photo by: Carri Graham

Residents hold signs in support of Ukraine during a rally Wednesday outside the Belmont County Courthouse in St. Clairsville.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Dozens of people came together Wednesday outside the Belmont County Courthouse to show solidarity with Ukraine.

Owners of For the Love of Pierogies in St. Clairsville held the pro-Ukraine rally to help call more attention to Ukrainians’ plight. Bonnie Vetanze and Iryna Kharchuk, owners of the restaurant, have family living in western Ukraine and previously stated this was the “only thing” they could do right now to show their support to those residing in the country.

Residents, many wearing blue and yellow, the colors of Ukraine, gathered outside the courthouse and held signs of support and waved flags. A prayer was said for the people in Ukraine then the National Anthem was played followed by the Ukrainian national anthem.

Kharchuk spoke during the event and asked residents to pray for the men, women and children of Ukraine. She said her heart is broken for her homeland.

St. Clairsville Mayor Kathryn Thalman said her thoughts and prayers are with the people of Ukraine.

“President (Volodymyr) Zelenskyy has shown us what true leadership looks like. He’s got the courage and the will to lead from the front and I hope everyone in America remembers that freedom isn’t free. It’s something worth fighting for,” she said.

Jerry and Shirley Joseph of St. Clairsville said they have a great love for Ukraine and have many friends living there. The couple said they have visited the country more than a dozen times since first going in 1993. Jerry brought up the messenger screen on his phone to show numerous conversations he has had with friends in Ukraine. He said they speak to some of them almost everyday.

“They are scared. They hear sirens going off every two to three hours, even though there’s no bombing or anything yet,” Shirley Joseph said.

Jerry Joseph said the people of Ukraine are the “most peaceful and artistic people in the world” and his heart breaks for them. The couple are godparents to a friend’s son who are both trapped in Kyiv.

Ann Chickery of St. Clairsville said it is a “terrible thing, what Putin is doing.”

“It’s a sovereign nation and they need to be free and they’re doing a good job with trying to champion for their freedom,” she said.

Guy and Cheryl Norris of St. Clairsville are both pastors of the Bethesda Church. Cheryl Norris said they, as fellow Christians, came to show their support for the people of Ukraine.

“What they are going through is awful and we just want to be here to show support,” she said.

Members of the St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in Barton were also there with signs and church banners. Father Michael Kabel of Barton said he and 14 members of the congregation came to stand in solidarity with Ukraine people who were met with “unjust aggression.”

“Many men, women and children are Orthodox Christians like we are, and this is what we can do right now is pray and stand in solidarity and hope they stop the killing of the innocent,” he said.

For the Love of Pierogies is currently collecting donations through Venmo. According to its Facebook page, they have someone in Poland that they are transferring the money to purchase bulletproof vests and medicine for friends and family in Ukraine.