Sky Above Kharkiv: Dispatches from the Ukrainian Front

by Serhiy Zhadan, Reilly Costigan-Humes (Translator), Isaac Stackhouse Wheeler (Translator)

From Ukraine’s leading writer-activist comes an intimate account of resistance and survival in the earliest months of the Russian-Ukrainian war
 
When Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Serhiy Zhadan took to social media to coordinate a network of resistance workers and send messages of courage to his fellow Ukrainians. What began as a local organizing effort exploded onto the international stage as readers around the globe looked to Zhadan as a key eyewitness documenting Russian atrocities.
 
In this powerful record of the war’s harrowing first four months, Zhadan works day and night in Kharkiv to evacuate children and the elderly from suburbs that have come under fire. He sends lists of life-saving medications to the West in the hopes of procuring them for civilians, coordinates food deliveries, collects money for military equipment, and organizes concerts. He shares photographs of the open sky—grateful for every pause in the shelling—and captures images of beloved institutions reduced to rubble. We’ll restore everything. We’ll rebuild everything, he writes.
 
As the days pass, the city empties. Friends are killed. And when images of the Bucha massacre are released, Zhadan’s own voice I’m speechless. Hang in there, my friends. Tomorrow, we’ll wake up one day closer to our victory. An intimate work of witness literature, this book is at once the testimony of one man entering a new reality as he writes and the story of a society unified in its fight for the right to exist.

Genres: Nonfiction, Ukraine, Memoir, War, History, Ukrainian Literature, 21st Century

208 pages, Hardcover

First published October 10, 2022

About the author

Serhiy Zhadan (23 August 1974 in Starobilsk, Luhansk region, Ukraine) is a contemporary Ukrainian novelist, writer, essayist, poet, translator, musician and public figure. Among his most notable works are novels Depeche Mode (2004, translated into into English in 2013 by Glagoslav Publications), Anarchy in the UKR (2005, translation into English is yet to come), Voroshilovgrad (2010, translated into into English in 2016 by Deep Vellum Publishing) and Orphanage (2017, translation into English forthcoming in 2020 by Yale University Press) as well as collection of short stories and poems Mesopotamia (2014, English translation by Yale University Press in 2018).

Please note that this English-language profile is intended for all own literary works of Serhiy Zhadan. For works of other authors translated into Ukrainian from a different language by Zhadan, please add both this profile (as a second author) as well as his Ukrainian-language profile: Сергій Жадан (as a third author)

Reviews

[Nataliya · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Ukrainian flags flutter above the city” is the constant triumphantly and defiantly optimistic refrain in Serhiy Zhadan’s posts from Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, mercilessly shelled by the Russian aggressors who are claiming to have “come here to liberate us from us.”.

“Rest up, my friends. Tomorrow, we’ll wake up one day closer to our victory.”

Sky Above Kharkiv is a translated collection of Facebook posts by Serhiy Zhadan, Ukrainian writer and musician who stayed in Kharkiv and daily wrote about the war. Kharkiv, the city that happened to have the terrible lack of being right next to the border with Russia - the country that, hiding under blatant lies, invaded Ukraine to bring the so-called “Russian world” there through murdering civilians and soldiers alike, committing countless crimes against humanity, all in the blind rage that another country dared to try to decide how to live its own life.

“Bottom line: this isn’t a war between countries. This is a genocide of Ukrainians.”

And then the vile aggressors dare to wonder why they are being hated and despised.

“Grad rocket launchers are pounding Kharkiv, civilians are dying. The Russians aren’t an army. They’re a horde.”

“Kharkiv. They fired rockets right into the middle of the city, hitting civilians. The Russians aren’t an army. They’re criminals.”


(That’s the famous slogan, “Russian warship, go fuck yourself”)

Zhadan’s posts detailing the resilience of Kharkiv people, the generosity and bravery of volunteers, the reports on what the donations have helped procure for the volunteer brigades, the effect of the war on the city and the people — they are not grim, panicky or depressing but rather focus on inspirational resilience and hope, although with realistic mindset.

