The Ukrainian Devotee Refugee Center Reaches Its Full Capacity

By: Krishna Lila Dasi for ISKCON News on July 25, 2014

A frieghtened ISKCON devotee lady and the militsia in Alchevsk, Eastern Ukraine.

On July 24^th, Abhinanda dasa reported that Alchevsk, a city between Donetsk and Lugansk in Eastern Ukraine, which had been relatively peaceful until now, looked like it would become the next battleground. “There is a large devotee population in Alchevsk”, he says. “If the conflict moves into Alchevsk, there may be many more devotees looking for refuge.”

In the meantime the Ukrainian refugee campaign organizers reported that the capacity of Magdalinivka retreat center had reached its limits. Right now, approximately forty refugees are staying there, many of them women and children, and they are being provided maintenance from the Ukrainian Vaishnava Refugee Fund. 

In the last three days, due to the refugee center's limited facilities, an additional twenty-seven adults and fifteen children, the majority of them from Lugansk, were relocated to devotees’ homes in Voznesensk, Poltava, Kiev, Akimovka, Sumi, Belogorodka, Pavlograd, Rostov-na-donu, Dnepropetrovsk, and Magdalinivka. Many of them were women and children with no savings and unable to bring many possessions.

Since there is a likelihood that there will be a large influx of refugees from Donetsk and Alchevsk, in the next few days the refugee campaign organizers are currently looking for facilities in Kiev. Many men will need to relocate near a major city in order to have the best opportunity of finding employment. Therefore, now that Magdalinivka is full, Kiev is being considered as the best option for them.

Source: The News Agency of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

URL: https://iskconnews.org/the-ukrainian-devotee-refugee-center-reaches-its-full-capacity,4525/

ISKCON GBC Executive Committee's Letter to Ukrainian Devotee Refugees

By: ISKCON GBC Executive Committee for Contributor on July 23, 2014

Ukrainian devotee refugee mother with her newborn baby and with what's left of their belongings at ISKCON's Magdalinivka refugee shelter.

Recently, responding to the escalating humanitarian crisis in Eastern Ukraine, the Executive Commitee of ISKCON's Governing Commission released a letter addressed to the Ukrainian devotees affected by the challenging situation:

Dear Devotees of Krishna in the Ukraine, 

Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

On behalf of the Governing Body Commission of ISKCON, please accept our prayers to Lord Krishna for your protection, as well as our deepest affection and concern for your well being. 

We are following the events in Ukraine in the media with heavy hearts. We have heard directly from Niranjana Maharaja about some of the great challenges, dangers and threats that you have undergone. 

By the Lord's mercy many of you have survived close encounters with bomb blasts, militia attacks, and other terrible effects of living with war at your doorsteps. 

We know that the leaders of ISKCON in Ukraine are doing all that they can to assist you and to offer you spiritual guidance in this difficult time. Many of you have relocated, and have had to leave behind your homes, jobs and temple communities. 

Through all this we pray you will continue to take shelter of the Lord and His Holy Name. Krishna tells us in the 8th Chapter of Bhagavad-gita that "From the topmost planet in this material world, down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein birth and death take place."

Yet, we also know that He is the Supreme Controller, Enjoyer and Friend. If we take shelter of Him, He will guide us and protect us through the greatest difficulties---as He did for Arjuna in the Kurushetra war. 

Sometimes it is revealed to us just how terrible this material world is. In the pastimes of Srila Prabhupada we know that he too underwent great tribulations in his determination to serve the Lord. He lost his business, his commentary on Bhagavad-gita was stolen just when he thought he had found a publisher, he was gored by a cow, he later suffered two heart attacks, and much more.

We remember how when he was in Calcutta and the city was being bombed by the Japanese in World War II, Srila Prabhupada commented that the bombs too, were a form of Krishna, but not in a very lovable form.

So, for all of us, and especially our Ukranian brothers and sisters, this time is one of great trial and tribulation. Yet, we know the Lord is always present, and He and His name are our protectors.

Please do everything you can to assure your own safety and that of your fellow devotees. We understand that devotees are opening their homes to give shelter to one another. We commend you all for your generosity and love for each other, and your spiritual strength. 

We are all praying for you, and we pray you will feel the Lord's presence through even the darkest of hours. We know that the Lord's mercy will sustain you.

Your servants,

The GBC Executive Committee

Anuttama das, Chair

Praghosa das

Sesa das

Source: The News Agency of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

URL:  https://iskconnews.org/iskcon-gbc-executive-committees-letter-to-ukrainian-devotee-refugees,4518/

Update on the Ukrainian Refugee Crisis (Krishna Lila Dasi for ISKCON News on July 17, 2014)

Krishna Lila Dasi for ISKCON News on July 17, 2014

Photo Credits: www.iskcondesiretree.net

Niranjana Swami, ISKCON Co-GBC for Ukraine

On July 15^th ISKCON News has reported that due to the escalating military conflict in Eastern Ukraine, among many others, hundreds of ISKCON devotees were also forced to leave their homes and take refuge in safer places in Ukraine and other countries.

