Notes from Ukraine
Documentary series in 9 episodes telling about the situation in Kyiv and the region after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The authors of the project, Georgi Kojuharov and Georgi Totev, were awarded the "Person of the Year" award in the media category of the annual competition organized by the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee. The project "Notes from Ukraine" is made exclusively for dnevnik.bg
"We'll be right back." This is a statement you often hear from refugees arriving from Ukraine, expressing their plans and hope that the war will end soon. Some are already returning. The train stations in Warsaw, Poland, are a hub where you can meet refugees who are just arriving. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult to buy a ticket to Kyiv, as more and more Ukrainians are returning to the areas from which Russian troops have now withdrawn.
"I want to hug and kiss every tree in my area," Anastasia says excitedly, opening her arms. She left Kyiv at the beginning of March but is already back. She says she was delayed because she spent a long time convincing her mother and aunt that it was safe. Georgi Gotev and Georgi Kozhuharov met Anastasia on the train from Warsaw to Kyiv. See why she wants to return, what she expects, and how confident she is about the future in the video.
"Everyone has to give something of themselves in this war," says Elena. Her eldest son is fighting for Ukraine ("I can only pray"), and she volunteers at what she calls a charity restaurant. There, they prepare meals for pensioners and the needy, as well as lunch for the military forces in Kyiv.
Darina, a student who now volunteers at the same center, is already talking about the aftermath of the war and if and when they will be able to return to a normal life. She also remembers how it all started, never stopping peeling potatoes as she speaks.
Georgi Totev and Georgi Kozhuharov report on how Ukraine's capital is living 50 days into the war in the special series "Notes from Ukraine." Kyiv has been abandoned by more than half of its population (over 3.5 million people, according to Mayor Klitschko), but some are already returning.
"We were hiding in the cellars, while the Russian soldiers were upstairs in the apartments," the residents of Bucha told us. Bucha is a town on the outskirts of Kyiv where Russian troops left over 400 dead and widespread destruction. The residents showed where children and women hid, some of whom managed to escape. They also showed what was left in the apartments, through which the Russian soldiers had passed. They made a distinction between how different parts of the army behaved—the initial soldiers and the last ones, the "Kadyrovs." They say the soldiers took various equipment and other items from the homes.
"People want to laugh. They want to continue living despite what is happening. This laughter is much more precious now," says Marina. She is a comedian, and two months after the war's start, she is again performing in stand-up shows. Georgi Totev and Georgi Kozhuharov met with her and her colleagues at a bar in Kyiv, which operates with unusual hours (until 5-6 PM). Despite this, people there try to return to some semblance of their previous lives, even though things will never be the same.
"Because they are hungry." This is how Nionila responded to the Russian soldiers (whom she identified as mixed with Chechens by their accent) when they asked, "Why are the children crying?" after breaking into their house in Bucha on the night of March 10. "They shot many men," she continues, recalling that evening. Nionila shares her experiences with Georgi Totev and Georgi Kozhuharov. Dmitry shows them the remnants of his father's house and recounts what happened "when these orcs came." Ukrainians often refer to Russian soldiers as "orcs" (originally the evil mythical creatures from books and computer games used to destroy and kill).
"We are different now. We are not afraid of anything." This is what Olya says at the end of April, after enduring nearly a month of Russian attacks in Borodyanka. She adds that they have gotten used to not sleeping. See the destruction and hear the residents' memories of their experiences and the soldiers' actions in the video.
"Forks, spoons?"
"We didn't find them."
Two women read a list of household items among the ruins in front of an apartment block in Borodyanka — one of the most heavily destroyed areas by the Russian army. Alla and her niece Maria are gathering the surviving belongings from Alla's family's apartment and recounting the attack.
"I have only one wish — revenge. But for those who wished for our death, I do not wish their death. For the soldiers who invaded us, I want their children and grandchildren to know the truth, that their ancestors acted wrongly." This is what Vlad, a 23-year-old videographer from Kharkiv, the second-largest city in Ukraine, says. He is among the residents who stayed in the city. He lives in a subway car and says he will never forget the sounds of falling rockets. The shelling of the city continues, and air raid alarms are frequent — one even interrupts the video author's conversation with one of his interviewees. The video was filmed at the end of April during the Easter holidays.
Crew
Producer / Photo / Video
Georgi Totev
