Home Away From Home! Tamil Nadu Man Provides Shelter To Stranded Russian, Ukrainian Tourists

The ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis has displaced millions of citizens from their homes. Over 1 million Ukrainian people left their country and sought refuge in neighbouring countries, where they are being welcomed with open arms. Many are turning out to be angels in disguise during such challenging times as they shower the refugees with love and kindness.

Among them are Indians as well. From a young medical student staying back in Ukraine to take care of her landlord's family to a businessman travelling to the Poland-Ukraine border to help the refugees, such instances fill everyone's hearts with pride. Now, a man from Tamil Nadu is winning hearts for helping the stranded Ukrainian and Russian tourists in the state.

Home Away From Home

VS Sathyan Gopalan hails from Tiruvannamalai in the southern state. With his friends' help, he kickstarted an initiative to give food and shelter to the stranded tourists from Ukraine and Russia, 22 in number. Out of them, six are Ukrainians and sixteen from Russia. Gopalan spotted two Ukrainian tourists near the Arunachaleshwar Temple in the city, which prompted him to help the people.

"We decided to help them as they are stuck here due to the war and financial constraints. It doesn't cost us much. I provide the place and take care of the electricity bill, and my friends are providing dry rations and other supplies," Gopalan told The New Indian Express.

He shared about the accommodation on his Facebook page, which went viral. Soon after, three tourists from Rishikesh and one from Bengaluru contacted Gopalan, who happily offered them shelter. As of now, 11 out of 14 rooms at Gopalan's guest house are occupied.

Love And Kindness

The humanitarian gesture is not limited to Russian and Ukrainian tourists in the south. Gopalan wants to extend help on a pan-India level. He told the news publication, "We have asked the tourists here to open a Whatsapp group and reach out to fellow tourists staying across India. We are helping them provide food and accommodation near their respective locations."

Currently, Russia and Ukraine are at war with each other. However, there is still love between the citizens of the two countries. For instance, the tourists in the shelter are helping each other, irrespective of where their nationalistic loyalties lie. R Vetrivelan, a man providing the necessities in the shelter home, tells the publication, "Some Ukrainians don't know English, so the Russians translate their speech for us. It's good to see their friendship when their countries are at war with each other." Further, he added that two Russian psychologists offer their services to the Ukrainians, and the citizens share food.

Also Read: Grammarly To Donate Its Russian Profits Since 2014 In Ukraine's Support