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Portraits of Sisterhood
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I am a strong woman. But Elwira - is absolute strength

I believe in women's power. Sometimes it feels like men are incapable of agreeing and walking side by side, and we manage to do it

Irena Tymotiievych

Lilia Kuznetsova and Elwira Niewiera with children from «Home of Happy Children» Care Centre. Germany, 2024

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<frame>We present to you the following publication from the series «Portraits of Sisterhood». In it, we want to talk about the friendship between Ukrainian and Polish women, the support from ordinary people, and not only that - but also about the misunderstandings that ultimately led to new knowledge between the two nations about each other. Share your stories with us - stories of encounters with Polish or Ukrainian women that changed your life, impressed you, taught you something, surprised you, or made you think. Write to us at: [email protected]<frame>

I rehabilitated the children, and they did so for me

My path from the beauty industry and world runway podiums to charity and care over an orphanage was laid by losing my closest person. And it happened unexpectedly.

In the past, I was a sportswoman, I did rhythmic gymnastics. I earned the title of Master of Sports. I got into the «Khreshchatyk» Fashion house in Kyiv by accident: I came by it on the way to my Institute. Back then, it was the best fashion house for knitwear in the Soviet Union, it used to conquer the world runways. I saw an ad about an audition and decided to come along with my friends for company.

This is how my modeling story began.

I have been to many countries, including the USA, Brazil, Mexico, South Korea, Great Britain and almost all of Europe.

The Odesa Film Festival 2017

In 2002, when I had already been a recognisable person in the capital, my friend Ksenia Kuzmenko and I opened our own agency. Apart from modelling business, we also engaged in organising and producing the Miss Ukraine national contest. After we successfully managed to hold this contest at the «Ukraina» Palace in 2004 with a TV live stream, I was curious about how it was - being a contestant. I wanted to understand the girls better and support them.

Then I entered the Miss Global USA contest myself, and… was awarded the crown of Mrs Globe Europe.

I like art, and apart from modelling, I was passionate about cinema. One of the most memorable roles I have played was the daughter of a Polish duke in a movie about Bohdan Khmelnytsky. Before the full-scale invasion, I acted in a successful Ukrainian project called «Kyiv Day and Night». Life was very fulfilling.

Lilia as Lady Gryzelda Wiśniowiecka in the movie «Bohdan-Zynovii Khmelnytsky»

But one day my mother suddenly passed away - and something shattered inside of me. We were very close. I did not want anything, I needed new meanings to keep on living.

When I was offered to lead the charity foundation responsible for the «Home of Happy Children» child rehabilitation centre, I was unsure I could do it. This is the place where they help abandoned children - some were simply found on the street, some were disowned by their parents, and others were taken from families in crisis. While the adults are taking care of legal questions and searching for new families for the children, these kids have the opportunity to live in comfort and undergo psychological rehabilitation. The team and I had to ensure all of this.

At first, I only visited but with each new visit I would get sucked in deeper and deeper: the kids wait for my visits, trust and attachments are formed. That saved me both then and now - during the war. Because everyone finds their inspiration and meaning in life in difficult times. I rehabilitated the children - and they did so for me.

The Power Woman

On the first days of the great war, artillery and air defence troops were placed next to our orphanage. We swiftly decided to evacuate the children, the staff, taking responsibility, transported them to safer settlements in Ukraine - wherever they could.

Offers came in to relocate the orphanage abroad but we were hoping that everything would pass quickly. At that time, everyone believed that this war would not last long. One such offer came from Olga Bohomolets [Ukrainian political and civil activist, Honored Doctor of Ukraine, - Edit.]: a family from Germany was able to help, provide accommodation and everything required.

That is how Elwira appeared in my life. We created the children’s evacuation plan working online with her in particular. At the time, I had no idea who Elwira Niewiera actually was, I had not seen her movies and did not imagine that I would be absolutely fascinated by this woman, having mutual sympathy and close friendship with her. A woman with boundless energy and desire to help. To me, she is now that very Power Woman.

