Three Years on Fire

Ukraine Diaries #3

by Andrey Kurkov

The third volume of Kurkov's critically acclaimed, intimate and deeply moving war a poignant, personal account of life under siege in Ukraine – rich with humanity, dark humour, and unforgettable resilience amidst devastation.

"Clever, passionate" The Times

"The pieces are flawlessly structured; the tone is devoid of self-pity … Yet saturating the book is a note of savage black comedy, the farce of a world made weird by unimaginable violence" Spectator

"Uplifting and utterly defiant" Daily Express

"No-one with the slightest interest in this war, or the nation on which it is being waged, should fail to read Andrey Kurkov" Daily Mail

______

Andrey Kurkov's war diaries continue – a searing, deeply human portrait of a nation reshaped by war.

In this third volume of Andrey Kurkov's war diaries, Ukraine's greatest living writer chronicles the third year of the full-scale invasion from his home in Kyiv and from journeys all over the country – capturing moments of horror, resilience, absurdity and grace with unmatched clarity.

Children on a contested border wear hooded bulletproof vests to school; soldiers write haiku; professional clowns go to war; and the mother of a young soldier, killed in battle, uses his compensation money to create a rehabilitation centre for veterans. Roses bloom across Ukraine in quiet tribute to a florist and soldier killed in Avdiivka, remembered by those who once bought his flowers.

The Dnipro River seems to slow when the first missiles fall, as though nature itself had paused in shock. In Pokrovsk, 7,500 residents refuse to leave a city that no longer exists – their homes obliterated but their will unbroken. A general's seventeen-year-old pet toad becomes an iconic symbol of defiance. And buried beneath a cherry tree, a murdered writer's final diary is recovered, a haunting echo of a silenced voice.

From the home front to the trenches, Kurkov captures the rhythms of survival – the quiet rituals, unlikely joys, unexpected humour and appalling costs – in an intimate and deeply moving record of national endurance. Three Years on Fire is a luminous act of remembrance, rich with unforgettable detail and human spirit, from a writer whose voice stands witness to everything Ukraine has lost – and everything it refuses to give up.

From the international bestselling author of The Stolen Heart, Death and the Penguin and The Grey Bees

______

Praise for Andrey Kurkov's war diaries

"Andrey Kurkov [is] one of the most articulate ambassadors to the West for the situation in his homeland," Sam Leith, Spectator

"Immediate and important … From the grim incredulity at Russians massing on the border to the displacement of millions of people, this is an insider's account of how an ordinary life became extraordinary. It is also about survival, hope and humanity," Helen Davies, The Times

"Ukraine's greatest novelist is fighting for his country," Giles Harvey, New York Times

"The author's on-the-ground account is packed with surprising details about the human effects of the Russian assault ...

Genres: Nonfiction, Ukraine, History

224 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 23, 2025

About the author

Andrey Kurkov is a Russian and Ukrainian writer who writes in Russian (fiction) and Ukrainian (non-fiction).

Kurkov was born in the small town of Budogoszcz, Russia, on April 23, 1961. When he was young, his family moved to Kyiv, Ukraine. In 1983 Kurkov graduated from the Kyiv Pedagogical Academy of Foreign Languages and later also completed a training in Japanese translation.

Among Kurkov's most famous Russian novels are 'Smert postoronnego' (1996, translated into English in 2001 under the title 'Death and the Penguin') and 'Zakon ulitki' (2002, translated into English in 2005 as 'Penguin lost)'. Kurkov's only Ukrainian non-fiction book is 'Ruh "Emanus": istoriya solidarnosti' (2017).

Reviews

[Monika Armet]

This is the third instalment of Kurkov’s diaries which cover the period from April 2024 to September 2025. They provide a crucial insight into the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Whilst I found the topic of war very hard, I discovered that the book itself was full of hope for the future. The author’s tone is reflective, he doesn’t shy away from the truth, but at the same time, he’s hopeful for the conflict to end.

I found many elements of this book compelling: the fact that drone production is the fastest growing segment of both Ukrainian and Russian economies; or that the cyber soldiers interfere with the GPS signals to confuse and redirect the Russian drones away from Ukraine.

The author portrays the harsh reality of living in a war-torn country. He powerfully conveys how the gambling trends among the soldiers are alarmingly high, how the criminal gangs are extorting the compensation money from the families, or how one day of war costs Ukraine approximately one hundred million dollars.

