Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, I toured a few villages in Northern Romania, placed a few steps from the border. I wanted to take the pulse and see what people in the area were saying about the Russian-Ukrainian crisis. This is how we arrived in Vicovu de Sus, a locality in Suceava right on the border with Ukraine. A place where many Ukrainians came to sell their wares at the fair held there every weekend.
It is a very strange feeling to reread some of those testimonies today, a year later. Most of the people I spoke to – especially the Ukrainians – were somewhat relaxed and did not expect that war would happen.
“You should know that the situation here in Ukraine is very good. There won’t be any war,” said Natalia, a woman full of energy who sold there smoked fish, sausages, biscuits, braided cheese, etc.
I also met worried people. Ecaterina, an elderly woman from Vicovu, told me like this:
“We pray to God that nothing happens. It’s normal that we’re afraid that these Russians, if they come, will make fun of us. I’m taking your hen, I’m taking your cow, what, as if they’re asking you something before? They could also rub a foot in your ass and that’s it. But look, Ukrainians are taught with fear, we Romanians are more scared. May the peace be with us, because if there’s peace, you know, you’re going to live without being worried, but when you hear the planes, you think: good, but I’ll get home today to eat?“
Another shopkeeper, also from Vicova, said:
“It’s enough to drop the nuclear bomb and you’re done. Only God will give these great men of the world reason to make peace. People say it’s hard for them today, but I tell you it’s not that hard. Maybe in the city it will be like that, but in the country you can survive. You don’t go on vacations anymore, because those are for the youth anyway, but you still manage your daily life. You have an egg, a milk, a potato in the pantry and that’s it. Peace be there.”
Or the woman who took out the phone and started reading to me from the Bible: “So, look here, in Matthew, chapter 24: You will hear of wars and news of wars. See that you are not troubled, for these things must come to pass. But it won’t be the end of it yet.”
And I can’t forget that happy atmosphere of the fair, with people crowding around long wooden tables, with grilled minced meat rolls and beer in front and with bouncy music in the background. It was a Saturday like any other.
Testimony donated to the Museum of Abandonment for the Abandonment Baggage campaign. This project is financed by CARE through the Sera Foundation, Care France, and FONPC. The testimony was collected by journalist Ionuț Sociu, who has also written on the subject for the Scena 9 platform: https://www.scena9.ro/article/refugiati-ucraina-film-documentari. Photos by Marin Raica.