Volunteer in the defense of Odessa: We are united all ethnicities, we will defend the city, there is no other way

With the dawn, every day, the Greek expatriate Anatoli Bournazaki, starts working in the fortification operation of the city of Odessa, which organizes its defense for a possible – they consider it certain – attack by Russian troops.

And he returns home at night, when the traffic ban imposed by the authorities comes into force. He fled his wife and son to the city of Lviv in western Ukraine, where he stayed to defend his hometown, which is also the city of his ancestors.

“My people did not cross the border to Europe, because I believe we will win and everything will be as before. They will return home,” he said in a telephone conversation with APE BPE.

It was 7 pm, and he had just returned from volunteering: “These days I dedicate all my time, from seven in the morning until seven in the evening, when the curfew begins, to transport food, medicine, clothes to the residents “In the areas of Nikolaev and Kherson, which have been hit by Russian soldiers,” he said, adding.

“We will win, there is no other way! All the inhabitants are working voluntarily to defend Odessa, we are preparing feverishly for the worst. It may sound paradoxical but we are happy, because we know justice is with us, God is with us!”

“We are more united than ever at this time regardless of nationality. Greeks, Jews, Armenians, Georgians, Russians, Moldovans in Odessa, in difficult times we all declare ourselves Ukrainians. and Crimea but I believe they will not be able to enter the port. ”

A descendant of Greeks who settled in Odessa after the Russo-Turkish war in 1789, 49-year-old Bournouzaki admits that he knows little about his ancestors, but insists that he knows for sure that his surname has remained unchanged.

Many times, when I was a child at school, they asked me who are you? “I am Greek”, I answered and it seemed strange to them, because the word “Greek” was associated with them only in ancient Greek myths. of whom we still live today in this wonderful city that we love very much “.

Although he appears optimistic and determined, there are times when he also has bad thoughts. “I can not believe that this peaceful city, with its great history and the history of Greece, Odessa, the cradle of the Greek revolution of 1821, may have been destroyed!” says.

Vladislav Vlastopoulos, a professor of medical engineering of Greek origin at the University of Odessa, is experiencing difficult times, like all the inhabitants of the city.

“I am a native of Odessa, my ancestors came from Greece to the port of Odessa after the Greek Revolution, in 1829. My great-grandparents were merchants with titles of nobility, who loved this place, the city.

Everyone here so far can easily say that we are “Greeks”, “Greeks”, because the pearl of the Black Sea with five mayors of Greek origin in the 19th century, certainly acquired unchanged Greek DNA. Soon we will soon celebrate 200 years of presence of the Blastopoulos in Odessa.

“But if there is persecution and we are pressured and will be pressured to declare ourselves Russians, I will seek refuge in Greece,” he told APE-BPE, determined not to succumb to the invader.