Elwira Niewiera

At that time, Elwira had already been engaged in supporting our soldiers, it was she who managed to find a wealthy family from Bavaria that allocated and continues to allocate substantial funds to support the Ukrainian army, as she could not tolerate the inaction of the German government. A woman named Ulrike had a vacant villa next to a lake in the forest, and after careful consideration, Niewiera proposed to evacuate and relocate the Ukrainian orphanage there.

Leaving was complicated. Firstly, the war had already been going on for several months, and if previously there had been chaos and people, children and orphanages would cross the border without any documents, we, on the contrary, had to go through all the bureaucratic corridors and receive official permissions from four separate ministries and the military administration. And secondly, we had to literally «gather» 20 children from all over Ukraine: from Kyiv, Ternopil, Volyn’ and Lviv regions - everywhere they had ended up.

Elwira and von Walz's family organised the transport and relocation. On the Polish border, we transferred to another bus that brought us to our new home. It was scary for both children and adults - we were voyaging into the unknown.

Care with a capital «C»

In Germany, we became the only ones who, as an entire orphanage, including caregivers, found refuge thanks to a private initiative. I never would have thought that Germans are so capable of caring. You barely have time to think about it - and they are already doing it for you.

In the small Bavarian town, our bus was greeted by the locals, the mayor and even an orchestra. They closed off the entire highway for this. Everything was prepared in the house - even food and sleeping places for my dog and cat I brought with me.

Summer 2022 in Bavaria

A year passed before we managed to organise a new way of life and accept the new reality that we live here, that today this is our home. And that we also live under one roof - 20 children and 10 caregivers - like a new family. Only in a year, when the initial stress had somewhat subsided, did we start noticing what a wonderful place we found ourselves in. The locals were helping as much as they could, they even organised sports lessons and activities for children. This is Care with a capital «C».

When Elwira visited us for the first time to get to know us with hugs and treats for the children, we arranged a party. She recorded everything on camera and promised to one day make a movie out of it. She found kind words and the right approach to every kid.

Later, in Amsterdam, where she had invited me to her movie’s premiere [«The Hamlet Syndrome» (2022), - Edit.], I discovered a different Elwira for myself: a talented director, a caring individual, who is not afraid of examining and finding solutions for very serious societal problems.

I remember how the theatre happened to us.

Niewiera’s friend came to visit the children - a director Rosa Sarkisian, who acted in «The Hamlet Syndrome». We had an idea of partaking in theatrotherapy: to express one's emotions and experiences and to talk about what hurts, through the persona of a certain character. This became a huge step forward in the children’s therapy. They carry severe psychological trauma with them but after talking about it even once - it gets easier for them. One week with Rosa turned out to be more effective than therapy with psychologists on the base of another centre.

Our theater. Summer 2023

We made a genuine theatre from these deep life stories. Imagine, Elwira organised a tour in Berlin! Our children performed on stage, there were stories about them in newspapers. It changed them completely, they became more trusting and confident, and the fear of opening up disappeared completely.

But most importantly - they were happy.

Act like a woman

I feel like Elwira thinks about Ukraine 24/7. And not just thinks, but acts. Every day. Recently, I came to her in Berlin for a weekend [Elwira Niewiera, a volunteer, Polish-German movie director and writer, is currently residing in Berlin, - Edit.] and she worked non-stop: she receives inquiries from the frontline, sends generators, night vision devices and drones over there. She especially helps women who ended up in difficult situations. It is just human, womanly. At this very moment, while I am telling you about her, she is busy finding a place to live in Kyiv for a woman who survived Russian captivity.

I don't know where she draws the strength to respond calmly in any situation, but I've never seen her lose her temper or get nervous. Inner calmness - is a great feat. At first, I was convinced she did yoga in order to achieve this - and started doing it as well because in working with children it is crucial to always keep calm, have your spirit up and be positive. Until one time Elwira asked me herself: «You know, it is so nice to spend time with you, you are so calm and peaceful. How do you manage to stay that way?»

