Large crowds of people gathered on King’s Parade yesterday evening (24/2) for a candlelit vigil to mark one year since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The vigil was organised by Cambridge4Ukraine, a volunteer initiative set up by Ukrainians in Cambridge. People of all ages came together for the vigil including Ukrainian families who have been displaced from their homes, students, faculty members and members of the public.

Among repeated shouts of ‘Slava Ukraїni!’, representatives from Cambridge4Ukraine, Cambridge MP Daniel Zeichner and the mayor of Cambridge Mark Ashton made speeches to the crowds.

Varsity spoke to some of those gathered on Kings Parade. Natalia Berloff, a fellow at Jesus College, attended the vigil with her daughter. She told Varsity that the Ukrainian students she knows are “struggling”, but that their strength has inspired her. Berloff, who is Ukrainian but grew up in Russia, urged people to see the war as a fight “of good against evil”.

Andrii Smytsniuk, who teaches Ukrainian in the Slavonic section of the MML faculty, made a speech in which he told those gathered that the past 365 days had been “the most difficult days in the lives of Ukrainians all across the world”.

“I’m overwhelmed with emotions,” he said. “It’s difficult to even know what to say. There is so much pain, so much grief, so much anger, but at the same time inspiration and hope.” He thanked the crowd for their support.

In a later speech, a representative of Cambridge4Ukraine drew attention to the location of the vigil. “We’re in Cambridge, the centre of intellectual life in the world”, he told crowds. There was, he said, no better place to have an open discussion about the war that “didn’t start in 2022, but many years ago”.

A representative of Cambridge University’s Ukrainian Society also spoke at the vigil, saying that Ukraine is “still fighting and winning despite their huge opponent”. A year on, they said that “hope is stronger than ever” for Ukraine, and encouraged those gathered on King’s Parade to “stay honest and stay strong”.

After the vigil concluded with the singing of the Ukrainian National Anthem, Varsity spoke to Cambridge students who had attended.

One student, studying Ukrainian and Russian, told Varsity: “It is impossible for me to separate my studies from the reality it reflects. Students cannot act as bystanders and it is important to show our support.”

Another student, studying MML, who was in Russia for their degree at the beginning of the invasion said: “Today is a reminder of the shock I felt on that day. A year on, the war shouldn’t fade into the background.”

When asked about the University’s response to the war, the student told Varsity they had a “generally positive” impression. In particular, they noted the University’s efforts to fund academics displaced by the war. However, the student noted that they would have appreciated “more symbolic” action from the University on this day, similar to when Senate House was lit up with the colours of the Ukrainian flag.

A march of solidarity with Ukraine also took place today (25/02), and Great St Mary’s Church will be open in support of Ukraine on Sunday (26/02).