At the RUTA Traditional Culture Centre in Chernihivtsi, an event took place that combined literature, memory, and our shared struggle. Senior students of Integral Grammar School No. 5 met with Nataliia Heiman, a writer, journalist, volunteer and civic activist from Dnipro, someone who speaks about the war honestly, simply and in a very human way.

Voices born of war

Ms. Natalia read her own poems, which were warm, painful, alive. At the same time, poetry by soldiers who are now defending Ukraine on the frontline was read. Some of these authors are considered missing in action.

Each text is like a shot into the silence. Each word is like a touch upon the shared pain that has become part of our new reality.

Memory in photos

Olena Tanasiichuk, the president of Public Resources and Initiatives Charity Foundation, presented the photo exhibition With Love in Memory by Dnipro photographer and volunteer Eduard Hapich.

The portraits feature families holding photographs of their fallen Defenders. They include:

— chaplain Maryan Dius,

— cyborg Serhii Mishchenko,

— colonel Oleksii “Bek” Bashev.

Photo: Photo exhibition “With Love and Memories”

Each story is a reminder of the high price of our freedom. And of the fact that love is the strongest carrier of memory.

A film about the summer we’re waiting for

The event concluded with a screening of Antonio Lukich’s documentary How I Spent My Summer Holidays?.

Photo: watching the film How I Spent My Summer Holidays?

The film resonated with the teenagers particularly acutely. They recognised themselves in its protagonists with their dreams of walking with friends until dawn, travelling across Ukraine, swimming in the sea of Ukrainian Crimea, hugging their loved ones, waiting for their father to return from the frontline and knowing that he will come back.

Dreams that today sound like hope.

Dreams that must come true.

The 22nd Travelling Docudays UA is held with the financial support of the European Union, the Embassy of Sweden in Ukraine, and International Media Support. The opinions, conclusions or recommendations do not necessarily correspond to the views of the European Union, the governments or charities of these countries. Responsibility for the content of the publication lies solely on its authors.