Some Ukrainians living in Portugal celebrated the first great Greek Catholic Mass in Lisbon this Sunday after Russia invaded their country. They prayed for peace and once again thanked for the friendship that the Portuguese had given them.
There is a word that this immigrant community has been repeating over and over in recent days: “Thank you.” In the daily demonstrations they have been holding since their country was invaded, the support they received from the Portuguese is never forgotten. They do it on their own initiative.
This Sunday, at an emotional Sunday Mass at the Church of San Jorge de Arroyos in Lisbon, it was the turn of Ukraine’s Ambassador to Portugal, Inna Ognivets, to ascend the pulpit of the church to, on behalf of everyone: Thank you again. But this sincere gratitude is not new. Citizens of this Eastern European country say they have been “happy, free and well cared for” since they arrived there more than 20 years ago.
But what is this community that has also received a lot of praise from the Portuguese in recent days thanks to numerous statements in the media?
“I tell you what our Portuguese brothers tell us every day: we are hardworking, honest people and just want to make friends. This is how we are and our path is also a way to thank you for how you accepted and accept us,” said Pavlo Sodokha, President of the Association of Ukrainians in Portugal (AUP), who has been in our country for 21 years. .
Father Mateusz Dziurbán, who celebrated Greek Catholic Mass at Arroyos Church, has been in Portugal for only five years but says he knows his country’s “community” in Portugal. “Ukrainians are good people who want good things for themselves and for others.”
A serious crisis experienced in their country in the 90s of the last century forced Ukrainians to look for a better life around the world. It is estimated that today about 10 million people live and work abroad. There are about 28,000 of them in Portugal scattered around the country, but between 2008 and 2010 their number reached 80,000. Most of them even today come from the western part of the country, an agricultural region with very little industry.
“The former quickly realized that they were well received in Portugal, that they were treated with respect. To have a job. Word spread, and many people began to come, whole families,” says Pavel Sadokha, a 52-year-old economist. And he gives his own example: “I arrived more than 20 years ago without a job, without speaking Portuguese, without knowing anything about the country and the Portuguese. People have been helping me since day one. Always. I easily made friends and even married a Portuguese woman.”
“There is no difficulty in finding a job”
The President of the AUP also says that another reason why “Ukrainians are happy in Portugal” is due to the fact that “all governments, without exception, have always provided great support to society.” “They gave us jobs, schools, even houses, signed a lot of support protocols.” “We have never lacked government support,” he says.
According to him, in terms of age, “the majority of 50 to 60 years old are those who arrived in Portugal 20 years ago at the age of 30–40 years.” “In recent years, many young people have come, many children have been born here, and now there are many young people in the community.”
The first to arrive in Portugal were mostly “laborers, construction and agricultural workers and cleaners”, but “in the last decade the community has become specialized”. “Today we have engineers, and doctors, and musicians, and teachers, and people who are very highly specialized in various fields, and it is not difficult for them to find work,” he emphasizes.
Regarding the significant reduction in the number of Ukrainian immigrants working in Portugal, the president of the AUP explains this by the fact that “many of those who came never intended to stay – they just wanted to save money and then return to Ukraine” and with “the financial crisis that hit Portugal, which started in 2011 and left many people out of work.”
Pavel Sadoha believes that in the near future, “due to the war and after António Costa opened the doors of Portugal to anyone who wants to come, the community will grow. He does not yet know how many will arrive, but he expects that “there will be a lot.”
Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva told CNN last Saturday that “tens of thousands” of Ukrainians could come to Portugal.
“I can guarantee one thing for those who want to come: they will be well received in Portugal, they will be happy, free and well treated,” Pavlo guarantees.
“Glory to Ukraine”
Let’s go back to the church of San Jorge de Arroyos. It is not yet 8 am, and the temple pews are almost full. Father Mateusz Dziurban says the church fills up every Sunday. “Ukrainians, like the Portuguese, are people of great faith. In these difficult times, prayer helps to find peace of mind. It doesn’t fix problems or worries, but it does help. The people are suffering a lot. Our people are suffering a lot. We pray a lot for peace,” he told PÚBLICO.
This Sunday, the priest says he saw “closer faces” and “more pain.” “All these people have [na Ucrânia] family.”
At the end of the ceremony, Ambassador of Ukraine to Portugal Inna Ognivets rose to the pulpit of the temple.
“Putin wants to eliminate Ukraine as an independent and democratic state. With the support of all, we will stand, and with the support of the Portuguese, we will win,” he told his compatriots.
As soon as the ambassador finished speaking, the Ukrainians sang their national anthem. There were tears on some faces. “Glory to Ukraine, respect to its heroes,” everyone shouted with one voice before leaving the temple.
At the temple, Inna Ognivets took advantage of a conversation with PÚBLICO to thank for the support she received on Saturday evening from the Portuguese government, which announced that it would send weapons to Ukraine: “I must once again thank Portugal and the people of Portugal for this support. Ukraine is very grateful to Portugal. Together we will win”.
Inna Ohnivets also told the PUBLIC that the mayor of Lisbon, Carlos Moedas, also provided support to all Ukrainians who want to come to Portugal after the Russian invasion of the country. “We are now studying what kind of support is needed, but I have a guarantee that they will help us,” he said.
The PUBLIC then asked the ambassador for permission to photograph her. He immediately said yes, but first insisted on throwing the flag of his country around his shoulders.