Witness to war: Student shares memories of invasion, hopes for family's homeland
Vigil in STM Chapel marks third anniversary of full-scale invasion of Ukraine
By Paul Sinkewicz
The sounds of war still haunt the memory of Nikita Sereda.
The USask student, originally from Yorkton, was studying in Kharkiv when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.
Only 30 kilometers from the Russian border, Kharkiv was a major target for Russian forces early in the war.
Sereda can still remember the thud of explosions only blocks away from his apartment and the fearsome roar of fighter jets ripping through the air overhead as he sheltered in the dormitory of the seminary where he was studying for the priesthood.
Sereda shared his memories of the days and weeks that followed at a Vigil Commemorating the Third Anniversary of the Invasion of Ukraine, held in the St. Thomas More College Chapel, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. (read his full comments below)
The vigil was organized by the Prairie Centre for the Study of Ukrainian Heritage (PCUH) and the U of S Ukrainian Students’ Association (USUSA).
“Three years later, my emotions are high, just thinking of all that I had experienced,” he told the attendees at the vigil. “Even to this day, my life has been difficult, and there are times that I don’t know what to do anymore. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t hear the sounds of war and cries of innocent people that are suffering in my head. Who knew that I would wake up to the sounds of tanks, and bombing in the distance, later finding out that Russia had started their full-scale invasion?”
The vigil in the STM Chapel included remarks from Jasmyn Rebyka and Aleksa Hyra on behalf of USUSA, and a solemn prayer service that included the lighting of candles by attendees. The service was presided over by the Very Rev. Archpriest Taras Makowsky, of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada, and STM Campus Minister Fr. André Lalach, representing the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saskatoon.
Dr. Nadya Foty-Oneschuk, Interim Director, PCUH, spoke about the need to stand with Ukraine in its hour of need.
“With so much of this continuing to be beyond our control, we do what we have always done – we fundraise, we rally, and we gather – to honor those, who have been so tragically lost and to keep their memory close to our hearts. We also gather to galvanize our own commitment to Ukraine, to reinvigorate our energy, so that we may continue to counter the massive disinformation campaign that is being waged across our social media feeds and news sources.”
“Please continue to stand with Ukraine, because they truly stand on behalf of all of us.”
Sereda is confident the resilience of the people of Ukraine will triumph in the end, and the country's rich history and culture will continue.
"We as Ukrainians will never lose our sense of self-identity, and Ukraine will endure and overcome the trials of war, so that our beloved homeland will prosper once more, and as we gather to commemorate this solemn day in our life, let us remember those who are on the frontlines defending our sovereign nation, those who work with humanitarian aid, the front-line workers who try to save the lives of innocent civilians, those who are imprisoned, and also for those who lost their lives."
For more on the third anniversary vigil:
https://www.ctvnews.ca/saskatoon/video/2025/02/24/marking-3-years-of-war-in-ukraine/
https://globalnews.ca/news/11032839/saskatchewan-commemorates-3rd-anniversary-of-ukraine-invasion/
On the Third Anniversary of War in Ukraine
By Nikita Sereda
Monday, Feb. 24, 2025
O Lord our God,
We beseech your lovingkindness upon the state and the people of Ukraine during this time of war. We pray for all those who are suffering physically, emotionally, psychologically, or spiritually in Ukraine and throughout the world because of the Russian invasion, that You would ease their suffering and grant them comfort and healing.
We pray that You would enlighten the hearts of those who pursue violence. Grant the peace of true repentance and wisdom to cease their sinful actions, seek forgiveness, and make amends for what they have done.
We ask for a peace in Ukraine that is deep and inalienable, and that she never again be subject to invasion or violence. Grant that all may praise You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one in the Holy Trinity. Amen.
I would like to start by saying these words that Lesya Ukrainka wrote:
Yes, I will laugh despite my tears,
I’ll sing out songs amidst my misfortunes;
I’ll have hope despite all odds,
I will live! Away, you sorrowful thoughts!
As stood in front of her monument here at the University of Saskatchewan, these words spoke to me, and it made me remember the duration of my time that I spent in Ukraine up to the War, and how it impacted my life even now.
Today (the 24th of February) may seem as a regular day for some people. But for us, it is a day when life changed dramatically. Three years ago on this day, Russia began their full-scale invasion on our beloved Ukraine.
When I was still young, I would remember during the summer months going to Ukraine to see family. As I approached the end of my Grade 12 year, the desire to move to Ukraine to study grew immensely, and after my graduation in 2019, that dream was fulfilled. In the middle of July, I went onboard the plane, where I would be met in Kyiv by my aunt and uncle, to take me to Kharkiv. There, I would enrol as a student in the Kharkiv Theological Seminary, where I would study to be a priest for the next 3 ½ years.
During this time, I lived a normal life, which consisted of: studying, attending classes, living with family, attending church (where I sang in the choir and served in the altar), going to the village to chop wood for the winter, and travelling to many spiritual sites that were close to my heart (one being Svyatohirsk Lavra in the Donetsk Oblast).
In my first year living in Ukraine, I fell into a depression, due to the fact that I was away from home, and didn’t know what to do. It was at this time that our Vice-Rector advised me to go to Svyatohirsk Lavra, where I would meet a monk (+Archimandrite Seraphim) who told me that it is meant to be a blessing from God that I am in Ukraine. After this discussion, I had high hopes that nothing would happen to me, and that I shouldn’t worry too much about anything. With that, I would say that I took life for granted. Even as I stand here amongst you, I often think of it as one that was filled with happy occasions, due to the fact that I (being born in Canada) wanted to go back to my Ukrainian roots, where I was befriended by many people, and even my classmates who all made an impact on my life, in some way.