“These days, the whole city is a potential target. And the worst thing is that it’s mostly civil- ians getting killed. Someone going outside to get some fresh air. Someone who decided to go for a walk with their kid. For the Russians, we’re all targets. They don’t care whether we’re armed or not—they’re annihilating us simply because we’re here, because we live here, because we’re Ukrainian.”

But life goes on, and the city withstood, and someday - hopefully soon - Russians will be made to get the hell out of the country that is not theirs. As my grandmother said, she wishes for Russians to experience exactly what they are doing to the Ukrainians, no more and no less, and then maybe they will understand the extent of the monstrosity of their actions.

“Reminds me of the Second World War. I’m referring to the occupiers’ ideology and moral imperative, first and foremost. They’ve come here to liberate us from us. They don’t even have a compelling narrative for those with weak stomachs. They simply want to destroy us, just in case, just because.”

5 stars. Glory to Ukraine!

“And I’ll say it again, just so you don’t have any doubt—Ukrainian flags flutter above the city. :)
Rest up, my friends. Tomorrow, we’ll wake up one day closer to our victory.”
———
“Greetings to you all from Ukrainian Kharkiv.”

——————

Thanks to NetGalley and Yale University Press for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

———
For those of you who speak Ukrainian, I found this interview with Zhadan to be very interesting: https://rozmova.wordpress.com/2022/10...

——————

Also posted on my blog.

[Sujoya - theoverbookedbibliophile · Rating 5 out of 5]

“War sharply changes ways of seeing, changes feelings. Above all, it immediately changes the weight of a great many things, things that seemed necessary and obvious just a day ago.” -Introduction by the author, Sky above Kharkiv: Dispatches from the Ukrainian Front

Sky Above Kharkiv: Dispatches from the Ukrainian Front comprises a series of social media posts written by Ukrainian writer-activist Serhiy Zhadan (translated from the original Ukrainian by Reilly Costigan-Humes and Isaac Stackhouse Wheeler) through which he documents the first four months of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“Reminds me of the Second World War. I’m referring to the occupiers’ ideology and moral imperative, first and foremost. They’ve come here to liberate us from us. They don’t even have a compelling narrative for those with weak stomachs. They simply want to destroy us, just in case, just because.” (excerpt from author’s post on March 2, 2022)

Originally posted on the writer’s Facebook account between February 24 and June 24, 2022, these segments provide a first-hand account of life in Kharkiv during the first four months of the Ukrainians’ armed resistance against the Russian onslaught and a glimpse into the day-to-day lives of civilians and servicemen in a city being ravaged by war. Zhadan writes about his city and his homeland, the atrocities of war and the devastation he witnesses day in and day out while driving around the city with his friends and associates, arranging and providing humanitarian aid to civilians, assisting in evacuations from bombed areas as well as sourcing gear and other supplies for the servicemen, the Territorial Defense Forces. The writer, also a musician, also writes about organizing concerts with his band in the subway where people are sheltering to provide some moments of respite amid the chaos all around.

Zhadan expresses immense pride in the bravery and the resolve displayed by the men and women of his city who chose not to leave despite the constant fear of being annihilated. The author talks about their efforts to support one another and their attempts to restore a sense of normalcy in their lives - cleaning debris from the bombarded streets, and opening up shops and markets whenever there is a lull in the attacks, despite food shortages and constant shelling and bombardment. Zhadan also is effusive in his praise for medical professionals and first responders. He shares heartwarming anecdotes revolving around random acts of kindness, kinship and humanity in the face of war. The author’s tone varies between emotional and deeply personal and reflective to matter-of-fact and irrespective of how devastating the event of the day might have been he concludes most of his posts on a hopeful note with either “Ukrainian flags flutter above the city.” or “Tomorrow, we’ll wake up one day closer to our victory.” Interspersed throughout the text are a handful of photographs that captures the indomitable spirit of the city and its people. This isn’t an overly lengthy book, but it is vivid and informative. This is not a light read but definitely is an important book that I would not hesitate to recommend.

“A Ukrainian defeat in this war will be a defeat for the whole civilized world. Contrarily, a Ukrainian victory will be a testament to the fact that honor, conscience, and responsibility still carry weight in the world.” ( excerpt from the writer’s post on April 6, 2022)

Many thanks to Yale University Press and NetGalley and for the much-appreciated digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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[Liralen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ukrainian flags flutter above the city. Tomorrow, we'll wake up one day closer to our victory.

