A NEW bench has been installed in a city park dedicated to all those who have been affected by the Russia-Ukraine War.
The new bench, which features the colours of the Ukrainian flag, was officially unveiled in Victoria Park on Saturday, April 21 near the park’s main entrance.
The bench comes as a result of a collaboration between Friends of Victoria Park (FoVP) and the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain (AUGB) which has been ongoing for more than two years following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Yevgen Gorash, one of the founding members of the AUGB Glasgow branch, says the partnership was initially formed after the group was invited to the planting of a Guelder Rose plant in the north-east corner of the park.
He explained: "This is the symbol of Ukrainian resistance. It’s a nice plant with white flowers and red berries which represent the blood of fallen defenders.
"That was a very symbolic gesture from Glasgow City Council and Friends of Victoria Park that gave a boost to all Ukrainians’ morale."
Since then, the two groups have arranged a number of successful events together such as a Ukrainian Family Day on August 20 last year.
Yevgen, who is originally from Kharkiv but has lived in Glasgow for 13 years, says the park has become an important place for Ukrainians living in the city.
The 42-year-old said: "For the last two and a half years life has been stressful and having a quiet place to relax and reflect in Victoria Park is important for mental health.
"For Ukrainian refugees and Ukrainians that came to Glasgow quite a long time ago like myself, Victoria Park is one of the best parks in Glasgow."
He added: "The Friends of Victoria Park are brilliant people.
"They’re very supportive, they’re our friends."
Michael Herrigan, secretary of FoVP, says they decided to place the bench just inside the main entrance gates as it's where a lot of people meet in the park, with his wife coming up with the idea for it to feature the colours of the Ukrainian flag.
He says so far the response has been positive.
He said: "There’s no bench near the gate so we thought we should get one there.
"It was actually my wife’s idea to have the Ukrainian flag colours on the bench."
Michael says the FoVP wanted to form a partnership with the AUGB to give a positive message and show "Glasgow welcomes refugees".
The 57-year-old said: "We saw they needed support and wanted to reach out to them.
"I can only imagine what it’s like to have to leave your home and move because of war.
"We plan to continue engaging with the AUGB, it’s been a very positive connection for both societies."
The AUGB was founded in 1946 by Ukrainians who came to Great Britain at the end of the Second World War and is the largest representative body for Ukrainians and those of Ukrainian descent in the UK.
FoVP works closely with Glasgow City Council to maintain and improve the natural environment of the park which dates back to 1887.
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