Bloody, But Unbowed

February 24, 2023

qphotonyc

One year ago Russian troops invaded Ukraine. Since then, the Ukrainian people have been under constant siege with bombs falling throughout the country. A few months ago we contacted support at Helicon Remote for help using their amazing camera tethering app. Over the course of several helpful emails we learned that they were operating under fire in that war zone.

> Hello,
> >
> > thank you for reaching out to us.
> >
> > Please feel free to contact us. We maintain operations despite everything
> > that is going on in our country. Thank you for your concern and for your
> > kind words of support, we appreciate that a lot.
> >
> > Please go to Tools->Start recording video.
> >
> > Please let us know how it worked.
> >
> > Looking forward to hearing from you.
> >
> > Thank you.
> >
> > Kind regards,
> > Catherine

We were intrigued by the ‘despite everything that is going on in our country’ part of Catherine’s response. On their website there’s a menu with familiar options like products, downloads, support, etc. Then there’s one that simply says ‘Ukraine.’

Here’s an excerpt from that page:

“As you may know, our company is based in Ukraine. Our city of Kharkiv is located very close to the Russian border, just about 30 km away. So we were one of the first cities to be woken up in the middle of the night by Russian troops and missiles on February 24. Since then Kharkiv has been under constant bombing. We know about all the horrors of this surreal and unfair war first-hand. We were the ones to hide our kids and sleep in underground shelters, to run for medicine and food in between rocket attacks and to run for life with kids, parents and a backpack leaving everything behind.

“We know that there are many people supporting Ukraine and Ukrainians and a lot of those willing to take real steps.

“Knowing the real needs and understanding the problems, we’ve made a short list of mid-size volunteer groups that do the real and the right thing. Those are not the largest ones, not the state-owned ones, but people who we know taking real actions and who need money to make it.”

Those of us who were in NYC on 9/11 can remember the shock, the sorrow and the confusion that blanketed our town on that dreadful day. Uncertainty, as the day wore on, if the attack was even over yet or if more terror was incoming. More than three thousand people were killed that day and, in some respects, we’re still recovering from it decades later. Now imagine living with that feeling of impending doom every day for a year. Schools, hospitals, even a shopping mall have been bombed in Ukraine. Apartment buildings like ones we live in here in NYC have been blown up by Russian rockets in an apparent attempt to depopulate a country by terrorizing its people. It’s frankly incomprehensible. Last week an American paramedic who’d volunteered to help was killed. It’s a nightmare.

Just this week, President Biden met with President Zelenskyy in Kyiv and promised America’s continued support for Ukraine. For our part, we can support Ukrainians by sending money to an organization that the people at Helicon Remote recommend: Kharkiv with You. It doesn’t have to be a lot. Everything helps and something is always better than nothing. Remember how the World opened their hearts and their wallets for us after 9/11 when we needed help and give generously if you can.

Kharkiv with You:

Charitable Foundation provides Kharkiv residents with everything they need to survive – from drinking water to food, from medicines to modern hospital equipment. Foundation provides medicines and consumables to Kharkiv City Clinical Hospital of Ambulance and Emergency, regional hospitals and perinatal Centers, take part in evacuation of civilian population of the most damaged Kharkiv region areas.