A Swedish flag gifted by King Carl XVI Gustaf to a Ukrainian village in 2008 survived 8.5 months hidden from Russian occupation forces
From: Euromaiden Press BY MARIA TRIL
Ukraine’s new Ambassador to Sweden, Svitlana Zalishchuk, presented King Carl XVI Gustaf with a photograph showing residents of the now-occupied village of Zmiivka holding a Swedish flag that the monarch himself had gifted during his 2008 visit to Kherson Oblast.
Zalishchuk shared the story on Facebook following her credentials presentation ceremony with the Swedish king. She reminded him of his 2008 visit to Kherson Oblast, when he traveled to the village then known as Staroshvedske, now called Zmiivka.
The village has unique historical significance. In the late 18th century, Russian Empress Catherine II relocated Swedes from present-day Estonia to the Kherson Oblast. “They essentially became internally displaced persons of imperial times. But despite several centuries spent away from their homeland, they preserved their identity: traditions, language, church rituals,” Zalishchuk explained. “I knew that the King cares deeply about this village.”
Voice of Ukraine 