Flags Flying Behind the North Street Community Gardens This Afternoon.

Victoria Bernard, Who born in Bulgaria,

Flags Flying from Munjoy Hill in Support of Ukaine

Ben Bernard This Afternoon

“The weekend after the February 28 invasion of Ukraine by Russia we saw rallies in New York and in Boston.  But we couldn’t find anything in Portland.  So we decided to make flags ourselves,” said Ben Bernard this afternoon.  He and his wife Victoria were standing at the corner of North Street and the Eastern Promenade calling attention to the invasion by holding flying flags.

The couple went to JoAnn’s Fabrics on Brighton Avenueand bought all the yellow and blue material they had in stock; that was four or five yards of each color.   They borrowed a sewing machine from a friend and Ben sewed three flags the first day.

The Bernards decided on the Munjoy HIll location because of its visibility from area  highways and the strong winds in the area.

Several weeks later, they went to JoAnn’s in Topsham to buy more blue and gold material.  He sewed more flags with the friend’s sewing machine.

Because of his work schedule, the Bernards can be found at this windy spot on the Hill weekdays between 7:00 am – 8:00 am and in the evenings between 6:00 – 7:00 pm.

Victoria was born in Bulgaria, formerly a Soviet satellite.  When she was seven years old, her parents left the country and came to the United States.  That was in 1976.  She was required to stay behind and live with her grandparents she said this afternoon.  She was reunited with her parents four years later; in Houston, Texas in 1980.  “It was okay.  I loved my grandparents,” she said this afternoon.  Ben and Victoria attended high school together in Houston.

“We are just so grateful to the people who are supporting Ukraine,” said Victoria  this afternoon as she and Ben sppoke from their windy spot on Munjoy HIll.  “We’ll keep doing this as long as we need to” said Ben.