These are two of the enduring refrains of Zhadan's war diary. Written in the first four months of war, Sky Above Kharkiv offers up a glimpse into a besieged city. Zhadan is a writer, not a fighter, but he and many of his friends stayed as bombs rained down upon the city because, as he says, we have a lot of work to do (loc. 56*). In the months following the Russian invasion, he took daily to Facebook to provide updates as he roamed the city, collecting and delivering supplies and checking in on troops and civilians alike.

Don't forget one thing, my friends. History isn't just being rewritten right now. It's being written in Ukrainian. (March 8, 1:48 p.m.)

This is, again, a war diary: The individual posts were written for publication on Facebook, but not intended for broader distribution. Read with that in mind (as I am reading and rating with that in mind)—many characters show up once and not again, and there is no easy ending, and in fact there is no ending at all. But Zhadan writes with a poet's sensibility (and enduring sky-and-wheat patriotism) even in short posts. The war drones on, but Ukraine continues on as David against Goliath.

To put it simply, I feel fortunate to live in this city. The residents of Kharkiv have shown so much courage, so much strength, and so much humanity over the past few days. I've never seen anything like it anywhere. Everything will be all right, everything will be Ukraine. Ukrainian flags flutter above the city. (March 16, 2:24 p.m.)

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

*I read an ARC, so quotes may not be final.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm going to have to start following the advice I read recently- that if your review (or other piece of writing) isn't working after five tries, it's time to give up. Still, I thought I'd highlight a couple of passages I found especially powerful:

*

Either hold out and survive or be annihilated. I never thought I would construct a sentence like that on my laptop. It's quite possible that on February 23, I would have found that kind of phrasing too pretentious, excessively emotional- perhaps even ideologically colored. But when you get a call and are told that your friend who received a vehicle from you the previous day has apparently been killed and can't be buried because his head is nowhere to be found, you realize these words are the most precise and truthful for all us Ukrainians these days. We don't have much choice- withstand this war or be annihilated. That's the way it is. There aren't any other options or any other scenarios...

...I'm fully aware that this isn't anything new- art locking up in the face of death, observing, spellbound, the world splitting and being transfigured, losing its former traits and former meaning forever, as something significant, something implacable and irreparable unfolds underneath its outer crust. You can't pick the words to feel or guess what exactly is unfolding. You can merely give names to everything you see, to what your vision captures...and do so out loud. I doubt you can call that literature. I'd say it doesn't have to be clearly defined, though. Maybe later, when this war ends, we can return to the terms used in literary criticism. For now, none of this is about literature- it's about reality.

*

"But why do these young people", I thought [before the war], "act like old functionaries from the Kuchma era? Where did their childish urge to make a quick buck and flaunt it come from? Why aren't they trying to be different?" Thing is, I personally had the chance to do what I still consider rather constructive, useful things with a lot of them- everyone from ministers to mayors and governors. Nonetheless, I'd look toward the Parliament building and ask, "Why aren't you trying to be different?"

Now with the naked eye you can see them trying to be different. Advisers, speakers, ministers, negotiators, officers, mayors and commanders- these forty-year-old boys and girls whose generation has been dealt the cruel lot of having to stand up for their country. And this applies no less (and possibly even more) to the millions of soldiers, volunteer fighters, and just regular people pitching in, people shedding the swampy legacy of the twentieth century, like mud falling off new, yet well-chosen combat boots. Young Ukrainian men and women- that's who this war of annihilation is being waged against.

Of course, I'm saying all this without any sense of idealization (especially with regard to the political class) or, for that matter, nonchalance. Obviously, politics isn't a field whose harvest is capable of surprising us every year. Obviously, we all will continue to have a lot of questions, issues and doubts. But still...it's day 16 of the war. And this thought has come to me: history is a deft yet sometimes rather cruel potter. At times, it shapes our souls in ways we never could have guessed. Flames make it firm, naturally, but this invisible hand of history, of eternity- it alone is capable of doing incomprehensible things.

[Stitching Ghost · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm giving this a 5 stars rating because, as always, I'm not sure how we're supposed to rate our "enjoyment" of someone recounting their real and still current struggles.

