Manor College held a ceremony commemorating the fourth anniversary of the war in Ukraine, highlighting the impact on children, including 664 killed, nearly 4,500 injured or missing and almost 20,000 deported or displaced.
“This is not simply a wartime atrocity. It is a deliberate attempt to erase Ukrainian identity at its most vulnerable point,” said Nicholas Rudnytzky, Dean of Academic Services at Manor. “Make no mistake, this is genocide at a primal level. It echoes a centuries-old pattern: Take the children, reshape them and destroy the nation from within.”
The crowd heard a prayer from Sofiia Myronovych, a Dental Hygiene student at Manor who fled Ukraine with her daughter, and Vera Penkalskyj ‘16, a Manor alum who spent time last summer working with children in Ukraine.
The ceremony was attended by Manor President Dr. Jonathan Peri and state Rep. Ben Sanchez.
Manor College is the only institution of higher learning in North America that was founded by Ukrainian Sisters, the Sisters of Saint Basil the Great. It is also home to the Ukrainian Heritage Studies Center on campus.
Following the event, the Manor community placed stuffed animals near a replica hearth in the Ukrainian Heritage Studies Center to honor the children affected by the war.
“These are not the memories children should carry,” said Sofiia Ogerchuk, a Ukraine native and junior at Manor. “Children should remember bedtime stories, birthday parties and laughter, not the sound of explosions or the fear that comes with air raid sirens.” ••
