Ukrainian and Russian seafarers arriving at King George Dock on May 8th were all smiles when they received a warm welcome in their own languages.
They were full of delight as they were greeted by Fr. Oleksandr Smerechynskyy and Rostyslav Inzhestoikov from Apostleship of the Sea (AoS) in the Ukraine, who were in Hull for a working visit.
The pair joined AoS Hull port chaplain Anne McLaren on her daily ship visits at the Dock, visiting three ships – the Pinta, Kelly C and Seeland. 
Photo: Maria Brosnan
They also spent time with seafarers at the Seafarers Centre, whose operation was taken over by AoS last September.
“It was great to have Oleks – AoS Odessa port chaplain – and Rosty – AoS Odessa seafarers centre manager – with me today. Their presence helped break the ice instantly,” said Anne.
Anne added, “Life can sometimes be lonely and tough for seafarers as they are cut off from family for often long periods of time. This is why AoS ensures they get a warm welcome and support with anything they need to make their short stay in port as comfortable as possible,” said Anne. “I might need to brush up on my Ukrainian and Russian now!” she joked. 
Photo: Maria Brosnan
In the first quarter of this year, Anne and her team visited 117 ships in the Port of Hull, the biggest softwood timber importer in the UK. There are 40,000 shipping movements on the Humber each year.
* Do have a look at many lovely pictures from the visit. You can find them on our Flickr site.
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