Introduction
Scotland’s association with Ukrainian people commenced after World War 2. Today, their descendants are mainly settled in the Scottish Borders region and Edinburgh.
More information on Ukrainians in Scotland-Scottish Borders
In 1947 a group of 450 prisoners of war arrived at Lockerbie where they were housed at the Hallmuir Camp. From here they were directed to work on local farms and in forestry.
Should the group have returned to the USSR they could have faced execution or exile to Siberia. Thus many elected to stay in Scotland and became integrated with the local community.
At Hallmuir the Ukrainians began an orchard and gardens and were offered a hut for use as a chapel. From very plain beginnings the hut was progressively embellished. Today the hut is a colourful and distinctive place of devotion within the wider Orthodox Greek Catholic Church. It is now a grade B (second highest) heritage building.
Services are still held at Hallmuir chapel on the first Sunday of each month. The building is also used for marriages of members of the Ukrainian community.
More information on Ukrainians in Scotland-Edinburgh
A contingent of about 3000 arrived some 80 years ago. However, their descendants amount to only a handful now. The community is centred on the Ukrainian Club at 14 Royal Terrace, Edinburgh.
The Hulodomor Monument is at the junction of Blenheim Place and Royal Terrace on a pathway leading to the city centre. This commemorates the millions of Ukrainians who died as a result of the great famine under Stalin in 1932-3.
Today the city of Edinburgh is twinned with Kyiv (or Kiev) in the Ukraine.
In relation to the current crisis, the Scottish Government has indicated willingness to offer sanctuary to refugees. However, this decision ultimately rests with the U.K. government.
Public reaction to Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Yesterday saw mass protests in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Families gathered at Glasgow’s George Square and the Russian Consulate in Edinburgh.
Glasgow City Council suspended it’s twinning arrangement with Rostov-on-Don as a mark of unequivocal condemnation of Russia’s invasion.
More information for the visitor to Scotland
The publication, Visitors’ Guide to Scotland contains section on the Scottish Borders, Edinburgh and Glasgow. The ISBN is 978-1-9161332-0-4.This book is also available via Kindle.