"Mriya" is a Ukrainian word which means vision or inspirational dream (the equivalent Russian word is "mechta")

This inspirational aircraft has for the past week focused our vibrant community in Perth and other parts of the world to forget about the daily horror in Ukraine; the million or so homeless people and the ensuing war in Eastern Ukraine, notwithstanding the 20,000 or so who blocked roads to see the gigantic plane land on Sunday and the thousands who visited the Perth airport to catch a glimpse of the largest aeroplane in the world departing for Italy on Monday morning.

I believe the opportunity to promote the state of WA and Australia on the back of the largest plane in the world was wasted by our Government. The Mriya has achieved in one trip what millions of promotional dollars may have achieved in advertising the beautiful city of Perth, Western Australia and Australia to the world. 

Whilst the Antonov An225 Mriya was flying the final leg of he journey to Perth, the world gave a strong message to the Russian Federation when it crowned Jamala (a Crimean-Ukrainian) the Eurovision contest winner. The words of Jamala's song entitled 1944 are below, most importantly I would like you to read this verse.

We could build a future

Where people are free

To live and love

The happiest time

Where is your heart?

Humanity rise

you think you are gods

But everyone dies

Don’t swallow my soul Our souls

The Ukrainians (and other refugees who fled Stalin's regime) have built homes in a democratic and peaceful Australia & other countries in the world. So what do you think we feel when a casual slip of the tongue or pen opens up old wounds and festers forgotten horrifying moments? The media do play as "Gods" and forget that mistakes can cause grief and suffering. 

I ask all the media outlets in the world - where is YOUR heart? Don't swallow our souls - for everyone dies!

I sincerely request that ALL media outlets who have so erroneously called the Mriya "Russian" retract the words of those news articles and provide apologies to their viewers and readers.  I invite all media outlets including those that call the Antonov An225 Mriya a Russian plane, to include this letter in the immediate future in your media publication.

It is more appropriate to say the Mriya was built during the time of the Soviet Union to carry the Buran rocket.

After successfully fulfilling its Soviet military missions the Mriya was mothballed for eight years.

Refurbishment of the giant was completed in 2005 and it was subsequently re-introduced by Antonov Airlines of Ukraine as a commercial carrier.

The Antonov An225 Mriya is the undisputed champion of the world for lifting the longest and heaviest loads

The Antonov An225 Mriya is unique

The Antonov An225 Mriya is Ukrainian.

Mykola Mowczan

President - Ukrainian Association of Western Australia 

Dr Lesa Melnyczuk

Secretary - Ukrainian Association of Western Australia 

The words of Eurovision winning song 1944 by Jamala follow,

When strangers are coming
They come to your house
They kill you all
And say
We’re not guilty
Not guilty
Where is your mind?
Humanity cries
You think you are gods
But everyone dies
Don’t swallow my soul
Our souls
I couldn’t spend my youth there
Because you took away my peace
I couldn’t spend my youth there
Because you took away my peace
We could build a future
Where people are free
To live and love
The happiest time
Where is your heart?
Humanity rise
You think you are gods
But everyone dies
Don’t swallow my soul
Our souls
I couldn’t spend my youth there
Because you took away my peace
I couldn’t spend my youth there
Because you took away my peace

(official video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxS6eKEOdLQ )