Voice of Ukraine

From Maia Mikhaluk in Kyiv (346th day with ruzzian invasion): Nice evening with very old friends. Natasha and I grew up in the same city in the east of Ukraine. That part of Ukraine has been under ruzzian occupation since the beginning of this war in 2014. I suppose, people like us are those that putin came to protect (formerly ruzzian-speaking in Donetsk region). We both have close relatives there who have been brainwashed over the years by ruzzian propaganda beyond hope. Though if we remember narratives we heard in our childhood ruzzian propaganda had been working hard even then. We grew up with a condescending attitude to Ukrainian language – we were told it was the language of peasants. The language of education, of culture, of success, was supposed to be ruzzian. When the Soviet Union collapsed, people continued to speak ruzzian in the east of Ukraine without any problems but there was a persistent sowing of fear of “forced Ukrainization”. Propaganda was making us afraid of having to learn to use our own language. Of course, we understood Ukrainian but didn’t speak.

Today we spoke Ukrainian at dinner though it was obvious that we were all struggling at times for Ukrainian words. Our switch to Ukrainian language is a very intentional decision and effort. As Kirill said today at dinner – we went to bed ruzzian-speaking on Feb 23rd and woke up on Feb 24th Ukrainian-speaking. Ruzzian bombs made us want to forget the language of a neighboring terrorist state that now went from anti-Ukrainian propaganda to open violent aggression.

What language we speak and what books we read matter very much! Earlier today I was reading an essay in the New Yorker by Elif Batuman “Rereading Russian Classics in the Shadow of the Ukraine War.” Maybe I will write about that another post. The essay is a very insightful reflection on imperialistic aspects of ruzzian literature. Do you think only TV and media can brainwash you?

Back to our conversation with friends. I wonder if it’s possible right now to get together with friends and not talk about the war – about the first days of it, about the scariest moments, about the time when we stopped going to our bomb shelters (whether a subway or a corridor in one’s apartment), about upcoming “anniversary” of the beginning of the war and what nasty plans ruzzians might be nurturing for Feb 24th again, about the coming Victory… There is no switching off of the war, even for a short time in our minds and conversations, but it’s always good to do something that used to be normal and no big deal – like going out with friends.

24 days left till spring…