Section: Social
She was afraid of being missing: daughters’ memories of a female soldier who died in the war
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in Ukraine, many mothers who have lost their children have emerged. And also children who, as a result of Russian military aggression, have lost their mothers. Ukrainska Pravda. Life (media outlet) tells the story of Oksana Gorpinich, a 44-year-old mother of two daughters, who worked as a paramedic...
From the creator of miniatures to the soldier of the National Guard: how the war turned from art into life for Anton Derbilov
Anton is a fighter in the National Guard in his military life, and in civilian life, he is a musician and sculptor who creates busts of prominent hetmans and commanders for Ukraine and other countries. Just a year or two ago, he couldn’t have imagined that war, represented in the details of historical costumes and miniature orders in his...
How negative personnel selection reduces the combat-ready of the Ukrainian army
Do you know what combat-ready means? Combat-ready at this moment. In contrast to combat-ready — there is not combat-ready at this moment. This applies to people, equipment, and weapons. Currently, I observe a very unhealthy trend in the army regarding personnel — negative selection. The so-called HR in the army is focused on negative selection....
Historian Tetiana Pastushenko: “The modern war in Ukraine should influence the interpretation of the events of the Second World War”
“I am constantly pondering, especially after February 24, whether I should shift my research focus from the Second World War to this recent war between Russia and Ukraine. I am searching for arguments as to why I shouldn’t. And I understand that it’s because there are unresolved questions. And we are still somehow in the shadow...
Cultural code: what is the significance of the Ukrainian embroidery ornament?
Every year on the third Thursday of May, Ukrainians traditionally wear embroidered shirts called “vyshyvanky”. This year, Vyshyvanka Day falls on May 18. The embroidered shirt has changed its place in the wardrobe from casual clothes to the most elegant ones. Ukrainska Pravda (Ukrainian news website) talked to Lesia Voroniuk, one of...
How are cats, dogs, and sometimes ducks, chickens, goats, chinchillas, and parrots evacuated from the combat zone to a safe place?
Mykhailo and Lyuba were walking across a broken bridge. Back in January, the temperature dropped to — 18°. And the ice held the pieces together like cement. A month ago, Zabakhmutka could be reached by car, but now it’s no longer possible. The day before, when they were looking for a way to the most shelled area of Bakhmut, the military...
A source of non-knowledge: the history of Ukraine in European school textbooks
Manipulations with historical arguments in international relations are far from being a new phenomenon. However, with the spread of information technologies, it has become even more extensive and temptingly accessible, thus posing a danger. Another proof of this is Russian propaganda, which largely relies on pseudo-historical speculations and...
Sophie Lambroschini: “The destruction of critical infrastructure, in a sense, equals the destruction of civilization”
This is an interview with Sophie Lambroschini, a researcher of socio-economic history of Central and Eastern Europe at the Franco-German Centre Marc Bloch in Berlin. Sophie teaches socio-economic history at the Paris Nanterre University and is the lead researcher of the Franco-German project LimSpaces. The project brings together colleagues from...
How Ukrainian museums survive during the great war
Culture cannot be separated from politics. The war that Russia unleashed against Ukraine in 2014 was not just about territories and human lives — it was a war against Ukrainian culture. This war has shattered the iron curtain between Ukraine and the world at a fearful cost. And our country has captivated not only with its courage but also with...
How the concept of the “Russian world” came from Belarus to the border Ukrainian villages in February 2022
It was the morning of February 24. It was not quite dawn yet, but there was an unusual activity in the village of Kopyshche, which borders Belarus. Almost every house was bustling with preparations: people started up tractors, tillers, attached trailers, harnessed horses to wagons, and warmed up their cars. They hastily loaded warm clothes, took...