leo tolstoy special military operation and peace

They did the sanctions and he is still here!” she said. “I felt at the time that not enough was done.

To Ballou, who cast a ballot against Putin when she came of age to vote for the first time, the current war in Ukraine has undeniable roots in the 2014 annexation of Crimea-in addition to the relative inaction on the part of the global community during the immediate aftermath.

“I said, ‘I know you know that I’m Russian and came from Russia, but you should be aware that I’m actually half Russian, half Ukrainian and this is going to be more important for people to realize.’” How can somebody just say ‘oh, we’re taking Crimea,’” she recalled, noting that she’d talk to anyone who would listen about the emerging conflict. “That was the first year when I was so shocked by what happened-because to me it seemed so wrong. Pointing to the invasion and annexation of Crimea by Russia, Ballou said she first began warily observing the actions of Russian president Vladimir Putin and the Russian government in 2014.

(Provided)īut it was this multi-national friendliness, along with fond childhood memories of listening to Ukrainian fairytales from her father, that made the recently launched Russian war on Ukraine that much more upsetting. In her 70s now, Ballou said Rogova has been unwilling to leave her home despite ongoing shelling throughout the city. With a background that spanned international borders, Ballou’s father, Ivan, often joked that he was “the son of three nations,” she said.īallou has posted some updates about her “Aunt Valya,” a very close family friend- Valentina Rogova, who lives in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Through her family, Ballou had plenty of exposure to Ukrainian culture.

“We would go to Belarus and Ukraine in the summer.” “I’m half and half! My dad’s Ukrainian and my mom’s Russian,” explained Ballou, who grew up as a self-described “military brat” whose family’s address followed her father’s assignments and vacations within the then-Soviet military. (Herald / Tim Calabro)Īs the war in Ukraine enters its fourth week, South Royalton resident Yuliya Ballou is doing everything she can to keep the conflict from fading into background noise.īallou-who grew up in Siberia, but eventually moved to Vermont after visiting as an exchange student-has a unique perspective among residents of the White River Valley, one, she hopes, will help friends and neighbors better understand the history and events that are unfolding more than 4,000 miles away. Yuliya Ballou and her daughter Dash, talk about their family members-Russian, Bularussian, and Ukrainian.

Leo tolstoy special military operation and peace