Marta Rudenko: “Most of all I was surprized by people – there was much love, support and care”

At Ternopil National Medical University, Marta Rudenko holds the position of the Head of the Department for Educational Work and Cultural Development, as well as a teacher of the Ukrainian Language Department. From the first days of the war and until now, she has united the student volunteers for charitable work.

“I remember the first day of the war very well, because I just could not believe that such a thing could happen in our country. I did not read the news, but heard just one word from my husband: “It has started”. And I realized everything. The first days were extremely difficult, because many people asked for help. The first refugees began to arrive in Ternopil. It was unclear what to do. However, I never had the thought of going abroad. I called my friends and acquaintances, and almost all of them were already on their way, leaving Ukraine. To this day, I still don’t understand why everyone started panicking. I started looking for the work that my country and people needed at that time.

In the last days before the start of the war, teachers and students of the university completed the collection of medicines for the aviation brigade. And we had to send it all on February 24. That day, “Nova Poshta” closed almost all offices, because in fact the business ceased its activities due to uncertainty. No one knew what would happen next. I drove around the city and was looking for the office from which I could send the collected goods. I managed to buy the rest of the medicine, and I remember that there was a single office of Nova Poshta on Medova Street, where they took our package. We managed to send the collected goods on time. Malva Bochkariova, an acquaintance from pharmacies network Podorozhnyk, helped me a lot and keeps helping me. She used the computer to see which pharmacies in the city had what we needed, made a reservation, and we bought it. At the same time, she used her discount, which made it possible to buy more than planned. Together with the student Viktoriia Diachenko, we went to various pharmacies in the city to buy what we needed for the battlefield. And already within a week or two, humanitarian aid began to arrive, so then I joined in sorting, assembling, and sending,” Marta Rudenko shares her experience.

In the first days of the war, students and teachers of TNMU made camouflage nets for the army. Mrs. Marta remembers how she walked down the corridor and said aloud to herself: “Where should we get nets?”. Suddenly, in response, she heard: “Now you will have nets.” She did not notice one of the university workers walking behind her. Indeed, after two hours, he brought many different nets.

“Our student Bohdan Avdieiev organized his group mates, classmates, family, teachers. I did not have time to write a message in the chat that something was needed, as in a few minutes everything was already there. People brought many things to make camouflage nets. And in a few minutes, an even larger number of people tore T-shirts, pants and other things into strips and immediately knitted them into nets. Ghillie suits for snipers were made from smaller nets in the TNMU library.

I am absolutely delighted with our students. We have a chat “Volunteers of TNMU”, in which we write about urgent needs and where working hands are needed. Everyone immediately responds to each message, comes and helps. That fervour subsided a bit as the examination session began. This is understandable, because students had to study and pass exams, especially future doctors. However, even during examination time they helped and this continues now. At that time, I discovered very positive sides in people. I knew that I was surrounded by wonderful people, but I discovered completely new features in many of them,” Marta Rudenko says with pleasure.

She adds that she was struck by the case of student Stanislav Sirko, who was collecting aid for the military unit of his father and brother. They really needed a quadcopter. Teachers and students in different groups distributed information. A day after the publication of the announcement, Stanislav called and said that he was shocked by how many people transferred funds to him.

“Often help came from unexpected places. Completely unknown people brought clothes, canned stews, and cereals, left packages with the inscription “For Rudenko” at the security guard. There was an emotional flurry of kindness – and it was inspiring.

“Many students from Bucha, Chernihiv, Kherson, Mykolaiiv, Donetsk and Luhansk regions study at TNMU. We take care of them and help them. For example, Arsen Poliakov from Bucha. He didn’t say anything to anyone and was one of the first to start volunteering. He helped a lot, connected others to his work. When Bucha was freed, we organized a food collection for the residents of this town. At that time, “Nova poshta” resumed its work – and we delivered products, clothes, and hygiene products to his relatives in boxes, and they distributed them directly to people in Bucha. Arsen sent videos and photos of how they organized the kitchen, prepared dinners, distributed food and other things just on the street, cleaned and dismantled the ruins.

We are in constant contact with students from the occupied territories. Many managed to take their families to Ternopil. If they need help, we try to provide it,” says Ms. Marta.

