Yuri Pokalchuk (1941 - 2008) was a Ukrainian writer, translator, researcher, candidate of philological sciences, head of the international department of the Writers' Union of Ukraine.
When the Georgian-Abkhaz war began and fighters from the ultra-nationalist organisation UNA-UNSO went to fight in Abkhazia, Yuri Pokalchuk went to defend Abkhazia. As an intellectual who speaks many languages and has cultural connections in numerous countries, he stated that the most important thing was "protecting one's friends and protecting the weak.
Together with Les Tanyuk (1938-2016) [ Ссылка ], he created a pro-Abkhaz team in Ukraine that sent 24 train cars of humanitarian aid to Abkhazia. They did everything possible to get Ukraine to provide them with humanitarian assistance. It was their friendly relations with representatives of Abkhazia that played a decisive role in this.
This program tells the story of Ukrainian poet and prose writer, public figure Yuri Pokalchuk, who was one of the closest friends of Abkhazia and who was with the Abkhaz people during the terrible years of the Georgian-Abkhaz war of 1992-1993. It includes an interview with Kasou Khagba, former Minister of Culture of Abkhazia.
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