A silk map of western Ukraine carried by British or other NATO pilots during the Cold War is on display on the Kelowna campus of the Okanagan College Library. The map, part of Terence Day’s private collection, depicts parts of western Ukraine and surrounding countries. It was created to be used by pilots in case they crash or parachute into enemy territory and needed to escape or avoid others. Printed on silk, the map was intended to survive immersion in water, open silently and be easily hidden in clothing. At the time it was produced, Ukraine was part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). “The charter serves as a reminder of NATO’s long-standing role in the region, which is to protect the freedom and security of NATO members, including Canada, by political and military means,” Day said. “NATO’s fundamental military doctrine is that an attack on a NATO country is an attack on the entire NATO alliance.” According to Day, borders are mostly not well defined in terms of physical geography. Historically, borders have often been crossed, resulting in people of Russian heritage in Ukraine and people of Ukrainian heritage in Russia. The map, along with other resources displayed in the library, provide a framework for some of the unfolding events in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
