War

Fear and loathing in the USSR: what life was like during the so-called golden age of Soviet stability

The Soviet Union, the largest totalitarian neo-empire in the world, collapsed more than three decades ago. However, a generation of older people who lived in the USSR still recall (or re-imagine) it as a haven of solace and peace. It’s...

The extraordinary daily life of Ukrainian rescue workers

Staff of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SES) selflessly rescue people from fire, water, and any other emergency. During the full-scale war they are, without any exaggeration, true heroes who work daily at the limits of human capabilities.

Rape as a weapon of Russia in Ukraine

“Whether you like it or not, endure it, my beauty” – Putin used a phrase that has sexual assault connotation while talking about Ukraine during a press conference at the beginning of February 2022. The veiled threat of coercion and...

How the world underestimated Ukraine

From the very beginning of its independence, Ukraine has been standing up for subjectivity on the international stage, trying to step out of the shadow and sphere of influence of Russia. World leaders slowly started to recognise the power and...

The voices of occupation. Illia. Leaving Izium.

The voices of occupation is a series of stories from people who lived under occupation and managed to get out. This is a story about Illia, a grad student in philosophy, a photographer, and a tattoo artist. He managed to...

Gastronomic front of Ukraine

Ukraine’s war for the restoration of its territorial integrity and final liberation from Russian influence continues on many fronts, including gastronomy. Since the first days of the full-scale invasion, “kitchen troops” have been providing food to soldiers, medics, displaced persons,...

Russia deports Ukrainians (once again)

Russians systematically violate the laws of war. One of the examples of such a violation is the expulsion of Ukrainians from temporarily occupied territories. Russia shells official humanitarian corridors, prevents evacuation of the population to the regions controlled by Ukraine,...

Why does Russian culture deserve to be cancelled

Before enemy tanks enter a country, the aggressor country “drives through” the culture. It plants its own narratives and suppresses the ones that dominate the territory. By wedging desired ideas into the cultural field, Russia creates a favourable environment for...