In 2022, I was in my third year of classes, and as the weeks in February would fly by, there were some warnings that an imminent invasion would happen, but when talking to my classmates about it, they told me not to worry too much about the ongoing situation, and that something like an invasion wouldn’t happen. I remember the 23rd of February (a day before the war started). I woke up at my usual time (5:30 am), in time to go on the metro from Saltivka (the suburb where I was living in) to attend classes. Instead of one afternoon class, our professor decided to take us on an excursion to an old church, where a few of our clergy were killed during the times of Soviet oppression. After, my friends decided to spend time together until evening. Then, I went home to get ready for the next day of classes, and went to bed.
In the early hours of the 24th of February (5:00 am), I was awakened by odd sounds and to the windows in my room rumbling. Not knowing what it was, I went back to sleep. A half hour later, I was awakened by the same sounds not knowing what it was. At 6:00 am, I woke up still hearing these odd sounds, and at first, I thought they were firecrackers going off or maybe a car’s engine had exploded. I even remember, telling my friends back in Canada about these odd noises I was hearing. That is when I knew, that my life changed, as they told me the worst news I would hear. Russia has invaded Ukraine. War has begun, and I was two blocks away from where it was happening.
At 7:00 am, I decided to call my Aunt Nina (who was living in the Village two hours away from Kharkiv), to tell her what is happening. She told me to get whatever I need for a few days and to go to the seminary dormitory, where I would at least be not alone and safe. That is what I did, and there, I would share a room with my two close friends (Boris Prokopenko and Ivan Neher) until my dad (due to road blockages) would be able to take me to the village, where my Aunt was living.
That same evening and next day (the 25th), I decided to go to the Holy Annunciation Cathedral (not far from the seminary), where we attended services, and where I often sang in the choir. I unceasingly prayed that God would keep me safe, and that I would be able to go back home to Canada where my mom was waiting for me, and there was one evening in the Dormitory, that I thought my life would end, as I remember being in the room alone laying in bed, and at that same moment, I heard a fighter jet fly by. I immediately stood out of my bed frozen thinking what to do, and what just happened a moment ago. Luckily, nothing happened to me.
It wasn’t until the end of February or start of March that my dad was able to take me to the Village, where I spent about two or three weeks with family until the day I was able to go to Poland. On March 17th, my dad and I made the decision, that we would go on the train from Kharkiv to the Polish Border. It was a 12-13 hour train ride from Kharkiv to L’viv. We made it to L’viv at 12:00am the next day, and waited six hours in line to board the train to Poland. The train was at full capacity with people taking turns standing and sitting and overall, it was a 25 hour journey from one end of the country to Poland.
On the 20th of March, I boarded a plane to Toronto from Warsaw, and the next day to Winnipeg where my Mom, Godmother, and Family Friend were waiting for me at the airport. That same evening on the 21st, there was a reunion at one of the restaurants in Yorkton that a few people had organized for my arrival back home. Even thinking about this journey and when I was still in Toronto checking out of the hotel to go to the airport, the thoughts of “is this a dream?” or “what did I just go through” were racing in my head. How did I manage to flee war to come back home?
One person I should be talking about is my Mom, that felt relief after she saw me for the first time at the Winnipeg Airport. In her words, during the time I was going through in Ukraine, she felt sort-of powerless, because there was only so much she could do for me while I was there (other than to give emotional support over the phone). Jolanta Sereda (my Mom) who grew up in the former Soviet Union knows how Ukraine was affected by oppression during the Second World War, but to have the similar destruction in the 21st century, she feels saddened by it, and with me being back in Canada almost three years later, I too am saddened and worry for my family and friends that have to live through this nightmare every day.
Three years later, my emotions are high, just thinking of all that I had experienced. Even to this day, my life has been difficult, and there are times that I don’t know what to do anymore. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t hear the sounds of war and cries of innocent people that are suffering in my head. Who knew that I would wake up to the sounds of tanks, and bombing in the distance, later finding out that Russia had started their full-scale invasion?
Three years later, I also think of the resilience that the Ukrainian people have in defending their Homeland. Oxford Dictionary defines the term resilience, as the capacity to withstand or to recover from difficulties. This war has not only transpired over the past 3 years, but the past 11 years. We, as a Ukrainian community here in the Diaspora need to remember this as our fight of freedom also. Throughout the years, Ukrainians were victimized. Denial of language and faith, sexual violence, and starvation—these are the tools of oppression and erasure of our rich culture, and way of life. We once again suffer erasure of our culture and national identity, along with the fact that we live in an environment of suppression and fear. All resistance is met with force, and (Russian President Vladimir) Putin (along with the Russian Federation) is attempting to erase Ukraine off the map once more.
History has taught us that Putin’s aspirations are folly, due to the fact that we Ukrainians are resilient people who over the years have lived through barbarism and violence. We as Ukrainians will never lose our sense of self-identity, and Ukraine will endure and overcome the trials of War, so that our beloved homeland will prosper once more, and as we gather to commemorate this solemn day in our life, let us remember those who are on the frontlines defending our sovereign nation, those who work with humanitarian aid, the front-line workers who try to save the lives of innocent civilians, those who are imprisoned, and also for those who lost their lives.