“I very much hope so,” said Miss Griffin. “The Ukrainian people do not lose hope.”
In Chicago, a large crowd gathered Sunday afternoon on the steps of the Ukrainian Catholic Church of Saints Volodymyr and Olga, one of five Ukrainian churches within walking distance of each other in the Ukrainian Village neighborhood.
Lilia Galko, a 32-year-old registered nurse born in Ukraine, said she was “devastated”.
“My family is there. They are fighting, they don’t want to evacuate,” Ms Galko said. “We feel like there is nothing we can do. Right now it’s just raising awareness and donating money.”
Updated
February 27, 2022 7:05 pm ET
Throughout the rally, supporters frequently shouted “Glory to Ukraine” in Ukrainian. They also chanted “Save Ukraine”, “USA Help Ukraine” and “Stop Russian Aggression”.
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot also addressed the gathering and expressed their support for Ukraine. They were joined by three members of Congress: Danny Davis, Mike Quigley and Raja Krishnamurthy.
Mr. Davis, whose district includes Ukrainskoe Selo, told the crowd that he had studied Russian history and said that “freedom is won with difficulty, and every generation must win it and win it again.”
In Philadelphia, several hundred demonstrators gathered at the Independence Mall. As a strong cold wind ruffled the banners of the crowded protesters, women sang patriotic songs next to Ukrainian clergy in long black cassocks.
Boris Gudziak, Archbishop Metropolitan of the Ukrainian Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia, who recently returned from Ukraine, addressed the audience and called on the governments of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania to supply military equipment to volunteer fighters in Ukraine.