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“НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, ТРАВЕНЬ 201 3 WWW. UNWLA.ORG 23 The Story behind One Photograph The Soviet troops occupied Western Ukraine on September 1, 1939, and already in N o- vember work began to build a Soviet military range in Yavoriv. People from the villages in the vicinity were deported on Christmas, at a time when families would gather together. It was more “convenient” in this way to r ound up entire fam i- lies... They were given two hours to pack their b e- longings, and so that deportees would not return, their houses were demolished in front of their eyes. The tr e k to the Siberia by train took three weeks. Survivors remember that small chi ldren were placed inside barrels filled with feather down from pillows — so that they would not freeze to death along the way... In this manner, 125 thousand people were removed from their land; 170 villages and two cathedrals were razed to the ground. Unexp lainably, against the backdrop of this desolate landscape, the ruins of St. Michael’s Church from the former village of Velyka Vyshen’ - ka still stand. The church was sponsored by Ivan Sloboda. Having fought in World War I and spared only by God’s grace (as he would later e x- plain), Ivan Sloboda vowed to build a church in his village. St. Michael’s Church was finished in 1927 and dedicated the same year in the presence of Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky. And already in 1940 mass deportations from the village t ook place. When the Yavoriv military range began operation, the church served as target practice for tank guns. It was used in this “capacity” until very recently. The church’s ruins look shocking to those who know the story. One immediately thinks of the fact that this was once a place where new life was greeted, new marriages consecrated, and the deceased given their final farewell. And then it was “target practice”... Such is the story of how the largest military range in Europe was built. Halyna Sloboda, L’viv « Our Life » has a new e - mail address ! Please send your submissions, questions, or suggestions in either English or Ukrainian to : unwlaourlife @ gmail . com Thank you ! « Our Life » Editors
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