There is something really uncanny about reading a book like this one as the war is still ongoing. Literally as I was thinking of how to write this review and almost mindlessly scrolling my socials (in May 2023), I read a post by an acquaintance detailing the recent destruction and loss of life in her city (Kherson) and I was left with almost a sense that this stuff shouldn't be in a book already.

The book is a collection of Facebook posts so unlike a diary they were always intended to be seen by at least some people and there is a sense that most entries were curated at least to some extent. There are a few phrases that are repeated many times throughout the book and they sometimes give a sense of defiance and hope that will not give up and sometimes a sense of grim resignation or anger when the curation mask seems to slip a little. The result is often emotionally devastating but there's never any sense of defeatism, so it doesn't get depressing.

Zhadan does a fantastic work of conveying his love for his city and its people and what it means to him, and it make the entire thing very easy to relate to (well at least if you love your city) which in turn makes it all even more emotional.

I received an eARC from Yale University Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[All My Friends Are Fictional · Rating 5 out of 5]

„Der Krieg ringt mit der Sprache. In Kriegszeiten ertappst du dich dauernd bei dem Gedanken, dass dir die Worte fehlen, als stocke dir der Atem, als bekämst du keine Luft, so dass die Worte verloren gehen, auseinanderfallen, unpassend erscheinen. Das ist ein sehr seltsames Gefühl. Seltsam und unangenehm, denn es enthält zu viel Wut und zu viel Machtlosigkeit. Du bist unfähig, das Böse zu stoppen und die richtigen Worte zu finden, um das zu benennen, was du siehst. Die Wirklichkeit erweist sich als stärker als die Sprache. Die Wirklichkeit braucht neue Wörter, neue Intonationen, sie verlangt nach Umbenennung aller wichtigen Dinge und Phänomene.“

[Szaman · Rating 4 out of 5]

To nie były teksty przeznaczone na książkę, ale i tak mi się podobało (chociaż nie wiem, czy to dobre słowo). Miasto w czasie wojny wciąż działające i żyjące , chociaż wolniej, ostrożniej. Przejście nad tym, co się dzieje do porządku dziennego, niesamowita zdolność adaptacji ludzi do zaistniałych warunków przy jednoczesnej niezgodzie i sprzeciwie. I przyroda, i natura, które po prostu idą dalej, tydzień po tygodniu, miesiąc za miesiącem i to chyba jedyna stała w życiu - że niebo będzie niebem, chociaż nagle bardziej groźnym; że przyjdzie śnieg, deszcz i upały, że rośliny błyskawicznie zaczną się wciskać gdzie tylko będą miały okazję.
Bardzo polecam.

[Hanna (theworldtoread) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Yale University Press for the eARC! Sky above kharkiv is out on 16 may 2023.

I've read my fair share of ww2 diaries, and this book feels like a modern day version of those. As russia invades ukraine on 24 feb 2022, writer and poet serhiy zhadan starts posting on facebook regularly to update the outside world on the situation in kharkiv, a ukrainian city near the russian border. The posts that he wrote in the first few months of the war have now been translated and collected in this book.

Zhadan often writes with a wry humour - jabs at the russians and the inactivity of international politicians - which genuinely made me chuckle, but I also had goosebumps throughout most of this book. It is a day by day description showing every horror of a war zone. As zhadan writes his posts on facebook, the war in ukraine is in it's first 4 months. As he writes the introduction, it's getting closer to 6. As i read his words in april 2023, it's been more than 12 months since russia has invaded ukraine. This book is an important reminder of that. Sky above kharkiv makes painfully clear what atrocities have been - and are still being - committed since the start of this war, but also how the people of ukraine have come together to protect their loved ones, their city, their country.

[Elwira Księgarka na regale · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zabierając się za lekturę „W mieście wojna” trzeba być świadomym faktu, że nie czeka nas tutaj ani literatura piękna ani reportaż. Najświeższa publikacja autora w Wydawnictwie Czarne to zbiór jego wpisów na FB rozciągniętych pomiędzy lutym 2022 a lutym 2023. Warto to podkreślić, by uniknąć jakichkolwiek rozczarowań, które już widziałam w opiniach na lubimyczytac.

