Business in Fort Myers shows support for Ukraine

A business in Fort Myers is showing its support for Ukraine in a big way.

Drivers cruising down Evans Avenue on Thursday morning were met with the sight of a large mural in support of the beleaguered country going through its eighth day in the attack from Russia.

The sign was painted by Juan Morales, an employee at Western Fence Supply, between Evans and Fowler Street.

“We stand with Ukraine,” the sign reads in yellow and blue, the colors of Ukraine’s flag.

On the other side, a harsher message about Russian President Vladimir Putin is visible.

Morales said he has no family in Ukraine but relates to what is happening as families are being split apart in response to the violence.

An immigrant, Morales said, he was split from his family in Ecuador.

“I just felt like it’s really wrong for a big country to try and bully a smaller country and help themselves to somebody else’s ​territory,” Morales said. “It’s heartbreaking, everything that is happening there. Just for the ambition of one individual trying to take over somebody else’s territory is just horrible.”

Victor Lisnyczyj, a member of the Ukrainian American Club in Southwest Florida, said what is happening is a human tragedy. His family who remains in Ukraine is bolstered by worldwide support.

“The resolve of the Ukrainian people is strong, they’re fighting for their own country and Ukraine has done this for many years. Thirty years ago they got their independence and the union and all that, high hopes to develop an economy and system of immigration to Europe and that’s what they wanted and this fanatic person wants to destroy all of that and I just worry for the humanity, the relatives we have,” said Lisnyczyj, president of the St. Andrews Religious and Cultural Center in North Port. “I have brothers in Ukraine, Kyiv, as well as northern parts of Ukraine and we text them, they text back and say pray for us, pray for us. We’re going to resolve this, we’re going to resolve this.”