Social ties and contacts are a very important component of human life. It is personal communication that makes it possible to solve any problem. There are friends with whom you can talk like family, but at the same time rarely communicate and see each other. But their presence in life, even thousands of kilometres away, gives the feeling that they said “See you” to each other just yesterday. One of such friends of Marta Rudenko is Oksana Tanasiv, who has been living in the USA for a long time, has become a successful designer and artist there.

“Oksana was an activist during her student years. That passion has not disappeared even now. She is a permanent promoter of Ukraine in the USA. All her paintings and designs constantly reflect our traditions and culture. Her works are recognizable. With the beginning of the war, Oksana also united all her acquaintances in the USA to help Ukraine. She has quite a diverse environment – from firefighters to doctors. All of them were included in the process of supporting Ukrainians. Big packages of medicine, financial help came from her. Oksana asked medical practitioners to choose really necessary medicines and medical devices. She even managed to send a laptop for the Ternopil blood transfusion station. She still organizes actions in support of Ukraine. Oksana Tanasiv is involved in a number of exhibitions in different cities of the USA, where she talks about Ukraine.

They also called us from Kernel-Trade Limited Liability Company and asked how they could help us. We have repeatedly received aid from this company with products that were sent to the military and distributed to our students from the occupied territories,” Marta Rudenko says.

And there was also the experience of teaching the Ukrainian language to immigrants. This project lasted several months at Ternopil National Medical University. Almost all teachers of the Ukrainian Language Department were involved in this process.

“I really liked those who came to our classes because they were motivated. I understand that I saw that part of the population of the occupied cities that had a pro-Ukrainian position. For some time, they did not communicate much, and then they explained that their Ukrainian was not perfect, and they simply could not speak Russian. Step by step, word by word, conversations on important topics helped them overcome the barrier and start communicating in Ukrainian. Gradually, these people began to share their pain. The most pressing question for all course participants was whether they would ever be able to return to their cities.

I tried to make interesting classes for them to diversify the learning process. We learned to make vytynanka together with Halyna Dudar, who is an expert in this art. In addition, she is an excellent speaker and an interesting interlocutor. Ms. Halyna brought her own collection of carvings, and taught this art. This class helped everyone to relax, it was a kind of psychotherapy. We cut out a symbolic cross-shaped amulet. I kept it as a memory of those days. I also liked the kerchief class. Craftswoman Oksana Hulyk is an employee of the Ternopil Regional Museum of Local Lore. She has been researching Ukrainian customs and culture for years. Oksana has a great sense of humour, so the class took place in a very fun atmosphere. She told many stories from the study of kerchiefs. I especially liked how she learned to knit scarves for her relatives. Her living mannequins were her husband, children, neighbours, friends. Oksana Hulyk showed different types of headscarves depending on the region. There were women who at first did not want to participate in this, but then they liked the process – and at the end of the class, everyone was wearing headscarves. Then there was a photo session. We will definitely continue these classes. There will be a different format, but we will maintain communication,” says Marta Rudenko with confidence.

The head of the Ukrainian Language Department, Professor Anatolii Vykhrushch, teachers Solomiia Hnatyshyn, Nadiia Oliinyk, Associate Professors Oksana Novitska, Iryna Zalipska, Tetiana Melnyk were involved in the process of teaching the Ukrainian language.

In addition, bookcrossing of Ukrainian publications has been started in TNMU student dormitories. Residents of Ternopil, teachers, and students brought many new and interesting Ukrainian books. The university made the racks and provided the premises to store them.

“I hope that these lockers will be filled with books all the time. Some of the books are delivered by my friends. We will also revive the “Read Ukrainian” project, as people have become more interested in our literary heritage.

I would like to mention our most active students – Viktoriia Diachenko, Daryna Shandruk, Mariana Kryzhanivska, Markiian Medynskyi, Vladyslav Pishko, Valeriia Blahuliak, Stanislav Sirko, Arsen Poliakov, Nazar Boichak, Maksym Levytskyi, Andrii Borokh, Vladyslav Teslia. All of them were involved in Ternopil, according to their place of residence. Many volunteered abroad.

By the way, in the early days, Vladyslav Teslia was a volunteer at the railway station together with the Red Cross team. They received people around the clock, accompanied them. He and his team had to look at people’s destinies, their pain. He said that they simply fell off their feet from fatigue, but they stood their watch with dignity and to the end,” concludes Ms. Marta.

TNMU Press Secretary, Yanina Chaikivska.

Photographs by Mykola Vasylechko.