hoped to plunder, the Russians bombed a theater serving as an air raid shelter and a maternity ward.

Many citizens and members of the Ukrainian forces took shelter in the Azovstal Iron and Steel Works massive complex. Underneath the sprawling industrial site, there is a Cold War tunnel system designed to withstand a nuclear attack. While the Ukrainians exhibited valor as they held out, they finally surrendered to the Russians on May 16, 2022.

Some of the Ukrainians who surrendered were held near Olenivka as prisoners. On July 29, 2022, an explosion ripped through the prison facility, killing 40 prisoners and wounding between 40 and 130—the number is disputed. The Ukrainians claim that the explosion is attributable to the Russians as part of their continuing efforts to cover up war crimes. Four days after the explosion, the Russian Supreme Court ruled that the Azov prisoners were terrorists, a ruling that in the minds of the Russians would justify their execution. The world largely condemned Russia, pointing to evidence that Russia fabricated evidence favorable to Russia’s claims that the Ukrainians had destroyed the facility with a missle attack.

On a more positive note, On September 21, 2022, Ukraine and Russia engaged in a prisoner exchange, with 215 Azov prisoners being released. Unfortunately, many of those captured at Azov are still captive: The Ukrainians claim the number is 700.

Today, 50 or members of Chicago’s Ukrainian community held a rally on the steps of Chicago’s Water Tower in Jane Byrne Park in commemoration of the Mariupol surrender. The number of participants was low when compared to the numbers who showed up at many Ukrainian demonstrations over the last 15 months, but that was not surprising. It was a cold and drizzly Mother’s Day, so lunch or dinner with mom proved to be an attractive alternative. While the numbers were low, those who attended exhibited their defiant spirit. After a number of short speeches—mostly in Ukrainian—the group marched down Michigan Avenue to Millennium Park, where there were several more speeches. The group then returned to Jane Byrne Park.

The Ukrainians do many things right. In particular, they carry both American and Ukrainian flags, and they sing both the Ukrainian and American National anthems. Unlike other groups, they also make a point of thanking the Chicago Police Department bicycle patrol and foot patrols who block traffic as the marchers briskly walk the parade route.

I was told that the next demonstration is scheduled for July, but I have not doubt that if events warrant an earlier show of force, the Ukrainian community will be out in force.

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