“Slava Ukraini” echoed in Downtown Binghamton as hundreds gathered to show solidarity with Ukraine during the ongoing Russian invasion of the country.

The Together for Ukraine Foundation, along with local Ukrainian churches including the Sacred Heart Ukrainian Catholic Church and the St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Orthodox Church, held their “Stand with Ukraine” rally in front of Binghamton City Hall on Sunday. The rally featured speakers, including leaders in the local Ukrainian American community and elected government officials like Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham and New York State Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo. Moments of prayer by religious leaders and a performance by a Ukrainian orchestra were also held. The venue also included a table where people could make donations in order to aid Ukrainian citizens and soldiers.

The rally comes almost two weeks after Russia began a full-scale invasion against the independent eastern European country. The war has been met with international condemnation against Russia and Russian President Vladimir Putin as around 1.5 million Ukrainians have been displaced, according to Reuters.

The event began with Stephan Wasylko, one of the coordinators and master of ceremonies of the rally, who spoke on the amount of support Ukrainians have received around the world as they fought against their Russian neighbors.

“As we gather here today, I want you to know that there are hundreds of other communities, large and small in the [United States] and around the world, that are standing with the people of Ukraine during this very difficult time in our ancestral homeland,” Wasylko said. “Our goal here today is to demonstrate that we as a civilized people in the year of 2022, stand together for peace, human rights and an end to the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, a free and democratic nation. A democratic nation, a beautiful nation, rich in history, culture and tradition, which is being denied its very right to exist by an evil, barbaric tyrant named Vladimir Putin.”

A number of Broome County government officials were in attendance, including Kraham, Lupardo and Broome County Executive Jason Garnar. Garnar spoke on the efforts Broome County is making to support Ukraine during the war, including providing a potential home for refugees.

“We are ready, we are willing and able to assist anyone who is in need of a home, whether it be temporary or permanent as a result of the violence in Ukraine,” Garnar said. “Broome County is already home to a sizable Ukrainian population — one that is proud, active and involved in our community. Along with these residents and a variety of strong community agencies, Broome County is ready to welcome anyone fleeing violence in Ukraine, and we have numerous services and programs that can help them assimilate to our community when they arrive.”

During his speech, Kraham spoke on the pride of the Ukrainian community in Binghamton, mentioning that the rally was one of its biggest in a decade. He praised the work ethic, spirit and culture he said Ukrainians have exhibited, especially during this time of crisis.

“Our Ukrainian residents, whether first-generation Americans or descendants of immigrants, define those character traits that have won the world over,” Kraham said. “The dedication to family, their faith to the civic institutions that matter to any democracy, the commitment to truth and an unyielding truth in the face of evil. The murderous plots out of Moscow probably talked about many things in those rooms. What they did not plan for was the resolve of the Ukrainian people.”

Lupardo spoke on the actions New York state is taking in response to the war, specifically the sanctions the state has imposed on Russia.

“I’m here to report [New York State] Gov. Hochul signed an executive order forbidding New York [state] from doing business with Russia, including canceling all of our investments — canceling all investment activity to aid Russia as it commits these human rights violations,” Lupardo said. “And by the way, the New York state economy is much larger than Russia’s, so when we exert our power regarding investments, they will feel it. I can promise that New York stands with Ukraine.”

Tom Burns, ‘20, attended the rally in solidarity with Ukraine after discovering the event on Facebook. While he was not Ukrainian, he had close friends growing up who are and wanted to show support.

“It is really just shocking,” Burns said. “We really have not seen something like this in our lifetime. I would have thought all the lessons of history have taught us that we as a civilization can move past this unnecessary violence. I do view Russia as the aggressor and overall think it is senseless to cause all of this violence that is leading to this loss of life.”

Mike Gulachok, ‘77, also attended the rally. Gulachok is a third-generation Ukrainian American, with his wife being first-generation from Chernivtsi, Ukraine. His son is currently in Ukraine and unable to leave due to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s call to arms that bars Ukrainian men aged 18 to 60 years old from leaving the country. While his son lives near Lviv, which has not seen much fighting, Gulachok expressed spite against Putin, who he feels has caused pain to his fellow Ukrainians, and said he hopes his country will find peace someday soon.

“Stand for Ukraine,” Gulachok said. “Stand for peace and end this horrible war.”

Celia Woodruff was a contributing reporter for this article.

Editor’s note (3/11/22): An earlier version of this article listed the master of ceremonies as Stefan Vasylnikov. This information is incorrect, and has been updated to state Stephan Wasylko. Pipe Dream regrets the error.