Child Diplomat Receives Letter from Syrian President
Bashar Al-Assad’s letter to Faina Savenkova, a teenager from the Donbass
If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you know who Faina Savenkova is. She’s a teenager from Lugansk, in what was formerly Ukraine, but has now joined Russia.
Faina is best known in Russia as the author of two compilations of essays about the war, and for co-authoring two novels so far, with more in the works. She just turned 14 in October, and she has been on a Ukrainian hitlist known as Mirotvorets since the age of 12, when she spoke before a United Nations Security Council in an effort to bring attention to Ukrainian attacks on Russian speaking minorities such as herself. This made her an “enemy of Ukraine” in the minds of the nationalists who publish the personal data of thousands considered to be “info-terrorists” (that is, not in lockstep with Kiev’s nationalist agenda).
I have written about Faina several times and published some of her work including her open letter to Americans. She is a brilliant young writer who deserves a bright future instead of a continuation of the war she has known since she was five. She is a regular contributor at “Donbass Insider,” where she recently penned an open letter to Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad.
Here is the text of that letter, which Faina wrote just before her 14th birthday. It was published on October 25, 2022.
Hello Mr. Assad!
My name is Faina Savenkova. I live in the Donbass, in the city of Lugansk. I read a lot about your country and I am very worried that children in Syria are suffering from war like the children in Donbass.
As a writer, I have been talking about the war in Donbass for three years now. For this I am disliked by Ukrainian nationalists, who published my personal data on the website Myrotvorets, effectively sentencing me to liquidation. But just like you and your family, I did not break down and continue to tell the truth.
Last year my friends, politicians from Italy, visited Syria and read my stories to kindergarteners in Aleppo, and hopefully the kids were able to take their minds off the hardships of war for a while. I write a lot about peace and children, and I hope that soon the war will end in both Syria and Donbass, and that the children will live happily and safely.
Good luck to you and your family, Mr. Assad.
May Syria always be peaceful and happy.
I’ve been in touch with Faina for more than half of the year. I first became acquainted with her shortly after Russia began its Special Military Operation in Ukraine. In that time, I have helped her by sharing her story and translating her essays and letters to celebrities and world leaders. Some respond to her, some do not.
But President Assad wrote Faina a full response!
Here is my translation of the Russian version of his response, which is dated November 3, 2022 and bears the official seal of his office. Note that the president greets Faina in the Russian style, by her first name and her patronymic. In Russia, people’s “middle names” are called patronymics, which are formed from the names of their fathers. Faina Vladimirovna literally means Faina, daughter of Vladimir, which is the name of her father.
Syrian Arab Republic Presidential Administration
Dear Faina Vladimirovna,
I was pleased to receive your message sent through the “Donbass Insider” website. I am very pleased to read your words and thoughts reflecting the qualities of a young girl with a mature personality, a conscious mind and sincere thoughts.
Your sentiments apply to the children of Donbass and the children of Syria, and your advocacy for the rights of these children through inspiring writings leads us to believe that the dangerous and unstable conditions you have lived in Donbass in recent years, similar to what Syrian children have been subjected to, have fostered courageous young people in words and thoughts who know what their country has endured. I want to point out to you that the threats you are facing are proof that the country’s enemies are afraid of your guts and courage to speak the truth and to be able to convey it to the world.
There are many conscientious and courageous young people like you in Syria, and it would be a great opportunity to meet them and read your stories to them in person.
Thank you for your good wishes to me and my family in particular, and to Syrians in general. I, in turn, sincerely wish Donbass a speedy peace and independence, a bright future worthy of your creativity.
President of the Syrian Arab Republic
Bashar Al-Assad
Damascus 3.11.22
The letter was presented to Faina yesterday, December 6, 2022, at the Syrian Embassy in Moscow, where she and her co-author, Alexander Kontorovich, met with Syria’s Ambassador to Russia, Bashar al-Jafari.
“We talked about the children of Syria and Donbass,” Faina wrote about the event. “I am very glad that the Syrian leadership promised to help in my project of communication of war children between our republics. Many thanks to everyone who helped in organizing this meeting, and especially to the Syrian Ambassador in Moscow.”
“I would especially like to thank President Bashar al-Assad for his response to the letter I sent him,” she added. “While other heads of state, such as Emmanuel Macron, instructed their secretaries to answer me, Bashar al-Assad wished to answer me personally and I am very touched by this attention and also by his invitation to visit Syria.”
Earlier this year, Faina wrote a letter to the children of Syria which she shared with some friends from Italy who were traveling to that country. They read her letter to kindergarteners in Aleppo. She wanted to reach out to other children who have been subjected to war.
The teenage writer from Lugansk, now also a citizen diplomat, plans to continue her efforts to reach children of war all around the world.
About the author:
Deborah Armstrong currently writes about geopolitics with an emphasis on Russia. She previously worked in local TV news in the United States where she won two regional Emmy Awards. In the early 1990’s, Deborah lived in the Soviet Union during its final days and worked as a television consultant at Leningrad Television.
