Hoping to leave winter behind us as we traveled snow-covered roads to the Winnipeg airport, we did indeed find more spring-like conditions upon our arrival in Molochansk. However, this was to be short-lived as snow flurries and below-freezing temperatures keep us indoors more than outside. International Women’s Day, celebrated as a national holiday on March 8, with its many cards, pictures and gifts of flowers, is a welcome reminder that the Ukrainian fields and gardens will soon bloom again. We are invited to a celebration of this event in the 
Russian School Number 2 in Molochansk where the boys have prepared an hour-long presentation of songs, skits, poetry and tributes for the women staff of the school. The celebration ends with each of the performers inviting a female staff member to dance with them.
We have learned by now that it is women who are giving leadership to many of the community institutions, and so the day is a fitting tribute to the women who work hard at improving life in often difficult circumstances. Among them is Marina, long-time friend of the Mennonite Centre, former director of the Dolina School and current director of the larger of the two schools (grades 2-11) in Molochansk.—about 340 students. Among her recent accomplishments is her success in convincing local governments to install a natural gas heating system in the school. Only in her second year in this capacity, she is already dreaming of establishing a small museum room in the school to commemorate the history of the town, formerly Halbstadt.
On Friday, the usual day for some 50 seniors to enjoy tea and a sandwich at the Centre, the staff present each of the “babushkas” with a hand-crafted card (quilling?) and a small gift. Marina and Dema team up for entertaining duets.
We can only imagine the stories these women could tell of their seventy or eighty years in Ukraine! We have heard a few of them from people like Olga who has served the Mennonite Centre as receptionist for many years but is now retired.
On Sunday a group of five university students from Zaporizhia visited the Centre. Their
assignment was to learn about German influence in Ukraine, specifically in the area of architecture. They were fascinated with the story of the Mennonites in Ukraine over the years. Rudy Friesen’s book on Mennonite architecture will be an invaluable resource for them as they prepare their presentation. We donated two books for them to take along to their faculty library and instructor, and in addition four of them purchased their own copies as well. Since they are part of the German department at the University, their presentation will be in German as well. They promised to invite us.
Russian School Number 2 in Molochansk where the boys have prepared an hour-long presentation of songs, skits, poetry and tributes for the women staff of the school. The celebration ends with each of the performers inviting a female staff member to dance with them.We have learned by now that it is women who are giving leadership to many of the community institutions, and so the day is a fitting tribute to the women who work hard at improving life in often difficult circumstances. Among them is Marina, long-time friend of the Mennonite Centre, former director of the Dolina School and current director of the larger of the two schools (grades 2-11) in Molochansk.—about 340 students. Among her recent accomplishments is her success in convincing local governments to install a natural gas heating system in the school. Only in her second year in this capacity, she is already dreaming of establishing a small museum room in the school to commemorate the history of the town, formerly Halbstadt.
On Friday, the usual day for some 50 seniors to enjoy tea and a sandwich at the Centre, the staff present each of the “babushkas” with a hand-crafted card (quilling?) and a small gift. Marina and Dema team up for entertaining duets. We can only imagine the stories these women could tell of their seventy or eighty years in Ukraine! We have heard a few of them from people like Olga who has served the Mennonite Centre as receptionist for many years but is now retired. On Sunday a group of five university students from Zaporizhia visited the Centre. Their
assignment was to learn about German influence in Ukraine, specifically in the area of architecture. They were fascinated with the story of the Mennonites in Ukraine over the years. Rudy Friesen’s book on Mennonite architecture will be an invaluable resource for them as they prepare their presentation. We donated two books for them to take along to their faculty library and instructor, and in addition four of them purchased their own copies as well. Since they are part of the German department at the University, their presentation will be in German as well. They promised to invite us.
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