Boli me duša
- franadivich
- Mar 12, 2022
- 2 min read
My soul hurts.
It is a very Slavic concept. In Ukrainian “iмоя душа болить”. In Croatian “boli me dusa”. Throughout history much Slav blood has been spilt and many Slav souls have been hurt. And it happens again.
I know that 50% of my blood is Slavic. My grandparents came to New Zealand from Dalmatia in what is now Croatia, but it has been under the rule of various empires, throughout history. The DNA test I took tells me that 20% of my Slavic blood comes from outside the Balkans, from Eastern Europe and Russia.
The people fighting in Ukraine are my people.
I have seen this before in my lifetime. There were bloody wars fought by Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo for independence. There was ethnic cleansing. Rape was used to terrorize women. Acts of pure evil perpetrated by Slavic brother against Slavic brother and sister. It was chillingly close to home for me because we had family there. It made my soul hurt.
As I watch the civilians of Irpin flee their city during a supposed ceasefire I have flash backs to Sarajevo and the snipers killing civilians going out to get food. We must never forget that genocide happened under the nose of Europe in Srebrenica.
I have to confess that I am shocked at how quickly the war in the former Yugoslavia has been forgotten. The media speaks of the events in Ukraine as something not seen since World War II. At least 130,000 people died and more than 2,000,000 people were displaced in the break up of Yugoslavia. it wasn’t that long ago. It was horrific and the fact another horrific war is happening on European soil shows we have learnt nothing.
I cry every day for the people of Ukraine. I cry for brave President Zelensky. I cry for the mothers of babies hiding underground while their homeland is bombed. I cry for every one terrified for their loved ones in a war zone . I cry for those fleeing their homes for safer foreign countries. I cry over the senselessness of war.
My soul hurts.
Slava Ukraini! Heroiam Slava! Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the heroes!
Here is a link to a Serbian singing of his hurting soul
It reminds me of my father listening to a weekly Yugoslav radio show, full of similar songs, when I was a little girl.
"My soul hurts." very apt something hurts very deep within us, deep within in our guts, we have no way of physically helping, and that hurts also. My friend who moved to Switzerland to be with his wife (now) is sending pictures of the Swiss 'Salvation' Army getting aid together and getting it trucked to Ukraine. Other times I get angry of how man can be so brutish against their fellow man, makes me want to intensely dislike humanity, maybe I am a latent misanthropist! Look after yourself Frana, and thank you for remembering your roots. :-)