I believe in women’s power. Sometimes it feels like men are not capable of agreeing and walking side by side, while women are. We have common sense and inner balance. We know how to stay composed and be flexible in critical moments.

Maybe I am only judging by Elwira or myself since I am confident to say that I am a strong woman. But she is absolute strength. She manages to not only reach her goals but to lead and support other people in the most difficult time

The hardest - letting the children go

Over the last 2,5 years I have been a cook, dishwasher, housekeeper, psychologist, doctor, driver, courier. I realised that when you acquire certain knowledge or skills, you need to use and develop them further, not lose them, because you never know how fate might unfold.

For example, I studied German at school but I never thought I would need this language. The women in my family were good cooks - but I never developed this ability in myself, until I had to cook for 30 people. I also became a driver since we live in the middle of a forest, and the children had to be taken to and from school and classes. Additionally, I have a diploma in medical rehabilitation. In Germany, it is a speciality in demand, and if I suddenly decided to stay, I could successfully work here.

Elwira Niewiera, Lilia Kuznetsova and Rosa Sarkisian

Now, our children are coming home. Some get adopted, others return to their families because the court cases have ended or the parents have managed to resolve their issues. We have only three boys left as of today. I promised them they would graduate school here - especially the eldest boy because he is studying in a German class. In two years he managed to learn German from scratch, pass the exams on par with his German classmates, and he invited me to his graduation. The last time I was at a graduation was when my son finished school.

It is very difficult to let children go. Psychologists advise that one should immediately separate and communicate less. But in two years we have become a family, and I truly care about how the children’s lives unfold in their new families. I often consult with Elwira about the children, and we contemplate the best course of action together. She has seen all the processes from the inside and is my trusted person.

Meanwhile, our orphanage in Kyiv continues its work. We made sure to keep it clean and cosy and set up a shelter, but we still have not been able to find a psychologist. We are planning to invite Rosa with her unique theatre therapy method. Unfortunately, now more than ever, there is a huge number of children in need of help and care, and the country desperately needs such facilities.

On July 23rd «Home of Happy Children» opened its doors for new inhabitants.

And who do you think was the first visitor? - ELWIRA!

The text was prepared by Irena Tymotiyevych.

Photos from a private archive

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Journalist, editor, photographer. Worked in the area of communications. Since 2022, she has been covering social and cultural problems associated with the war in Ukraine.

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The first and foremost is the experienced political strategist Susie Wiles. Aged 68, she currently holds the position of Chief of Staff at the White House and controls access to the president. It was she who insisted that technology billionaire Elon Musk should not be granted a private office in the White House. Otherwise, he would never leave the Oval Office.

Susie Wiles has been by Trump’s side for many years. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images/AFP/East News

Susie began her career in political PR in 1979. Coincidentally, her first job was at the office of Jack Kemp - a Republican and, crucially, also a star of American football and a teammate of Susie’s father on the New York Giants. This role became a springboard for the young professional into the world of high-level politics - by 1980, she had already joined the presidential campaign of the new Republican star Ronald Reagan. In fact, it was on Wiles’s advice that Trump regularly quoted this great American and even reworked his political slogan to suit his own agenda.

After working on the presidential campaigns of George W. Bush and Mitt Romney, Wiles decided to monetise her expertise and earn wealth from commercial clients. This enterprising lady founded consultancy and lobbying firms, which made her not only a successful political consultant but also a wealthy one. In her best years, she had more than 40 clients, including entire countries such as Qatar and Nigeria, as well as tobacco giants. Elon Musk’s SpaceX and telecommunications monopolist AT&T also sought Wiles’s assistance.

In 2015, while enjoying the sunshine and palm trees of Florida, Donald Trump entertained an intriguing idea - to run for President of the United States. He therefore hired the successful lobbyist and political strategist - the two appreciated each other and began to work together.

