The full-scale invasion has forced Ukrainians between the ages of 18-25 to make difficult, sometimes life-altering choices at a time when they should be enjoying the start of adulthood. If they're not abroad trying to assimilate into a foreign culture, then they're either striving to carry on with some semblance of normal life in Ukraine or, in other cases, defending Ukraine’s sovereignty on the front line. The frequent parallels drawn between Ukraine's artillery and trench-driven fight against Russia and the horrors of World War I make it tempting to liken Ukraine's young adults to the so-called Lost Generation that emerged during the first half of the 20th century.
A "hypothetical" plan exists to increase the tempo of strikes in Russia, potentially including "all the major critical infrastructure facilities and military infrastructure facilities of the Russian Federation," said Kyrylo Budanov, chief of Ukraine's military intelligence.
Ukraine’s authors should have been able to dedicate their lives to honing their craft. Instead, many of them have stepped up to contribute to the war effort and fight back against Russian aggression. Like any other member of society, Ukrainian authors have lost loved ones and colleagues to Russia’s war, with the understanding that they could be next.
Svitlana Oslavska and Anna Ilchenko embarked on a mission in 2020 to document Ukraine’s villages before they were lost to time and war. Traversing across Ukraine’s vast landscape, the sisters started speaking to people from villages about topics as diverse as the best construction method of a house to their contemplations on life and death. Ukraine’s rural population is shrinking yearly, with many people moving to larger cities or abroad for better prospects.
Episode #19 of our weekly video podcast “This Week in Ukraine” is dedicated to Ukraine's national decommunization policy. Host Anastasiia Lapatina is joined by the Kyiv Independent's culture reporter Kate Tsurkan. "This Week in Ukraine" is released on YouTube and audio platforms every Friday.