Beaufort agrees to send aid to Ostroh, Ukraine. A Facebook message sparked a dialogue
Two mayors — one in Beaufort, S.C., the other across the Atlantic Ocean in the Ukrainian city of Ostroh — connected first via social media, then email and finally Zoom.
That long-distance communication between small communities on continents separated by an ocean sparked a connection and a local fundraising effort, led by the city of Beaufort, to assist Ostroh as the Russian invasion of Ukraine enters its fourth week.
In one of those communications, Ostroh Mayor Yurri Yahodka told Beaufort Mayor Stephen Murray, “Once it’s all over and Ukraine wins this unfair war, you are welcome to visit us to celebrate the victory.”
Murray was looking for a meaningful way to help the people of Ukraine, which Russia invaded Feb. 24, when he first reached out to his Ukrainian counterpart 5,200 miles away.
“I put myself in their shoes,” Murray said. “And if little Beaufort was being threatened by our neighbors, and we didn’t have a strong national defense, would we be ready for what they are facing? The answer would be no, we’re not.”
Beaufort residents had asked the city to show support by passing a resolution or flying a Ukrainian flag, but those ideas didn’t seem very meaningful to Murray.
On Thursday, when the two mayors spoke on a Zoom call with the help of an English interpreter in Mayor Yahodka’s office, Yahodka explained what the city was facing.
“We need aid for the elderly and the young as we try to find a place where the refugees can camp and rest,” Yahodka said via Zoom.
Ostroh, which is approximately 217 miles west of Kyiv and 177 miles east of the border with Poland, is currently not the site of any fighting, Yahodka said.
But it is helping refugees from other parts of Ukraine such as Kyiv and Kharkiv and is working to get supplies to other parts of the country that are under siege. At least 2 million people, mostly women and children, have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries, primarily Poland.
Ostroh, which has received humanitarian aid from Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic, already had a charitable fund set up.
On the other side of the Atlantic, Beaufort, which has informally adopted Ostroh as a sister city, is using its “pride of place” fund to accept donations on the Ukranian city’s behalf. Donations to that fund typically are used for projects that beautify or enhance the city, such as hanging flower baskets or purchasing park playground equipment, not war efforts.
“With this money, first of all we will buy medicine, food, first aid products, oil and supplies for the people and the Army who needs help,” Yahodka said. “Many of the men are at the center of Ukraine — they protect us, so we need to provide for them.”
Watching the videos of the war and the determination of Ukrainians in repelling the Russian invasion got Murray thinking about what the city of Beaufort could do. He decided to search for a city in Ukraine with similarities to Beaufort. He found Ostroh on Wikipedia.
Both cities about the same size in population — Beaufort, 13,600, Ostroh, a little over 15,000. Both are have a rich history. Ostroh, which dates to the Middle Ages, is located in the Rivne province in western Ukraine. Beaufort, founded more than 300 years ago, is South Carolina’s second-oldest city. Beaufort is located on the Beaufort River, whose source is the Atlantic Ocean, and Ostroh on the freshwater Horyn River.
Murray initially sent a Facebook message to Yahodka, and he responded. Emails followed.
“Currently, we need supplies for our defenders to save people’s lives,” Yahodka said in one. “Along with protecting vests and helmets, there is huge need for thermal imagers, walkie-talkies and medicines.”
In another message, he thanked Murray for “standing with Ukraine.”
“Citizens of Ostroh are grateful to the people of Beaufort,” Yahodka said, “for coming to help us!”
How to help
▪ Write a check to Beaufort Pride of Place/Ukrainian Relief and mail to Beaufort City Hall, Pride of Place/Ukrainian Relief; 1911 Boundary St., Beaufort, SC 29902. You can also stop by City Hall in person with a check, Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Please go to the 2nd floor, City Manager’s Office.
▪ Donate online at http://www.cityofbeaufort.org/270/Beaufort-Pride-of-Place.
This story was originally published March 12, 2022 at 12:12 PM.