Trump calls her «ice baby» and repeated the nickname during his speech at his Mar-a-Lago estate after it became clear he had won the election. The media, however, upgraded this «ice baby» to a more mature «Ice Queen»

Wiles’s colleagues highlight her strengths as a strategist. She brought the much-needed order to Trump’s campaign, managed its narrative (to the extent possible with Trump himself), and demonstrated her outstanding organisational skills. One of Wiles’s colleagues even described her as Trump’s longest-serving adviser, present at all his key meetings. Within the president’s circle, it is said that he frequently includes her in phone calls concerning political matters.

As often happens, the media sometimes receives leaks, such as about a secret Signal chat, where Wiles showed her firm character and hinted at the dismissal of National Security Adviser Mike Waltz.

Regarding her management style, in what is perhaps her only interview since her appointment, she told Axios:

«I do not welcome people who want to operate solo or become stars. My team and I will not tolerate backstabbing, inappropriate speculations or intrigue».

At one point, Wiles successfully dealt with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who challenged Trump in the primaries and even demanded that Wiles be dismissed from the campaign. When he dropped out of the race in January 2024, Wiles simply posted on social media: «Bye-bye».

The 2024 election campaign, which Wiles led alongside political consulting veteran Chris LaCivita, was successful and passed without major scandals

Trump followed advice, remained calm and used social media less frequently. At the same time, he appeared on young podcasters’ shows and danced for TikTok, which helped attract new voters.

Establishing contact with Susie Wiles is essential if one wishes to access the very brain of the President of the United States. Moreover, she controls the movements of all Trump’s friends and acquaintances within the White House, which is precisely why the musician Kid Rock appears there from time to time, but golf buddies are seen less often.

Another key woman who helped make Trump president twice is the charismatic Christian preacher Paula White. She recently became head of the newly established Office of Faith Affairs, which, among other things, is tasked with promoting religious freedom not only nationally but also internationally. During Trump’s first term, Paula White also worked on religious matters, though on a more modest scale.

The charismatic Paula White is always at the side of the President of the United States. Photo: Brynn Anderson/Associated Press/East News

The attractive blonde has known the Trump family since 2001. She is a star of Christian television, with her sermons filling stadiums and concert venues. Clearly, at some point, Trump heard Paula White working with an audience, became inspired by her prosperity theology - according to which material success is a sign of divine grace - and decided that such faith suited him.

If one closely observes the pastor’s speeches, it becomes evident that Trump copied her manner of speaking and gesticulation

The trust in White is so great that during his first term, she served as chair of the Evangelical Advisory Board for Trump’s 2016 campaign, and she became the first female clergy member to deliver a prayer at the inauguration on January 20th 2017.

Pastor White supported Trump in the 2020 presidential race, delivering a prayer at his campaign launch event. Similarly, during the 2024 election campaign, she was actively involved in the future president’s team. This accounts for the high support among the Christian electorate.

Paula White is known for her staunch support of Israel and has even appeared on lists such as «The 50 Best Christian Allies of Israel»

For Ukrainians, a significant fact is that from the very beginning of the invasion, Pastor White organised humanitarian aid for Ukrainian refugees in European countries, regularly reporting this on her website. Therefore, establishing contact with Paula White is a task for every Protestant pastor. It is a guaranteed path straight to Trump’s heart.

In her new role, Paula White will be working closely with the new Attorney General of the United States, Pam Bondi. In parallel with White’s appointment, Bondi was named head of a task force to «eradicate anti-Christian bias», which is intended to put an end to «all forms of anti-Christian attacks and discrimination within the federal government».

Pam Bondi is part of Trump’s inner circle. Photo: Ben Curtis/Associated Press/East News

The 59-year-old former head of the Florida state prosecutor’s office has pledged to maintain the independence of the Department of Justice and «not involve politics in its operations» - amid concerns that Trump intends to take control of the agency and exact revenge on those who led investigations against him and his supporters regarding the refusal to recognise the election results and the storming of the Capitol in 2021.