Na książkę składają się wspomniane zapiski z każdego dnia konfliktu, ale nie tylko. Zapiski są poniekąd wyliczaniem wszystkich sposobów pomocy, jakie udaje się zorganizować dla Charkowa. Są to pozyskane samochody, drony, kamizelki i wiele innych. Rok wojny w kalejdoskopie ataków, ale przede wszystkim siły mieszkańców Charkowa. Żadan przeplata te wieści z wojny swoimi drogocennymi przemyśleniami na temat postępowań Zachodu, przeczytamy też tutaj treści przemów, jakich wygłosił podczas odbierania różnorodnych nagród oraz wiersze autora inspirowane wydarzeniami mającymi miejsce od 2014 w Ukrainie.

Można na tę książkę zerknąć płytko, a wtedy zobaczymy tylko zapiski, liczby, obserwacje charkowskiego nieba zasnutego wojną, ale i walką mieszkańców o normalność. „W mieście wojna” może się stać jednak czymś znacznie więcej. Pomnikiem stawianym Ukrainie, która nieustannie walczy, niezłomności mieszkańców, którzy mimo wszystko pozostali, a dla nas stanie się przypomnieniem, że pomoc wciąż jest potrzebna. A coś mi mówi, że honorarium za tę książkę Żadan też przeznaczy na pomoc swoim, a wtedy może my ją czytając, w jakiś sposób też możemy wesprzeć. I nie zapominać o wojnie, nie znieczulać się na nią.

[Kamilė | cobwebshelves]

"I'm not trying to say that the war has become part of our memories or part of history. It hasn't become part of anything yet; it goes on, taking our lives, time, and energy. Nevertheless, imprints remain in our memories, they remain, like voices from the platform that comes afer a black tunnel. After all, the city, protected by Ukrainian forces and market by Ukrainian flags, remains."

It feels unfair to give a numeral rating to a book that is, essentially, the first-hand account of a war that is not yet over. How do you rate lived experieces, things that at the time of writing were not yet memories? I have to commend Costigan-Humes and Stackhouse Wheeler for their work on the translation. The language feels dynamic, lived-in, and you can certainly see why Zhadan is one of Ukraine's contemporary greats.

This book only recounts the first four months of the full scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, starting on the 24th of February and the last entry dated on the 24th of June. It's far from a complete story, of course. But as you look at the dates, you are met with a sober reminder of the atrocities that were revealed, the destruction, the inhuman violence. I found that the tempo resembled the way time felt in February not that long ago – the days seemed to drag slowly at first, all clouded in uncertainty, and then, before you knew it, it was spring, and then summer. And we know now that an autumn followed, then winter, then spring again, but who could have been certain back then?

Another thing this book had me thinking about the importance of preserving digital media. While internet feels infinite and we love saying that once something is online, it's there forever, the matters of preserving digital archives are far more complicated. Having this account in print, rather than just on a Facebook account that may someday vanish, is vitally important today as it will be in the future, when Zhadan's accounts will certainly serve as a primary source in discussions about this senseless invasion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Yale University Press for the access.

[Aleksander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kronika czasu wojny z Charkowszczyzny. Determinacja i upór Żadana budzi podziw, choć to w zasadzie główny (obok dozgonnego szacunku dla narodu ukraińskiego) powód dla takiej oceny.

Samo wydanie "społecznościowej" kroniki z FB w formie książki jest, z perspektywy tak świeżej jak 2,5 roku od pełnoskalowej inwazji, dosyć dyskusyjne. Nie ulega jednak wątpliwości, że za wiele lat będą to zapiski równe powstańczym wspomnieniom czy obserwacji przemian (przed)wojennego Berlina.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goodreads Giveaway Win

Wow, I was looking forward to the arrival of this book and it didn’t disappoint… I haven’t put it down since I received it today. The poetry is heart wrenching as is the entire book, but Ukrainians are clearly a tough country and they are staying United! Amazing. They are inspirational.

[Polly Krize · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Timely social media posts about the Russian assault on Ukraine by Ukrainian writer-activist Serhiy Zhadan show the real cost of this brutal war. Portraits of people not leaving their country in spite of almost insurmountable odds show us the resilience and bravery of the Ukrainian people. Excellent account!

