The Oregon House of Representatives has supported the State Senate’s decision and adopted Joint Resolution SCR 23 establishing a sister-region partnership with Ukraine’s Cherkasy Oblast. The resolution passed with 45 votes in favor out of 59 present members, demonstrating firm bipartisan solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
This was reported by Consulate General of Ukraine in San Francisco.
The House session began with a traditional Ukrainian spring folk song performed by ethno-singer Inna Kovtun, creating a warm atmosphere and highlighting the cultural bond with Ukraine.
According to the resolution, the state of Oregon “strongly condemns russia’s deliberate and unjust war against a peaceful sovereign state, expresses solidarity and commitment to this new partnership, and affirms the intention to develop cooperation in the economic, educational, scientific, cultural, and humanitarian fields.”
A key role in advancing the initiative was played by the humanitarian organization DAWN Inc. and its director Yulia Brockdorf, who initiated dialogue with state lawmakers.
Activists and representatives of more than ten civic organizations in Oregon sent over 80 letters to the Capitol, further demonstrating local support for Ukraine.
“There are over 22,000 Americans of Ukrainian descent living in Oregon, who greatly enrich the state's economy, culture, and public life. Since russia's full-scale invasion began, about 4,500 Ukrainians have found temporary refuge in Oregon, escaping the war,” stated Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova.
She also recalled that Oregon was one of the first U.S. states to officially recognize the Holodomor of 1932–1933 and to establish a memorial day honoring its victims.
The resolution outlines existing regional ties, including the sister city relationships between Corvallis–Uzhhorod and Portland–Lviv. Oregon and Cherkasy share common values and aspirations in agriculture, biotechnology, healthcare, governance, and environmental protection.
The next step will be the governor of Oregon signing the resolution, after which the sister-region partnership will officially come into effect. The Ukrainian community expresses deep gratitude to all Oregon legislators for their strong support, to DAWN Inc. and director Yulia Brockdorf, and to the civic activists who made this historic step possible.
Author: Danylo Pievchev