Interestingly, Bondi was not the president’s first choice for the post of Attorney General. Initially, Trump intended to assign the role to Matt Gaetz. However, before the appointment, the United States Congressional Ethics Committee discovered that Gaetz had spent over 90 thousand dollars making payments to 12 women, a significant number of whom were allegedly linked to services involving underage prostitution and drug use.

Ironically, during Trump’s first presidential term, Pam Bondi chaired the commission on the abuse of narcotic and opioid substances. Recently, the lawyer has been consulting for the America First Policy Institute - an organisation with considerable influence over the newly elected president’s political agenda.

On her first day as Attorney General of the United States, Pam Bondi decided to shut down the special unit tasked with seizing the assets of Russian oligarchs. Instead, the lawyer declared that the new enemy of the United States is the drug cartels

Nevertheless, Russian oligarchs certainly cannot expect the immediate return of their yachts. At the same time, Bondi did not state that the cases handled by the now-disbanded KleptoCapture unit would be closed. It is likely they will continue, although there will no longer be a dedicated team focusing exclusively on this activity. It is also possible that new cases will be launched.

Recently, Pam Bondi demonstrated her loyalty to her chief. She officially declared that it is unlikely criminal proceedings will be initiated over the transmission of sensitive military information via an unsecured Signal chat, in which Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth shared a plan for an airstrike on targets in Yemen.

The Attorney General intends to maintain Trump’s legal peace and protect him from the consequences of his past actions. Like the first two women, she belongs to Trump’s closest circle and is expected to remain with him until the end of his current term.

This project is co-financed by the Polish-American Freedom Foundation within the framework of the «Support Ukraine» programme implemented by the Education for Democracy Foundation

20
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The three key women behind Trump. Who turned Donald into a politician and a Christian?

Maryna Danyliuk-Yarmolayeva

The Estonian politician has a reputation as a «Russophobe» because she can convincingly explain why Russia should not be trusted on land, in the Baltic Sea or at the negotiating table. It is rare to find someone in Brussels who calls things by their proper names. Kaja Kallas openly states that the war against Ukraine is not a minor regional conflict but rather a piece in a grand game where the ultimate prize is bringing Moscow’s subjects to heel.

The Estonian Prime Minister’s stance is so strong in the Western world that her name was among the finalists for the position of NATO’s new Secretary General
Photo: JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP/East News

Here, an intriguing detail must be added: the refined blonde with a steely character is the Kremlin’s worst nightmare. She is not merely banned from entering Russia, as is the case with most rational EU politicians, but she is also the first government official whom Moscow has officially placed on a criminal wanted list for «desecration of a historical monument».

The reason - the decommunisation and removal of numerous monuments from the Soviet occupation period, carried out by Kallas’s government. Russia was particularly adamant about preserving a Soviet tank in the border town of Narva, where ethnic Russians significantly outnumber locals.

Previous Estonian governments had raised the issue of relocating the tank, which symbolised not so much the fight against Nazism as it did Russian militarism. However, fears lingered - the mass riots in Tallinn in 2007 (the so-called «Bronze Night»), carried out by local Russians and agitators from Russia in response to the relocation of a monument to a Soviet soldier in the Estonian capital, heightened concerns that another move could trigger a repeat of those events, from street clashes to cyberattacks on government websites. However, in the summer of 2022, after visiting the de-occupied town of Bucha, Kallas took the issue to a new level. In the end, despite the complaints of Russian speakers, the tank was sent to storage.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Kaja Kallas in Tallinn. January 2024. Photo: Associated Press/East News

In 2023, when the politician was already being named among those who could join the new European top elite, she gave an interview to British hard-talker Stephen Sackur. At the time, the journalist asked whether her heart was open to the 25% of Russian speakers who complained of severe oppression - they were not allowed to enter Estonia with Russian car number plates. Interestingly, the loudest outcries came from the so-called Russian opposition. Kallas’s response was firm:

- You are confusing two things. Russians who live here, we call Russian-speaking Estonians. And Russia is a separate matter. I want to point out that, firstly, in the 1920s, Russians in Estonia made up 3%. By the end of the occupation, it was 30%. So it is not as if they had always lived here...

