Remembering Bravery at Karachun Hill

In the summer of 2014, paratroopers and soldiers of Ukraine’s National Guard were shelled by Russian hybrid forces right here. Karachun Hill has become a meeting place for soldiers who defended their native land.

One of them was Anatoliy Tishakov, who served at the Svitlodarska Duha.

“We gather here on Karachun, where our Ukrainian troops were in 2014. Where we waited for salvation, the liberation of Sloviansk. This is the place where we gather. I want to meet my fellow soldiers, with whom I defended Ukraine. The soldiers will arrive in the evening. My commander and his squad will also be here,” Tishakov said.

On the hill, there was an exhibition of military equipment and weapons, a photo exhibition, an open-air cinema, and a volunteer fair. Volunteers worked during the festival. Soldiers need camouflage nets on the front line. The volunteers send them every day.

“We always spend the holiday working. Because we have a lot of orders from the front line. All that you see, these nets, which cover various locations, we did for Karachun, and then all these nets will be passed to the marines in Novotroyitsk. The nets we are weaving now will go to soldiers in Maryinka,” Coordinator for the Kramatorsk Bees Volunteer Movement Iryna Sydorenko said.

Volunteers, activists, military and war veterans meet on Karachun Hill. They talk, share memories and new projects. According to organizers, Karachun Hill is an opportunity for the patriotic education of young people, and the social rehabilitation of war veterans.

“These events are important for the patriotic education of our youth and for bringing people together. The meetings are very important to the war veterans. We cannot forget about those who served on the front line,” First Deputy Minister for Veterans Affairs Hryhoriy Halahan said.

Organizers provided guests with transportation, food and overnight accommodation in tents. The festival was held for the third time and has already become a tradition.