Dozens of men, women and children gathered on the steps of Bolton Town Hall on Saturday afternoon in a vigil marking 1,000 days since the invasion of Ukraine. Bolton Ukrainian Cultural Centre and around 80 Ukrainian guests peacefully gathered as one for an hour-long vigil, singing national songs from the country. A number of councillors were in attendance, including Labour leader, Cllr Nick Peel, Cllr Sean Fielding and Cllr Robert Morrisey.
Dozens gathered for the town centre vigil (Image: Leah Collins) The event was set up by Yaroslav Tymchyshyn, Bolton Branch chair of the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain. As a second-generation Ukrainian born in Bolton, the event celebrates the fighting spirit of all Ukrainians, Yaroslav notes, who have remained unified despite the tragedies in their home country. Several pairs of children’s shoes were placed in the middle of the town steps to symbolise the children taken from Ukraine.
Among those protesting was 25-year-old Marta Malona, who came to Bolton as part of a refuge scheme two years ago after fleeing her home country. Marta Malona came to Bolton two years ago (Image: Leah Collins) Marta said: “It is the anniversary of 1,000 days since Russia invaded Ukraine and we are here to commemorate the soldiers who have tragically died as a result of the conflict. “Not all of us are refugees today, some of us came here before the war began, others were born here.
"But there is a huge Ukrainian community in Bolton, we are all .
