We recently learned about an article and story directly from Ukraine. We knew immediately that we must share it with you.
The article is by a daughter. The story comes from her mother.
Mariana Budjeryn a senior research associate at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center, Project on Managing the Atom, and the author of “Inheriting the Bomb: The Collapse of the USSR and the Nuclear Disarmament of Ukraine.”
At the end of 2022 Mariana traveled to Ukraine to visit her mother and friends. Her article details her travel from the U.S. to her mother's kitchen via plane, car, and by foot.
What caught our attention was the stark contrast Mariana describes between life in Lviv where residents are living relatively "normal" lives while in other parts of the country men are fighting for their lives.
As Mariana puts it;
"They promise not to let us down?! They, who are knee-deep in trench mud, a Russian bullet, mine, grenade, missile away from death, promise not to let us, who are sipping flat whites and getting shot by cameras, down?! How is this logical construction even possible, I wonder?"
We highly recommend you read Mariana's article, Bri.
It provides a human insight and perspective into this war that no tv report or newspaper article can.
And then there's boxer shorts....
At the beginning of the war Mariana's 76 year old mother was looking for a way to help.
She started sewing underwear for soldiers at the front. It's what she could do, and her work has been received with such gratitude as we can see in the image above.
Such an important reminder that when something feels insurmountable, doing just one small thing can make a big difference.
Her mothers sewing can be seen as support for her country's soldiers and as resistance to the war.
Mariana write;
"....the whole Ukrainian society, its every member, regardless of age, region, and wealth, has been affected by the war and is engaged in the resistance of some kind, whether that will make the return of these soldiers home different. Whether the people who make varenyky by the hundreds, donate for long johns and generators, open doors to refugees, repair damaged electricity lines, or just work to keep the Ukrainian economy and culture alive despite missile strikes and power outages, and those mud- and blood-covered soldiers at Bakhmut, Soledar, and Kreminna, are connected by invisible bonds of solidarity and common purpose, the bonds that will persist long after the war is over."
CLICK HERE to read Mariana's full article.
About Inkstick
Mariana's article is published on Inkstick Media, a website with reporting, commentary, stories, and a podcast focused on foreign policy. As they put it, Inkstick "breaks down the news you want and need to know without droning on. When it matters, it also dives deeper to show you the people behind the policy and the stories they have to tell." Check them out!
