Members of Sheffield's Ukrainian community march through city centre urging people not to forget about the war

With the six month anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine just around the corner, protesters gathered at St Mary’s Church near to Sheffield city centre at around 1pm on Saturday, August 6, with many dressed in blue and yellow clothing, representing Ukraine’s flag – and some even draped in the country’s flag itself – while others wore items of traditional clothing.

Several members of the group held home-made placards and signs bearing messages such as: ‘Thank you Britain’; ‘Stop Russia now’; ‘Stop Putin’ and ‘Save Azovstal defenders’.

The majority of those attending were women and children, along with a handful of men. Ukraine has enacted martial law, forcing men to fight, meaning that the majority of dispossessed Ukrainians are women and children.

Organiser, Paulo Romaniuviku, said St Mary’s Church was chosen as the starting point for the protest because it is the location where many members of Sheffield’s 600-strong Ukrainian community meet to have English lessons on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Forklift driver, Paulo, was working away in Poland when the war began, and arrived in Sheffield, along with his wife and children on May 9.

Commenting on why the march has been organised, Paulo said: “I’m Ukrainian and I’m proud of it. And first of all I want to thank the wonderful English people who have opened their homes and hearts to Ukraine in a difficult situation. I also want to thank the UK government for its support which cannot be measured in money.

"Defenders of Ukraine have to fight, and die, for their freedom, and for the freedom of their children,” he added.

22-year-old Maria Potapenko arrived in Sheffield just over a fortnight ago after a harrowing journey to the UK via Crimea, Poland and parts of Russia including St Petersburg.

During the Russian leg of her journey, Maria says she was so fearful of the consequences of the Ukrainian tattoo she had on her arm drawing attention to her that she burnt it off using an iron. Shockingly, Maria says she knows plenty of other people who have been forced to do the same thing.

Commenting on why she took part in the protest, Maria said: “Because I want to thank British people, and also to gain attention for the fact that the war is still happening. Because we don’t want people to forget.”

After starting off at St Mary’s Church, the march of around 100 protesters made its way through the city centre and on to The Moor.

During the course of the march, chants of “Thank you, Britain’ and ‘Stop Russia, save the children’ filled the air.

The protest then stopped off at The Moor, where the chants continued and several members of the group participated in some performance art.

A number of people covered their heads with pillowcases stained red to represent blood, while others lay still on the floor, also covered with red stained cloth, to signify the many Ukrainian lives that have been lost since the conflict began.