ISKCON Ukraine has immediately set up a campaign to provide for these refugees at devotees’ homes, as well as in a retreat center, which, at the moment, needs renovation.

On July 16^th, Antakela dasa temple president of ISKCON’s Donetsk temple reported that he, along with a few monks decided it was time for them, too, to leave Donetsk. However, some of the devotees, not wishing to leave, remained there and took on the responsibility to take care of the temple gardens and Tulasi devi, and to maintain a minimum standard of worship of the small Deities who, so far, remained on the altar.

In response to the help being offered internationally to the Ukrainian devotees over the past days, on July 17^th, ISKCON Co-GBC Niranjana Swami released the following letter:

“On behalf of the devotees in Ukraine, I would like to express my deep gratitude for the outpouring of support already shown from our worldwide Vaisnava community within the last two days. The response has been overwhelming. 

The situation remains volatile and fluid. Each day more devotees are submitting requests for places to take refuge. Each day more facilities are opening up. Repairs on the retreat center have already begun. Most of those who have taken refuge there are providing all the labor required to upgrade the facilities to better accommodate the influx of refugees.

Source: The News Agency of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

URL: https://iskconnews.org/update-on-the-ukrainian-refugee-crisis,4508/

ISKCON Devotees Flee War Affected Eastern Ukraine (Krishna Lila Dasi for ISKCON News on July 15, 2014)

Krishna Lila Dasi for ISKCON News on July 15, 2014

Photo Credits: www.idis.gr

Over the past weeks, the international media has been reporting about an escalating political situation in Ukraine, which is now close to a civil war. After a short period of cease-fire, the government has launched a massive military offensive on the insurgent-controlled parts of Eastern Ukraine, using heavy weaponry, aviation, and troops to subdue their resistance. Falling within the conflict-ravaged areas are such major, densely populated cities as Donetsk, Lugansk, Kramatorsk, and Slavyansk, where the civilian population, their residences damaged in the confrontation, flee for their lives, seeking refuge either in other parts of the country or across the border. 

The military operation badly affected ISKCON communities in those cities as well. Luckily, there are no devotees among the many thousands that have been killed or injured in the conflict, but quite a few of them have had a very narrow escape.

“Devotees in the region report” describes ISKCON Ukraine’s Regional Secretary Acyuta Priya Das, “that sometimes it very difficult to tell who is bombing or who is firing, because it happens at night, or because military forces change their location all the time. In some places they use ‘grad’ weapon, which shoots 40 missiles at a time and cover a big territory.”

“In the war zone” Acyuta Priya adds, “the only law that exists right now is that of the weapon. The police is defunct, there is crime every way you look, and no justice being served.”

Previously, the military conflict mostly affected Slavyansk and Kramatorsk, from where most of the ISKCON devotees had left just in time relocating to other parts of Ukraine, Crimea or Russia. 

Understanding the imminent danger, Bhaktin Juliya from Kramatorsk also left her home and went to Kiev, asking two devotee ladies if she could stay with them for a while. Two days after arriving in Kiev Juliya got a phone call from her neighbors in Kramatorsk, informing her that her house was hit by a high-explosive shell, and got demolished.

At the moment, the war between the Ukrainian army and the Russian-supported troops is going on in the outskirts of Donetsk and Lugansk. “We have big communities and hundreds of devotees in those cities,” Acyuta Priya continues. “The devotees in Lugansk had to pack the marble Gaura Nitai Deities and relocate them, leaving only one devotee in the temple, who, risking his life, is continuing to worship the small brass Gaura Nitai.”

“At least half of the ISKCON community in Lugansk had already left the city. From Donetsk about 40 % of the devotees had fled, but the rest of them stayed not wanting to leave their elderly parents and relatives behind. However,” Acyuta Priya warns, “if the military moves into the city centers, they will also have to leave, otherwise their lives will be in mortal danger.” 

“There are areas that are already blocked by the military, from where it is very difficult to escape. There were many incidents, where devotees had to bribe soldiers to be allowed to get out of the dangerous areas.”

ISKCON Ukraine has established a team helping the devotee-refugees to relocate to safe places within Ukraine. They provide them with funds to be able to travel outside of hot spots, and help them with temporary accommodation and some maintenance. Single ladies with children get the first priority, as they are the most vulnerable ones, not being able to support themselves under these circumstances.

ISKCON Ukraine is requesting the worldwide ISKCON community to please pray for the welfare of the devotees affected by the military conflict, also to kindly offer donations to a fund that had been recently set up to support the Ukrainian devotees being in a perilous situation.

Source: The News Agency of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

URL: https://iskconnews.org/iskcon-devotees-flee-war-affected-eastern-ukraine,4504/