It’s not uncommon for authoritarian figures to rattle their sabers to intimidate their neighbors. In the case of Vladimir Putin, president of Russia, threats turned into action in February when Russian forces invaded Ukraine.
This Sunday, the Greater Litchfield Opera House Association presents “Signs, Sounds & Cuisine of Peacetime Ukraine” 1-4 p.m. at the Litchfield Opera House, 136 N. Marshall Ave. Admission is free.
This event provides an opportunity to learn about this Eastern European country’s history and culture through music, words and images.
Svetlana Potapova Davis, a symphonic violinist, who studied music at the Kyiv Conservatory and earned a master’s degree in teaching and performance from the National Music Academy of Ukraine, will perform Ukrainian folk music. She now lives in the Twin Cities where she teaches music — violin, viola and piano — and performs with the Wayzata Symphony Orchestra.
Award-winning photographer Ralph Hallquist, will share his images of Ukraine while providing remarks and insights.
And did I mention dessert?
“We’re going to bring dessert,” he said. “Kyiv Cake. It’s a delicious confection, very similar to Black Forest Cake with a chocolate base, wonderful cream filling and beautiful frosting. It’s truly tasty. We know a wonderful Ukrainian pastry chef and she will be making them for the occasion.”
MEET RALPH HALLQUIST
Hallquist is a local, born in St. Cloud, attended kindergarten and first grade in Hutchinson and then headed to Litchfield where he graduated with the class of 1968.
Sunday’s program came about due to the longtime friendship Hallquist has had with Dean and Karin Urdahl.
“She and her husband, Dean, have been friends of mine since their college years,” he said. “We were close friends in high school. You get to know each other’s families. They were close to my late wife. When I remarried a lady from Ukraine, they got to know her. We were talking one day about the war, when Brent Schacherer (general manager of the Hutchinson Leader and Litchfield Independent Review) was sitting at another table. We were introduced and one thing led to another.”
We’re all familiar with the destruction shown on television. Hallquist thought if people could see what Ukraine was like before the bombs dropped it might bring greater understanding. He told Karin Urdahl that he had collected thousands of images since 2008.
“I had been to the Opera House many times,” he said. “I told her I would be willing to put these up on the wall and let people see. The idea snowballed from there.”
Hallquist intends to give his presentation in three segments, with musical interludes, so people can circulate and look at the images. He expects to have about 55 images, creating a mini gallery experience.
“The stress of my comments (will be) here’s some fast and fun facts you didn’t know about Ukraine,” he said. “’How did this come to be?’ will be the thrust of the talk. It started in 1922 to get us to this point — 100 years on the nose. Those steps to summarize are a series of oppression and pushback against Russia and it cycled back and forth for 100 years. It led to countless deaths in Ukraine.”
Hallquist said Russia has traditionally — dating back at least to the time of the Crimean War in 1853 — destroyed everything in its path. That’s what TV viewers saw happening in eastern Ukraine over the past four months.
Hallquist said he hopes his presentation will show how this cycle has repeated itself through the past century.
“We should be under no illusions that there is no compromise here that will guarantee peace in the future,” he said. “I hate to be political, tyrants through history have been very public about their plans — Stalin, Hitler and Mao. They would do anything by any means to achieve their ends. Putin was very clear and is very clear his aim extends beyond Ukraine. We should not kid ourselves. This is the price people pay to look the other way.”
FAMILY CONNECTIONS
Hallquist and his wife, Tetiana, who make their home in Sacramento, California, have had a front row seat during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Her mother and sister live in the capitol city of Kyiv.
When the war started their family members found safety in the hallways of their cement apartment buildings. Windows were being blown in and basements were flooding due to broken water mains.
“They had to flee in the early stages of the war,” he said. “It was quite a journey. If you can imagine driving across a country — almost the size of Texas — at night with just your parking lights on and navigate by cell phone, with messages such as ‘tanks on this road’ coming through. They made it to the Polish border and were wonderfully received. Through her mother’s Ukrainian Orthodox church, they were placed with a family who provided room in their home outside of Prague in the Czech Republic. After about 90 days, they returned home. Going back was only semi-scary. Their two apartments were not ransacked.”
Initially communication was challenging between Ukraine and California because coverage was spotty, but it has since returned to normal.
“We see videos that don’t make the news,” Hallquist said. “Her sister is particularly good about sending information such as, ‘Here’s a scene of such and such.’ One video she sent shortly after their return to Kyiv, she was standing at the window of her apartment looking out as a Russian missile struck a main rail yard about a mile from her apartment. She captured it.
“The violence is so random and unpredictable,” he continued. “A city — with no value in the middle of nowhere — is hit with four missiles and then nothing happens after that. It’s very random. I think that’s part of the plan — psychological terror.”
Next up for Hallquist? Retirement.
“I hope to be retired soon,” he said. “I’ve lived in 12 cities around the country, two of them twice. My career has taken me me to different locales. I’m the president and general manager of a dairy processor, similar to Kemp’s and Land O’ Lakes. We process milk for convenience stores, restaurants and grocery stores.”
And when it comes to the future of Ukraine, “I don’t think the last chapter has been written,” he said.
