The Friends of Buxton Station (FoBS) have come together with local community group Buxton Friends of Ukraine to keep the message of hope alive for Ukrainian people.
On 8 April 2022, the Kramatorsk Railway Station was the subject of a deadly attack when, providing a route out of the war zone for around 4,000 evacuees, it was struck by a Russian missile, killing 62 people and injuring 120.
The station master at Kramatorsk, Любовь Пазюра (part of whose name translates into English as ‘love’) has refused to talk about this matter with anyone, preferring to carry on the day-job with professional pride, until a fitting memorial to those killed and injured can be erected.
Having heard about this tremendous obligation to duty, the Friends of Buxton Station wanted to send a humanitarian message of support and acknowledgement, to let her know that there are friends who recognise with revulsion the event at her station one year on and to send love and support.
FoBS sent the following message: “Not alone, not forgotten. May the light of love burn strongest in the darkest places. Twinned in friendship, love and respect.”
FoBS Chairman, Dave Carlisle said: “I got in touch with journalist Olexiy Ladyka of the Kramatorsk Post. He is in contact with the station master and has kindly agreed to relay that message on our behalf and from the many moved people of Buxton, home to around 100 settled migrants from Ukraine. This is not a political gesture; it is based firmly in humanity.”
Olexiy, who took the above photograph of the station at the end of February, said: “Thank you Buxton for your attention to our tragedy. Maybe it will give some hope for your readers to learn that our railway station is gradually coming back to life.
“Now we have two trains from Kramatorsk to Kyiv and Odesa. And, on the anniversary of the attack on the station, Ukrainian Railways will launch the train from Lviv to Kramatorsk. This is happening despite the war. I think it shows how strong the Ukrainian spirit is. We keep living.”
To contribute to this message of remembrance and hope and keep the ongoing conflict in people’s consciousness, Buxton settler Yuliia Mchriko has put together a mini exhibition about the event on the first anniversary of the missile strike, which is currently being displayed in the Ticket Office at Buxton Station.
Yuliia said: “We should remember the dead and help the living. Only together, supporting each other, can we win!”
You can keep up to date with future news, projects and events from the Friends of Buxton Station via their Facebook page.
