Ukrainian Voices

Reportages from the War and Beyond

Anna Romandash, Andreas Umland

• Publisher: ibidem
• Year: 2023
• eBook ISBN: 9783838278193
• Edition: 0
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Index: Social Sciences

This book presents a collection of reportages from Ukraine spanning roughly one year, from February 2022 to February 2023. Its focus is on the experiences of women in the context of war, whether they are soldiers, volunteers, refugees, or do not fit into any of these categories. Through their stories, the book sheds light on how women are trying to make sense of the conflict and the unique struggles they face.The reportages vary in their content and perspective. One follows the story of a woman-soldier who had to combat invading troops while dealing with the deportation of her child to Russia. Another tells of a woman who passed through a filtration process and managed to rescue her handicapped mother from Russia. There is also the tale of a woman whose partner died in battle and who joined the army in his memory, and that of a journalist who faced personal challenges while identifying Russian soldiers.Other stories feature women who represent different backgrounds and challenges, such as a grandmother who tries to maintain a sense of normalcy and tend to her garden despite the bombing, an African Ukrainian aspiring to be a dancer while facing prejudices, and a disabled activist who rescues other people with disabilities who are stranded under occupation.Despite their different experiences, these women share commonalities such as being Ukrainian, female, and having been touched by war, loss, and heroism in different ways. Through their stories, the book offers a diverse and nuanced portrayal of the impact of war on women's lives.

Table of contents

• Awakening to Russian Aggression
• Ukrainian Refugees: The Decision to Go into the Unknown
• “We Shouldn’t Become a Battlefield Due to Your Silence!”
• “Mom, When Are We Going Home?”
• A Story from a Russian Filtration Camp
• A Journey beyond the Carpathians
• Ukrainians Return Home, but Fear Remains
• “LGBT Ukrainians Can Defend Themselves”
• Surviving the Russo-Ukraine war with Disability
• Ukraine’s Digital Front Works 24/7
• “War or No War, We Have to Teach”
• What It’s Like to Volunteer in Ukraine Now
• On Crimeans in Ukraine
• Every Evil Has a Face
• Russia Is a Terrorist State
• Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia: A City under Constant Attacks
• Survivors Speak after Russia’s Occupation of Kherson
• What’s Human about War?
• How Russia Stole Ukraine’s Christmas
• “But I Go On”
• “Brave to Rebuild” in Ukraine
• A Family Struggles to Reunite under Russian Occupation
• Surviving a Russian Missile Strike
• Her Child Was Deported to Russia
• Fighting for Her Fiancé’s Legacy in Ukraine
• “Proud Ukrainian with Nigerian Roots”
• Reporting from Bakhmut
• Death by Water
• Dismantling Russian Imperialism One Step at a Time
• “We Carry On, but It Doesn’t Mean We’re Not in Pain”
• The Struggle of the Black Sea amid Russian War
• “I Never Wanted to Join the Army, but Then, Russia Invaded Us.”