This book is not to be missed. It’s powerful, evocative, and extremely informative.

I definitely recommend it.

[Fatguyreading]

The third installment in the author’s war diaries, Three Years on Fire continues the deeply moving, deeply human tale of a nation completely transformed by the horrors of war.

Expertly written from the author’s first hand experience on the ground in Ukraine, it's a tale of a proud nation under siege, thousands killed, many more wounded and millions dispaced.

But amidst the horrors in the author’s writing, is a layer of dark humour and utter defiance, which adds a different aspect to the narrative.

Overall, a brilliantly told war story that everyone with even the slightest interest in the conflict should read.

4 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 's from me.

[Peter Tillman]

Good reviews. Library ebook available. Worth a shot?

[Jane Fudger]

This is the third book by the author about the ongoing war in Ukraine. This book is slightly different in the sense that rather giving a day to day diary of the war's progression it discusses how the war is affecting the day to day land cultural life of Ukraine's citizens.
As usual Andrey K urkov writs in an engaging and absorbing matter - an interesting and insightful read

[Dolf van der Haven]

Support Ukraine 🇺🇦, read Ukrainian books!
This is the third instalment of Kurkov’s diaries from the beginning of the war. This covers most of 2024 and the first half of 2025. There is a lot to learn from the perspective of someone who actually had to live through being bombed by Russia every other day, rather than the usual external reports we read in the newspapers. That alone makes this book so valuable, but in addition, Andriy Kurkov is a highly intelligent man who can analyse the situation while not giving up hope for a peaceful future. Especially the involvement of Trump has been disastrous for Ukraine, which becomes evident from what is written in this book.

[Louise]

Ukrainian writer Andrey Kurkov's novels (in particular Death And The Penguin) have brought him acclaim over many years, but more recently it is non-fiction that has become his focus, as Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has changed everything for that country. 
While millions have fled for safety abroad, or been internally displaced, many millions more still live in the capital, Kyiv, and in villages, towns and cities targeted by drones and missiles. 
Kurkov, currently living in Kyiv, has chronicled the many aspects of the war for various news outlets in Ukraine and around the world since it began. He writes about a huge range of topics, in an easy style and often with humour, though there's frustration and spikiness when he touches on certain subjects, in particular international politics. There are pockets of positivity, melancholy and all emotions in between. 
The accidental discovery of frost-resistant banana trees felt like a delight; finding how Tuareg music from Mali is suddenly popular in Ukraine raised a wry grin, and there's a blackly hilarious moment when Kurkov discovers GPS interference designed to confuse Russian drones has also confused his Uber app.
There's a sobering, thoughtful discussion of Russia's cyber attack on the Ukrainian government online infrastructure, and he writes movingly of the fact soldiers have little effective support for their mental health, and not enough time away from the front lines to rest and recuperate.
Occasionally he is a little more introspective, and these moments hold huge power: "We adapt our habits and lifestyle to the wartime situation. We know where the nearest bomb shelters are. We go to restaurants and cafes ... We are in a hurry to get even a tiny dose of pleasure and happiness. Tomorrow the restaurant may no longer exist."
I wish Andrey Kurkov had not been able to write these books about his country at war. But I am grateful that he has written them, helping us become more informed about the realities beyond the headlines.

[Clarisse]

Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has irrevocably transformed the country. Millions have fled for safety abroad or been internally displaced, leaving many more living in Kyiv and targeted villages towns and cities under missile and drone attack.

A particularly poignant moment for me was the mention of children’s bulletproof vests not readily available for Russian children, costing at least $400. It’s sickening to think children should wear them or become victims of mass casualties in war. Children on both sides shouldn’t have to endure this. It feels as though we’ve forgotten the lessons of the past. Hearing the countless innocent civilian deaths and the people who fought for their country and didn’t return home to their families is truly heartbreaking.

Kurkov’s writing spans a wide range of topics often laced with humour and lightness. However, he’s more frustrated when discussing certain subjects, particularly international politics. He captures a spectrum of emotions from positivity to sadness melancholy determination and loyalty to their homeland.

Three years on, Andrey Kurkov paints a vivid picture of the suffering and truth unfolding in Ukraine. His work helps us understand the realities of the ongoing conflict between his country and Russia.

If you’re looking for an informative and insightful look into Ukraine this book is a must read. It’s a compelling and thought provoking read. 