[Petra Engel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ich hatte sehr hohe Erwartungen an dieses Buch, Gewinner des Friedenspreises des deutschen Buchhandels usw. Leider wurden diese nur teilweise erfüllt. Mir war bekannt, dass es sich um übersetzte Tagebuch-Eintragungen des Autors auf Facebook handelte und so hatte ich keine so hohen Anforderungen an den Schreibstil. Doch ich erwartete, dass es mich berühren würde und das tat es nicht. Jeder einzelne Tweet von Illia Ponomarenko, jeder Bericht von Maria Avdeeva lösen 100x mehr Emotionen in mir aus als dieses Buch. Ist es die Übersetzung aus dem Ukrainischen? Vielleicht. Es gibt andere Kriegsberichte aus der russischen Vernichtungskrieg in Buchform, bei denen genau dies bemängelt wird. Ist das hier auch der Fall? Insbesondere, aber nicht nur, sind die poetischen Stellen schlicht nicht lesbar. Auch sonst ist der Bericht so oberflächlich und seltsamerweise unpersönlich (obwohl es sich um die Erlebnisse des Autoren handelt), dass das Buch an vielen Stellen langweilt. Schade!

Ich folge zahlreichen Ukrainern auf Twitter, deren Erzählungen und Beschreibungen ihres Alltags mich mehr berühren. Vermutlich waren Menschen wir ich bei den Facebook-Einträgen auch nicht die Zielgruppe. Das ist in Ordnung. Aber Menschen wie ich sind es bei der Buchveröffentlichung. Oder sollten es zumindest sein.

[Jacqueline Nyathi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting account of the Russian invasion of Ukraine from the perspective of a poet, writer, musician and resident of Kharkiv, over the four months from February 2022 to June 2022. The book is in the form of journal-like pieces taken from the author’s Facebook page. Most of the entries are general encouragement for other Ukranians, with a few snippets about what volunteers were doing at the time. It serves as an important first-person record of the war.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Yale University Press.

[Jakub Takacs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kniha zachytáva prvé mesiace invázie na Ukrajinu z pohľadu obyvatela a zároveň dobrovoľníka v Charkive. Na rozdiel od podobných denníkov zachytávajúcich rovnaké obdobie nepôsobí nenávistne, ale naopak, snaží sa zdôrazniť ľudské činy počas obliehania. Zároveň som veľmi rád za knihu, lebo som sa skrz ňu dostal ku kapele Zhadan i Sobaki, ktorá je fakt super!

[Arnav Kapoor · Rating 3 out of 5]

You want to experience the Russia Ukraine War, read this book. That is all I can say about it. Incredible, fantastic, gripping, heartfelt, surreal. Just a book that is written with a lot of love and a lot of incentive to get the story out there.

[Dmitry]

(The English review is placed beneath the Russian one)

И снова небо замыкает на себя слова и провода
И снова с неба проливаются на нас ответы и вода
И если ты вдруг начал что-то понимать
И от прозрений захотелось заорать
Давай, кричи! Но тебя могут не понят�� -
Никто из них не хочет ничего менять...

Во-первых, книга является сборником постов автора из Facebook. Во-вторых, в книге очень много лозунгов, но очень мало внутренних переживаний автора (точнее, их нет вообще). И да, как во всех книгах украинских авторов о военном конфликте между Россией и Украиной 2014 и 2022 гг., в книге нет горя. Бравада, это конечно хорошо, но нужно понимать, что в какой-то момент она закончится и реальность ворвётся во всём своём неприглядном виде. Что тогда?

Примечательно, что в книге (в первой половине) не встречаются слова «диктатор», «диктатура», «авторитаризм», «тоталитаризм» и пр. Вместо этого автор винит во всём русских и русскую культуру. Хочется спросить автора, это что же, Толстой и Достоевский бомбит украинские города, а не диктатура и авторитаризм? Похоже, именно так и думает автор. Получается, что автор дожил до такого возраста и так и не понял, почему Путин пошёл войной на его страну. Получается, что автор не понимает, чем опасна любая автократия в мире и почему так важно, чтобы демократия была во всём мире (подумайте, начал бы свою военную кампанию Путин, если бы в Белоруссии был бы демократический режим?). Я подобных автору людей встречаю постоянно. Их не волнует, что происходит с диссидентами в Китае, Иране или Белоруссии даже когда на их собственные головы начинают падать бомбы. Такие люди не видят в этом никакой связи. Вопрос только в том, не видят они или не хотят видеть?

