Letter from Kaniv: Sonoma’s Sister City in time of war

An exclusive for the Sun by Tarney Baldinger

If you knew nothing of world news and you parachuted into Kaniv, Sonoma’s sister city in the heart of Ukraine, you would have no clue that there is a war going on. I was there this summer; the war very much on my mind, but it was three weeks before I saw the first hint of it.

If you landed in the town center, you would see well-dressed men and women going quietly about their affairs, coming from the apartments nearby to walk or take the bus to work or school, some riding their bikes. Few drive these days even if they own a car. They cannot afford the gas.

You might see their colleagues sitting on a bench talking, perhaps under the directional street sign which points toward each of their eight ‘brother cities.’ Early in the morning near the city center, you would see streams of people walking toward the large open market with their bags and baskets to buy fruit or butter or fish, greeting their friends, heading to their favorite merchants. You might not immediately perceive how careful they are with their kopeks, money being very tight, scarcely enough to cover the necessities.

If you landed nearby on the sandy shore of the Dneiper River, lined with willows and pines and lively with birds, and if it were late in the day and summer, the beach would be colorful with people of all ages picnicking, swimming or leaping from rafts or peddling paddleboats, playing volleyball. And at any time of day, you would hear the hours tolled by the bells of the 12th century cathedral.

If you landed up in the hills in one of the neighborhoods of older houses along winding lanes, you would see people working in their large vegetable gardens among the flowers or in their kitchens preserving the latest harvest. You might see my Ukrainian neighbor joining us for beer and salt fish in the evening.

Where is the war? Fighting is to the east and southeast, about as far as Los Angeles is from Sonoma, but many know someone who is there or have already lost someone dear. Everyone is supporting the war effort in whatever way they can, but they rarely speak of it and insist on enjoying their lives. It is both humbling and inspiring to be among them.

It was from this neighbor that I first realized that the war is real, and that no matter how calm or happy people may appear, no one forgets it. She had heard I was collecting handcrafts to raise money in Sonoma, and she appeared one morning with several small angels woven from fine twine, bands of blue yellow across the wings.

They are charming, beautifully made, but they are not ornaments. These little angels get blessed by the priest and sent as protection with each man who is heading to the front. She doesn’t know how long it takes her to make one, because her hands get numb from pulling the twine tight, so she has to stop. She wants each angel to survive so that the soldier will, too.

Another day, she showed me a box of brightly colored socks knit for soldiers by a group of her friends, none of whom had knit before, using mostly wool unraveled from old sweaters donated for the purpose. In each pair, they put a note: “We knit these together for you, and we send them with love. We hope they keep you warm. Expiration date: Your safe return,” and they all sign their names.

“We are normal people,” she said. “We do normal things. We gather on our balconies and enjoy one another. But each of us, we always do whatever we can. We never forget. And because we never forget, we will win.”

A Ukrainian Luncheon and Crafts Fair, including handmade angels, will be held Saturday, November 7, noon, Clubhouse at Pueblo Serena, 951 Fifth St. W. $15, to support humanitarian aid. For reservations and information contact [email protected] or 707.227.2228.