- Are you saying that they are not real Estonians? - Sackur clarified.

- No, no. I am saying that those who want to be part of Estonia, who consider Estonia their home, have applied for citizenship, learned the language and are part of our society - they constitute the majority of our Russian-speaking population. We ask for only one thing: learn our language, because that is who we are, we live here - and it is a way to integrate them. Furthermore, I want to emphasise that even if we have a different history, we share a common future, and we are focused on that.

It felt like a cold shower, as nothing like this had ever been heard on the BBC.

Kallas takes a very sober view of today's threats due to her poignant family history

In March 2022, she wrote a column for the New York Times explaining why Russia’s occupation of Ukraine and its repressive actions reveal its true face.

«My mother was just a six-month-old baby when, in 1949, the Soviet authorities deported her along with her mother and grandmother to Siberia. My grandfather was sent to a Siberian labour camp. They were lucky to survive and return to Estonia, but many did not. Today, the Kremlin is reviving methods of outright barbarism», - Kallas admitted.

Young Kaja Kallas with her father. Photo: IG Kallas

Her father, Siim Kallas, played a central role in Estonia’s independence movement and was the president of the country’s central bank. When the young Kaja decided to try her hand at politics, many advised her against it. Some doubted that a model-like woman could also be intelligent, while others even called her a «daddy’s girl».

However, by 2014, Kallas, as a Member of the European Parliament, had already proven herself an expert in digitalisation and had become an advocate for Ukraine at the outset of the war with Russia. It is important to clarify - this was at a time when global leaders were reluctant to confront Moscow and saw no major issue with the annexation of Crimea. After all, there had been a referendum, people had chosen Russia. What was the problem?

As Europe's chief diplomat, Kallas has a very clear-eyed assessment of the risks facing Europe

Above all, these include various hybrid threats across the EU - sabotage, cyberattacks, the shadow fleet, GPS disruptions and damage to cables. She is pushing for increased funding for security and defence, as simply relying on Washington’s nuclear umbrella in the Trump era is akin to suicide.

Kaja Kallas is convinced that the European Union must launch its own defence industry, as she stated in an interview with Suspilne in December 2024:

- The defence industry is crucial because a war is raging on European soil, in Ukraine, and Putin shows no signs of abandoning his objectives.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European chief diplomat Kaja Kallas. Photo: Geert Vanden Wijngaert/Associated Press/East News

As the rational voice of Brussels, she has subtly explained to the United States why supporting Ukraine is in America's best interests:

- If America is concerned about China, then it must first worry about Russia. We see that Russia, Iran, North Korea and China are working together. We also see what Putin is doing in other countries, actively expanding his influence. So, if the US wants to remain the world’s strongest power, it will ultimately have to deal with Russia. The easiest way to handle this is to support Ukraine so it wins the war.

Ukrainian diplomats who maintain close contact with Brussels all unanimously note that a new generation of competent and determined women has entered European politics. They are professional, steadfast in their positions and fully aware of their identity and purpose. The name Kaja Kallas is mentioned most often. She is not just a self-made woman but also a descendant of Estonians whom Russia deported like cattle to Siberia, hoping that no one would survive the lumber camps.

Yet Kallas’s mother survived and instilled in her daughter an understanding of why Russia is an enemy and why its favourite pastime is killing and looting

The Estonian with an unyielding character has become the loudest voice of Eastern Europe in Brussels, representing the very region that Moscow stubbornly considers its sphere of influence. However, as time and experience show, small nations also have a voice and teeth. They can bite the throat of the predator that pushes in uninvited.

The project is co-financed by the Polish-American Freedom Foundation as part of the «Support Ukraine» programme, implemented by the «Education for Democracy» Foundation

20
хв

«Russophobe at the helm of Europe»: how Estonian Kaja Kallas became Eastern Europe’s loudest voice in Brussels

Maryna Danyliuk-Yarmolayeva

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