Julia Kazarian wore a pair of bright green gloves, grabbed a plastic garbage bag and headed for a dirt road at a nature reserve in Warsaw on Saturday morning, ready to show her gratitude to Poland. “It’s just a small thank you,” Ms. Kazarian said as she bent down to pick up a piece of trash and throw it in the bag. “They have done so much for us. There are no words to describe it. “ Ms. Kazarian was accompanied by her 11-year-old brother and about 30 other war refugees from Ukraine. They are part of an informal Ukrainian movement that cleans sidewalks, boulevards, monuments and parks in cities across Poland every Saturday morning last month in an effort to say “thank you”. The improvised campaign has been named “Saturday», A reference to an annual spring tradition in Ukraine, when families gather to clean public spaces. It began in late March when a group of refugees in Suwalki, a small town in northeastern Poland, asked local officials if they could do some kind of social service to show their appreciation for all the support they had received. “We wanted to reciprocate the city and the people who live here who welcomed us,” said Irina Koval, one of the Ukrainians who started the first Saturday. “They gave us a house, food, clothes. We are happy that at least we can say thank you for that. “ The city agreed, and on March 26, about 30 refugees spent hours removing rubbish from Suwalki’s largest park and two major city boulevards. “The refugees had the idea to clean the city parks,” wrote Kamil Sznel, a municipal official, on Facebook. “The road workers handed over the equipment and these Ukrainians with their children started the action on Saturday morning.” The idea took off quickly and Saturday Activities now take place in almost a dozen communities across the country, with more being added each week. The location of each cleanup is posted on social media and spread by word of mouth. There is no obvious organizer and the volunteers just show up at a designated location and get to work. Also, nothing is stopping the Poles from participating, but at the moment the effort is a project entirely under the leadership of Ukraine. Last Saturday in Warsaw, dozens of refugees gathered at three locations – Kabacki Forest, Bielanski Forest and Rembertowski Forest – with their garbage bags in tow. In the Bielanski Forest, the group consisted almost entirely of refugee women who walked silently through the trees, picking up paper, discarded bins and other debris as they passed joggers, dog walkers and mountain bikers. A man stopped to greet the Ukrainians and shout, “Glory to Ukraine.” But otherwise, the women went largely unnoticed as they went out into the woods. “I wanted to do something for Poland,” said Ola Maistrenko, who came to Warsaw last month from Kyiv with her nine-year-old son, her mother and her sister. The volunteers helped her find the necessities of life and a place to stay, and she said she could not thank them enough. Saturday was Mrs. Maistrenko’s first day Saturday but it will not be her last while she is still in Poland. She considered applying for a visa in Canada, but would rather go back to Kyiv to be with her husband who owns an electronics store. He could not come with her because of a decree from the Ukrainian government banning adult men from leaving the country. “I have never been to Canada, but I want to go home,” he said. Ukrainian refugees Anastasiia Kovalenko, second from right, and her sister Daria Kovalenko take part in a garbage collection in the Bielański forest on Saturday, April 9, 2022. Anna Liminowicz / The Globe and Mail 25-year-old Anastasiia Kovalenko also participated in the first Saturday on Saturday. She left Poland almost a month ago from Brovary, outside Kyiv, with her 16-year-old sister and they were both looking for a way to show their gratitude for all the help they received. “Poland has given us so much,” Kovalenko said. “It’s a great idea to say thank you.” Like many refugees, the Kovalenkos had never been to Poland and did not know what to expect when crossing the border. But they are overwhelmed by the support they have received. The volunteers not only gave them food and clothes, but also found them a place to stay for rent for free. And because Ukrainians can travel free of charge on public transport in Warsaw, Ms. Kovalenko was able to take up independent work as a graphic designer. Her sister, Daria, has also joined a dance troupe while continuing her Internet studies in Ukraine. While they have become more comfortable in Warsaw, Ms. Kovalenko misses her parents and her boyfriend who stayed in Kyiv. As the situation in the city improves and becomes safer, they think about returning. “We want to be back in maybe a week or two,” he said. “We cross our fingers.”
