Per Byman
@byman.se
Country co-ordinator Moldova/Ukraine. Also linguist and musician. I miss my trumpet.
Слава Україні!
Слава Україні!
Odesa, 21 November. 12 hours of air alert. A normal day for all my brave Ukrainian colleagues. I was happy to accompany our partner to the Black Sea. Black, BTW, in Old Slavic languages, means South. And White - North. Hence, Belarus - White Rus - North of the traditional Rus, centred around Kyiv.
November 23, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Odesa, 21 November. 12 hours of air alert. A normal day for all my brave Ukrainian colleagues. I was happy to accompany our partner to the Black Sea. Black, BTW, in Old Slavic languages, means South. And White - North. Hence, Belarus - White Rus - North of the traditional Rus, centred around Kyiv.
The Ukrainian spirit is unbreakable. After 8 hours of constant Shaheed attacks and air alarm, people actually go to the beach for a swim… Слава Україні! 🇺🇦
November 21, 2025 at 5:38 PM
The Ukrainian spirit is unbreakable. After 8 hours of constant Shaheed attacks and air alarm, people actually go to the beach for a swim… Слава Україні! 🇺🇦
Today I attended a magical ballet performance - Bohdan Pavlovsky’s Білосніжка і семеро гномів (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs) - at the Odesa Opera and Ballet Theatre. 30 dancers and an orchestra of 45. Pure magic!
November 20, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Today I attended a magical ballet performance - Bohdan Pavlovsky’s Білосніжка і семеро гномів (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs) - at the Odesa Opera and Ballet Theatre. 30 dancers and an orchestra of 45. Pure magic!
The view from my Odesa hotel. Allegedly (only anecdotal info) many properties in this area are owned by Russians. Hence, no air attacks in this area… right now, I hope I didn’t jinx it, and that we will have a calm night. But if they can pinpoint the Russian properties, I would not complain!
November 19, 2025 at 6:50 PM
The view from my Odesa hotel. Allegedly (only anecdotal info) many properties in this area are owned by Russians. Hence, no air attacks in this area… right now, I hope I didn’t jinx it, and that we will have a calm night. But if they can pinpoint the Russian properties, I would not complain!
🇺🇦 Today, 1 October, Ukraine honours the Day of the Defenders of Ukraine and the holiday of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin.
⠀
We can pray for the brave Ukrainian defenders and also provide them with the means to defend their country!
Слава Україні! Разом, до перемоги!
⠀
We can pray for the brave Ukrainian defenders and also provide them with the means to defend their country!
Слава Україні! Разом, до перемоги!
October 1, 2025 at 10:40 AM
🇺🇦 Today, 1 October, Ukraine honours the Day of the Defenders of Ukraine and the holiday of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin.
⠀
We can pray for the brave Ukrainian defenders and also provide them with the means to defend their country!
Слава Україні! Разом, до перемоги!
⠀
We can pray for the brave Ukrainian defenders and also provide them with the means to defend their country!
Слава Україні! Разом, до перемоги!
My father’s wall clock has been standing for years. It worked for a short time after he passed away in 2011, but then has been standing. Recently, my mother realised, it stopped at the hour he passed away. Not moving since. I missed his passing by 15 minutes… You can see the time on the clock…
September 16, 2025 at 7:39 PM
My father’s wall clock has been standing for years. It worked for a short time after he passed away in 2011, but then has been standing. Recently, my mother realised, it stopped at the hour he passed away. Not moving since. I missed his passing by 15 minutes… You can see the time on the clock…
Happy Independence Day to the brave Ukrainian nation and to all who stand with it. May your independence be eternal and may your nation prosper and grow!
August 24, 2025 at 10:35 AM
Happy Independence Day to the brave Ukrainian nation and to all who stand with it. May your independence be eternal and may your nation prosper and grow!
To all my brave Ukrainian friends (and everyone else working with and for the Ukrainian people) - Happy Flag Day! Proud that Sweden shares its colours with this brave nation!
August 23, 2025 at 3:40 PM
To all my brave Ukrainian friends (and everyone else working with and for the Ukrainian people) - Happy Flag Day! Proud that Sweden shares its colours with this brave nation!
So, 2,500 km later - Chișinău - Uman’ - Poltava - Kharkiv - Poltava - Kyiv - Zhytomyr - Vinnytsia - Chișinău, I am finally back home. A balmy 30 degrees, not like what I experienced on the M21 between Zhytomyr and Vinnytsia. Home, sweet home. And the hugs of a six-year old waiting for me!
August 7, 2025 at 1:58 PM
So, 2,500 km later - Chișinău - Uman’ - Poltava - Kharkiv - Poltava - Kyiv - Zhytomyr - Vinnytsia - Chișinău, I am finally back home. A balmy 30 degrees, not like what I experienced on the M21 between Zhytomyr and Vinnytsia. Home, sweet home. And the hugs of a six-year old waiting for me!
I’ve had my driver’s licence for 42 years. I’ve driven in all conditions - and I am grateful to my father, an Army driver during WWII, having grown up in Northern Sweden, for teaching me how to drive on snow and ice. But today, in Ukraine, was one of my most challenging experiences ever. This:
August 6, 2025 at 6:33 PM
I’ve had my driver’s licence for 42 years. I’ve driven in all conditions - and I am grateful to my father, an Army driver during WWII, having grown up in Northern Sweden, for teaching me how to drive on snow and ice. But today, in Ukraine, was one of my most challenging experiences ever. This:
So… our meeting in Lviv partly took place in shelter. A MiG-31K took off, triggering air alarm in all of Ukraine. This is daily life in Ukraine - us visitors only experience it every now and then. We are praying for a calm night in Western UA - the East is already under attack from Putler’s forces.
July 24, 2025 at 8:04 PM
So… our meeting in Lviv partly took place in shelter. A MiG-31K took off, triggering air alarm in all of Ukraine. This is daily life in Ukraine - us visitors only experience it every now and then. We are praying for a calm night in Western UA - the East is already under attack from Putler’s forces.
Looking forward to spending my 60th birthday in a Ukrainian shelter. This will be the third consecutive birthday I celebrate in Ukraine, but the first one on my own. Got a nice bottle of whisky from my boss, though…
March 22, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Looking forward to spending my 60th birthday in a Ukrainian shelter. This will be the third consecutive birthday I celebrate in Ukraine, but the first one on my own. Got a nice bottle of whisky from my boss, though…
