Another Ukrainian Christmas in Exile

On Saturday we celebrated our second Ukrainian Christmas in Preuilly. It was a roaring success, mainly due to Bertrand having discovered a clown who turned out to be a Ukrainian, and living in Argenton sur Creuse. There were 84 people attending, of which 35 were Ukrainian.

In the morning we decorated the Salle des fêtes, directed by Olena. She and Vita had made beautiful natural centre pieces for the tables and last year's carefully stored decorations were hung from the lights.

The proceedings started with Christiane welcoming everyone ('our' Ukrainians, the Ukrainians living in Ligeuil, AARST members and benefactors, and the odd dignatory). Then Danielle, who teaches the younger kids French, got them up to do their hitherto top secret surprise performance. This began one of Jean de la Fontaine's most famous fables with Arsen playing a crow with a cheese in his mouth and the girls playing the flattering foxes. Then they took it in turns to tell the Jean de la Fontaine fable of the grasshopper and the ant. They had memorised their parts, in French, over just a couple of days. Several kids had gone sick with a virus and had to pull out and be replaced, hence the short preparation time. It was very moving watching how far they've come. I shed a little tear and I think they can all be very proud of themselves and Danielle should be proud too.

Then Valezic the Clown came on and the kids loved him. He has lived in France for many years with his French wife, but this was the first time he had done a gig for fellow Ukrainians, so he pulled out all the stops. Of course he got half the audience up one way and another over the course of his performance. There was magic with eggs, balloons and string, there was music, acrobatics and snake charming. Finally Valezic led the audience in a rendition of Petit Papa Noel and who should come shuffling in but the man himself! Presents were distributed (many thanks to La Graine Créative, L'Oréal and an anonymous donor) and at last it was time to descend on the buffet. Everyone had contributed a plate, so we had everything from ANZAC biscuits (you'll never guess who made them...) to pyrizhky, apple tarts to mandarins.

But very soon the chairs were pushed back and small children were engaging in that time honoured small child in a ballroom practice of taking a run up and flinging themselves on the floor and attempting to slide as far as possible. Valezic had turned his sound system back on, taken up his trumpet, and the grownups were dancing. I was very amused at how a 17 year old Goth Ukrainian boy was perfectly charming and obliging when approached by an 'old' French woman intent on waltzing even though they had not met before. Turns out Ukrainian boys can waltz gracefully and graciously. It also turns out that their family has some awful tragedies in their not too distant past.

 

One of 'our' Ukrainians is pregnant, with the baby due before the end of the month. Her husband is on the frontline and she has come to Preuilly to be with her mother. She said Saturday's Christmas party is the first time she has forgotten to be afraid for two years.

I am on the committee of the Association d'Acceuil et d'Accompagnement des Refugiés en Sud Touraine. We are a volunteer organisation which has been helping displaced Ukrainians in our area since the beginning of the fullscale invasion of Ukraine by Russia. If you would like to join us or make a donation please message me.