I was a “Super-Uke” in my youth and early adulthood.

For many years I was in a Ukrainian youth chorus, was an altar boy and Sunday school teacher in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada, was Saskatchewan provincial president of the Ukrainian Students’ Union of Canada, was a teacher at Ukrainian youth camps, and a teacher at Ukrainian language summer schools.

And eventually I burned out and abandoned most of my Ukrainian connections.

I went to Japan to teach English for over a decade, and then do journalism for Tokyo-based English-language news services for a few more years. That was about as far away as one could get from Ukrainian-Canadian issues .

It wasn’t until after I returned to Canada in my 40s that I started gradually returning to the Ukrainian world, assisting an aunt and my late mom in translating and editing some 20 volumes of Ukrainian literature into English.

My Ukrainian is very rusty now, after several decades of little involvement with the Ukrainian-Canadian community.

But, Putin, you’ve inspired me to be more active, to perhaps polish my weakened language skills.

Putin’s treachery, lies, and war crimes against civilians are goading  people around the world to stand, and to fight.

P.S. I don’t hate Russians, I love your resistance. I just hate Putin and the oligarachs.

You all deserve better, and I admire your protests.