First, the book is a compilation of the author's Facebook posts. Secondly, there are a lot of slogans in the book but very little of the author's inner feelings (or rather, there are none at all). And yes, as in all books by Ukrainian authors about the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine in 2014 and 2022, there is no grief in the book. Bravado is a good thing, but you have to realize that at some point, it will end, and reality will burst in in all its ugly form. What then?

It is noteworthy that the words "dictator," "dictatorship," "authoritarianism," "totalitarianism," etc., do not appear in the book (in the first half). Instead, the author blames everything on Russians and Russian culture. I would like to ask the author, is it Tolstoy and Dostoevsky bombing Ukrainian cities, and not dictatorship and authoritarianism? That seems to be exactly what the author thinks. It turns out that the author lived to such an age and never realized why Putin went to war on his country. It turns out that the author does not understand the danger of any autocracy in the world and why it is so important that there should be democracy all over the world (think, would Putin have started his military campaign if there had been a democratic regime in Belarus?). I meet people like the author all the time. They don't care what happens to dissidents in China, Iran, or Belarus, even when bombs start falling on their own heads. Such people don't see any connection. The only question is, don't they see it or don't want to see it?

[365_ksiazek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kronika wojenna. Zapiski Żadana z pierwszego roku wojny. Wszystko kręci się wokół spraw codziennych i zorganizowania życia pod ostrzałem. Opisuje sytuację w Charkowie. Opowiada o ludziach, którzy starają się żyć w oblężonym mieście, i o tym, jak życie stopniowo wraca na ulice miasta, jak wojna powszednieje. Żadan udziela się jako wolontariusz i opowiada dużo o pomocy siłom zbrojnym i o charytatywnych kulturalnych wydarzeniach. Co jakiś czas zdaje zapośredniczoną relację z linii frontu. Z drugiej strony, ten tekst jest krzepiący, bo pełen wiary w sukces. Żadan jak mantrę powtarza: „Wierzymy w swój kraj. Dobranoc wszystkim. Jutro obudzimy się jeden dzień bliżej naszego zwycięstwa”. Tamże, s.45.
Są wiersze, bo nawet w tych ponurych okolicznościach można tworzyć poezję. Jest też mowa o znaczeniu kultury w umacnianiu tożsamości narodowej.

„W mieście wiosna. I w mieście wojna”. Tamże, s.27.

„W centrum porozwalane sklepiki z roztrzaskanymi witrynami od razu przypominają o latach 90. Ta wojna w ogóle w dużej mierze dotyczy właśnie próby zatrzymania czasu, spowolnienia go - nagle okazało się, że naprawdę próbują nam narzucić powrót do przeszłości, z której tak boleśnie (ale z powodzeniem) udało nam się wyrwać.
Charków w tym wszystkim po trochu ożywa, odzyskuje swoją naturalną energię i dynamikę. Tak jakby człowiek zaczynał ruszać ręką po złamaniu. Ręka, chwała Bogu, będzie działać, ale człowiek ma przed sobą dużo pracy, i szkoda czasu. Szkoda nerwów, szkoda straconego potencjału. Ale najważniejsze nie jest to – najważniejsze, że ręce i nogi całe i że pracy nikt się nie boi.
Wyszło słońce, w ogóle zrobiło się po letniemu przejrzyście. Nad miastem górują nasze flagi”. Tamże, s.141.

„Szczegóły mocno bolą zburzone szkoły, dzieci, które muszą mieszkać w obcych miastach, nauczyciele, którzy zostali bez pracy. Rosja nie tylko niszczy naszą oświatę, czyli naszą przyszłość - ona wnosi do naszych szkół, tych, które ocalały, swoje narracje, psując wszystko, co tak długo i z trudnością budowano.
Całkowite ignorowanie naszej podmiotowości, naszej inności, brutalne i wszechobecne wciskanie swojego jako jedynego, co możliwe – oni inaczej nie potrafią oni są tego nauczeni – niszczenia i minowania”. Tamże, s.150.

