Town Flag Hangs Proud in Ukraine

A Banbury Town Council flag is occupying pride of place in a civic sanctuary in war-torn Ukraine.

The Banbury flag is hanging proudly alongside a Mariupol City flag in the office of Vadym Boichenko, the mayor of Mariupol.

Mariupol is an ancient port on the northern coast of the Sea of Azov and was a major strategic target for Russian forces at the start of Putin’s war.

The flag togetherness is a show of appreciation by Mr Boichenko for the help given by Banbury people to the residents of Ukraine during the ongoing conflict.

It comes after Mr Boichenko visited Banbury in July this year.

He met civic dignitaries, councillors, and members of the town’s Ukrainian community at a reception in the town hall –and was presented with the Banbury flag by the leader of the town council Kieron Mallon.

Cllr Mallon said at the time: “We have been flying the Ukrainian flag above our town hall as a show of support during these dark days. I hope you can do us the honour of flying the Banbury flag over Mariupol when you return home.”

But Mr Boichenko, who has been mayor since 2015, has been forced to set up office in exile some 200 miles from Mariupol after being banished from his home city by Russian soldiers.

Cllr Mallon said this week: “I understand that he cannot fly the flag in his home city and not in public in his place of exile.

“He has to tread carefully but he has done the best he can and I am pleased to see the Banbury and Mariupol flags side by side in his office.”

Banbury Town Council pledged in 2022 to welcome and provide support to those escaping the conflict in Ukraine by helping them to lawfully resettle in Banbury – and more than 100 fleeing Ukrainians have legally found homes in Banbury since the invasion began in February 2022.

Banbury is also providing other help – particularly the donations collected and sorted in the former Debenhams building before being sent to Ukraine. That project has been described as the biggest of its kind in the UK.

Mariupol has been occupied by Russian forces since May last year and more than 22,000 civilians have been killed.

95% of the city’s infrastructure has been damaged by Russian bombardments including apartment blocks, schools and a maternity hospital.

During his visit to Banbury, and through an interpreter, Mr Boichenko thanked Banbury for its help and said: “I expect to return home by the end of the year.”

Flag presentation photo caption: Left to right: Cllr Kieron Mallon, Interpreter, Mr Boichenko, Banbury High Steward Sir Tony Baldry, Town Mayor Cllr Fiaz Ahmed.

Pride of place photo caption: Mr Boichenko (right) and his assistant/interpreter give the thumbs-up as they stand with the two flags.