Keeping the faith is becoming increasingly difficult, but certainly not impossible. Pain comes from the realization that we stand alone.
Morale remains high among those directly engaging Russian forces: Putin’s land invasion has been turned into an unmitigated military disaster! But for those of us in support roles, fatigue is becoming a factor. Constant images of humanitarian catastrophe and Russian war crimes are depressing: helplessness is the greatest cause of despair.
No one is giving up. We cry a lot. We scream at our computer screens and phones. We cannot understand why western leaders have forsaken us. In the words of Zelensky “everyone understands that Ukraine is now defending all of Europe”, and Europe is certainly helping us with humanitarian support, financial aid, even key weapons that have helped stop the Russian onslaught. For all of that, we are grateful.
But our skies remain open, and our cities continue to be bombed.
When I get particularly dejected I turn to Facebook and Telegram. A former student just posted a crowdfunding request to buy a drone copter for a military unit. Within 15 minutes she updated: 44 000 hryvni (approx.1400 euro) collected — more than required. Thank you! She’ll post a report with the receipts soon.
Another friend (not on FB) supports several Ukrainian military units by constantly monitoring internet resources — a kind of local Bellingcat, but closer to the action. I don’t think she’s slept for 10 days, but this wonderful lady actually found the time today to console me; to beef up my spirits!
Everyone has their own front: some provide information and support to those who shoot, some appeal to the West (and are at times at a loss for words), some write analysis, some protect our most precious — our children. But we are all here! We are not leaving! This is home.
If you want to hear anger, talk to a third young lady I am honored to know: she has 12 people sheltering in her house (8 children), her husband and brother are in the territorial brigades defending Kyiv. Ask her how she feels about those men who have left the country or hide from service in this hour of need…
This country is indestructible!
Putin’s major mistake in this war was to assume he would be fighting the Ukrainian Armed Forces — a military organization that is obviously not as well equipped as its Russian counterpart. But the Russian army is fighting the Ukrainian people: a vast organized network of highly motivated men and women (!) that has mobilized throughout the country.
Everyone has their own front: some provide information and support to those who shoot, some appeal to the West (and are at times at a loss for words), some write analysis, some protect our most precious — our children. But we are all here! We are not leaving! This is home.
A word to our vast Ukrainian Diaspora throughout the world: keep it up! Your faith, your demonstrations, your support is more than appreciated! This war will end, and we will need your help to rebuild the country. Make plans now!
We, Ukrainians, are a global force. Putin should never have messed with us. But he did. And he’ll pay for it.
Слава Україні!
* Thoughts from Kyiv is a series of flash essays by Mychailo Wynnyckyj from February 2022
Author: Mychailo Wynnyckyj, Social Scientist, Public Intellectual. Academic Development Officer, Professor at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy
Illustration: Olga Protasova, plasticine panel fragment
Content Editor: Maryna Korchaka
Programme Directors: Julia Ovcharenko and Demyan Om Dyakiv Slavitski
If you think of yourself as a poet or a poetess and you are considering taking this path seriously, most likely sooner or later you will ask yourself this question: what can I do for poetry?
Few weeks ago (mid January it was)* I took part in a writer’s conference with other international writers in Kolkata, India. It was a panel discussion addressing the topic of “Writing for the post-pandemic world”.
The morning begins with a final farewell to a soldier in our yard. He died in the war. A message about this appeared in the neighbor chat yesterday, indicating the building number and the entrance. High-rise buildings, just like low-rise ones, can’t avoid loss in wartime. There are more than 800 apartments in our building. Is there at least one unaffected by the war?
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Програми Культурного Хабу реалізуються завдяки потужності та обороноздатності Збройних Сил України, через волю, професійну і фінансову участь наших мемберів та інституційних партнерів з 2022 року: European Cultural Foundation, MitOst e.V., BBK Landesverband Bayern e.V., Київської Бієнале.
Ми також глибоко вдячні всім тим колегам — культурним дипломатам — із ким ще не знайомі особисто, але відчуваємо та цінуємо вплив вашої праці.
The programmes of the Cultural Hub are being implemented thanks to the power and defense capacity of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, through the will, professional and financial participation of our members, as well as institutional partners since 2022: European Cultural Foundation, MitOst e.V., BBK Landesverband Bayern e.V., and Kyiv Biennial.
We’re also deeply grateful to all those colleagues — cultural diplomats — who we don’t know personally so far, but we feel and appreciate the impact of your work.
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