[Mandie]

Three Years on Fire continues Andrey Kurkov's war diaries and covers the period from April 2024 to April 2025. Whilst I don’t want to say that I enjoyed the book as there is no real enjoyment reading about a country at war, I did find it very compelling and would be sat in the dark reading on my kindle not wanting to put the book down.
Whilst you often get books written about the military aspect of a war, always told from one point of view or another, to get a book that is told from a more personal perspective, showing in all its detail the everyday human cost of war, be it detailing casualties or loss of freedom or personal belongings. It is this view that makes the book more personal and often left me wondering what I would do if I found myself in the same situation.
Andrey Kurkov does not shy away from any subject and tackles issues from both sides of the war. He has taken the stance that there is fault on both side and shows that actions taken even by Ukraine, whilst may be done in the belief that it is for the good of the country may not always be handled in the best way. With the war still going on, the events that take place are still fresh in peoples mind and his views on the change of leadership in the US and all its implications for the aid and support Ukraine relied on will stick in your mind for quite some time.
This book is not told from the perspective of doom and gloom but one of hope and the belief that one day the war will end and that some semblance of normal will resume, although what that will look like is anyone’s guess. The one thing that did make me smile was the security put in place to jam Russian drones had a slight unforeseen side effect in so much as Uber apps no longer worked as it saw the user as being based in an area not covered by Uber. Whilst they appreciated the security feature was there to save lives, the knock-on inconvenience was not anticipated.
Some things seem to be the same no matter where the war, including the lack of support for those serving in the forces and any real support for those displaced from their homes either due to Russian occupancy or military attack. This is something we could all do better at and you can only hope that when this is all over (and we have to believe that one day it will be) that there will be better measures put in place, and everyone gets the help they need no matter what it is.
There is part of me that hopes that Andrey Kurkov does not have to write further instalments to this diary but another part would like to know how things progress and how the people of Ukraine manage to return to the lives they once knew.

[Peter Fleming]

This is not a war diary in the sense most people would be familiar with. It is not one reporting first-hand from the front line, but rather one of observations of life within Ukraine whilst the war is raging. The effects upon ordinary people trying to go about their daily activities and how their lives may be affected by the geo-political activities of those trying to end the war.

The first thing that struck me was the tone of the writing, it is lacking in melodrama, self-indulgence or victimisation. Instead, it is understated and matter of fact in its style, one of largely unemotional reporting of what is happening away from the front. It could almost be the reporting of a foreign correspondent, from the days when that was an honourable profession with people of the calibre of Alistair Cooke. The only thing that belies this is the depth of his local knowledge. The writing is far from staid though, as there is a great sense or appreciation of the absurdities of life, like Albert Camus but with more humour. That he has written it in English, not his first language, is remarkable.

The predicament of the average Ukrainian is grave, but there is little they can do to influence matters, so they must simply get on with living life as best they can. One where each day of normality in the face of bombing is a small victory, in the spirit of the British WWII poster ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’. The author leaves no doubt about the resilience of his countrymen (and women.) It seems the older generations, those who have lived under the old Soviet rule are better equipped and have a store of deadpan humour from those days.

The one area where I sense a degree of frustration is the reduction of the world’s attention. When the war began it was big news and awareness across the world was high, but following the events of 7 October 2023 and the conflict that followed, the coverage has reduced, it is no longer front-page news. This has coincided with a reduction of aid, mainly in the form of advanced weaponry it needs to continue to repel the Russian forces, bolstered by men from their North Korean allies. This is a twenty-first century war one fought with drones as much as sheer manpower.

The election of President Trump has only added to the uncertainty. Claiming to be a man of peace, he is trying to broker an end to the war, but he is someone who cannot miss the opportunity of making a deal. Any resolution and peace being one where he expects to have influence over natural resources. In the eyes of some this would be merely swapping USA for Russia. The war must end but not with a capitulation of Ukrainian sovereignty.

[Tripfiction]

Essays on UKRAINE

[Ana-Maria Bujor]

A compilation of news, analyses, feelings, and predictions about the war, from the perspective of a writer caught up in it. It's strange to read history while it's happening, especially as I knew how some of these events ended. There were quite a few I was not aware of too, so overall it was an interesting set of snapshots. I especially liked the personal stories revealed by the bigger news. Now I only wish for the sequel, the sequel that ends with "and then they announced the war is over".