Edmonton playwright helping donation drive for Ukrainian defense supplies

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Alina Viatkina had her next steps planned until Russia invaded Ukraine.

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After serving as a volunteer combat medic in 2015, in the war in Donbas in eastern Ukraine, she’d been working with two organizations in the country that help veterans with psychological supports and resources. She’d also done her own therapy to process returning from war.

“I was in the place for the first time in my life where I knew what I wanted to do,” Viatkina said Saturday over a Zoom call from Kyiv.

“I just entered university for psychology, so I had clear plans in my life. But…” she trails off, shaking her head.

For the last five weeks, Viatkina has been collecting and delivering protective equipment for Ukrainians on defending the front lines, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine forcing her back to war. She isn’t with a medical battalion for now — she says she’s most helpful as a volunteer with knowledge about what supplies are needed and where to get them.

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“I think one of the most important things for people to understand all over the world is that this war is not just something which will be finished very fast. I think it’s a long run,” Viatkina said.

“Volunteers, we’re trying to understand how to run this long distance and still keep people’s attention. … We’re still fighting, and we will be fighting anyway.”

Edmonton playwright Lianna Makuch, who met Viatkina in the process of interviews and research about the war in eastern Ukraine, is raising money for the supply runs. So far, she’s managed to help collect a little more than $80,000, which is about halfway to the current goal.

“The resilient spirit that just exists in Ukrainians will be what allows them to persevere, but it’s a matter of how long and the cost of what it will take for them to win,” Makuch said.

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“I see helping Alina as a way to directly help those defending right now.”

Viatkina has been giving regular updates on her purchases, from uniforms and sleeping bags to bulletproof vests and medical equipment. She even bought a car that went to a unit near Kyiv.

Makuch, who has written a play centered on Viatkina and her time at war, initially put out a social media call for donations, and the effort grew and got more organized from there. She also connected Viatkina with Canadian artist Michael Rubenfeld, who opened his home in Poland to Viatkina and her mother, Olga.

As one of the many Edmontonians with Ukrainian heritage, Makuch said it’s important for people to keep paying attention as the war drags on.

“From my research there, from my understanding, I have always felt that Russian aggression in eastern Ukraine would become something larger, and it has,” she said.

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“I really see it, and a lot of people should see it, as an attack on western ideals and democracy. So helping Alina and doing what I can to help my friends in Ukraine is my way of fighting this war.”

For now, Viatkina is starting to think about summer uniforms and boots Ukrainians will soon need, and she’s focusing on sourcing special equipment like gas masks.

Ukrainian forces have now retaken areas around Kyiv as Russians pulled back somewhat, but Viatkina fears the possibility that Russia might deploy chemical weapons, and that means front-line soldiers need to be prepared. The US government is now providing Ukraine with equipment in case that happens.

This work isn’t what Viatkina planned for just a few weeks ago. She’s been collecting and co-ordinating supplies from Poland, but she managed to return home to relative safety in Kyiv for the weekend.

“What I felt yesterday when I came to the apartment I rent was calmness,” she said.

“For the first time since the invasion, I felt really calm because I’m just home.”

Information on donating to Viatkina’s aid work can be found at supportalinaukraine.com.

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Twitter: @meksmith