After eight months of occupation, the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson was finally liberated. Despite the Russian occupation, the Ukrainians did not give up.
They always believed in the return of their compatriots, attended rallies, and also adhered to their national symbols, as the “Telegraph” reports. This also applies to their blue and yellow flags – even if they risked their lives to do so.
The flag was buried until the Russians left
Contrary to the orders of the Russian occupiers, many Chersonese held their flags. So does the Starkow family.
As a video posted by Sergei Starkov on Instagram shows, they kept the national flag in their yard all the time. As the Ukrainian who published the video later added, he had already carried the flag in March 2022 during the protests against the Russian occupation.
To avoid being targeted by Russian troops, they kept the flag buried under a stone slab deep in the ground. But once Putin’s troops withdrew, they insisted on raising the flag again.
“The flag is wet, but alive,” the woman says, tearing the flag from its hiding place, into the camera. Radiant with joy, she unrolls the flag and hangs it on the wall of the house.
Are flags hidden all over Ukraine?
The video of the Starkov family was especially popular among Ukrainians. In the comments, the praiseworthy comments for the family were destroyed.
“At first I thought there were jewels hidden, but no, the flag! Chersonese, you are heroes,” one user wrote. “Glory to the people who survived this hell,” commented another.
Many users thanked the Starkow family for their courage and unshakable faith in Ukraine. In addition, some have raised the suspicion that Kherson is not the only city where citizens have hidden Ukrainian flags. (dzc)