„Co jeszcze poza językiem i pamięcią? Co jeszcze się w nas zmieniło? Co będzie nas teraz wyróżniać w każdym towarzystwie, w każdym tłumie? Być może oczy. Wchłonęły zewnętrzny ogień, teraz na zawsze zostanie w nich ten odblask spojrzenie człowieka, który zajrzał za granicą widzialnego który wpatrywał się w ciemność i nawet udało mu się tam coś dostrzec – to spojrzenie zawsze będzie wyróżniać, bo odbijają się w nim sprawy aż nadto istotne”. Tamże, s.255.

Egzemplarz otrzymałam do wydawnictwa.

[Aleksandr Popov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luuletaja, kirjanik, muusik, aktivist ja palju muid rolle on kogunenud selle vapra mehe ellu. Täiemahulise agressioonisõja esimesel päeval 24.02.2022 hakkas Serhiy Zhadan pidama sotsiaalmeediapostituste põhist päevikut oma tegevustest kodulinna Kharkivi kaitsel ning kaasmaalaste toetamisel. Postitusi endast ja oma "koertest" - tema bändikaaslastest.
Selles raamatus on koondatud tõlked postitustest vahemikus 22FEB2022 kuni 22JUN2022. Neli kuud sõjakevadet. Neli kuud päevast päeva kestvat võitlust ühtse ja vankumatu Ukraina nimel. Neli kuud valu, pisaraid, õudu, ängi. Neli kuud rõõmu, naeru, laste kilkeid ja loomingut. Neli kuud kindlameelsust ja vankumatut vastupanu. Neli kuud lootust. Neli kuud ootust. Neli kuud adumist, et keegi teine peale iseenda ei aita.
Neli kuud, mis nüüd tunduvad igaviku jagu tagasi. Meie räägime sõjaväsimusest ja ei taha sellest kurvast sündmusest midagi enam kuulda. Serhiy Zhadan räägib elust! Elust, mida meil kõigil ei oleks, kui poleks vapraid mehi ja naisi, kes päevast päeva ärkaksid teadmisega все бу́де Украї́на!

[Maike]

Ein einzigartiger Schnappschuss in die ersten Monate des russischen Angriffs. Als Stadt nahe der Ländergrenze (und zweitgrößte Stadt der Ukraine) ist Charkiw speziell ein signifikanter Akteur dieses Krieges. Der Autor bietet uns einen Einblick in sein tägliches Leben nach diesem plötzlich eingeschlagenen Ereignis und zeigt, wie schnell die Bevölkerung auf die Gefahr reagiert, sei es bei der Organisation von Hilfsgütern oder der Einrichtung sicherer Unterkünfte.

Dies ist keine detaillierte Analyse des Kriegsverlaufs, sondern vielmehr zeigt es den Alltag der Zivilbevölkerung.
Da dieses Buch aus Twitter- und Facebookeinträgen entstand, liest es sich wie ein authentisches Tagebuch; zeitnah und ergreifend erfahren wir, wie schnell sich das so sorgfältig geplante Leben der Bevölkerung eines ganzen Landes langanhaltend verändert.

[Rosamund · Rating 5 out of 5]

Es gibt hier eigentlich viel, was ich zitieren könnte, was die Welt unbedingt hören muss. Aber die beste Zusammenfassung finde ich im Nachwort:

'Durchaus möglich, dass mir noch am 23. Februar derart schicksalsschwangere Formulierungen zu pathetisch, übertrieben emotional, ja sogar ideologisch eingefärbt erschienen wären. Aber wenn man dich anruft und dir sagt, dass dein Bekannter, dem du noch gestern ein Auto gebracht hast, heute gefallen ist und dass man ihn nicht heimbringen kann, um ihn zu beerdigen, weil man seinen Kopf nicht findet, dann verstehst du, dass genau diese Worte heute für uns alle, für uns Ukrainer, die einzig zutreffenden und wahrhaftigen sind — wir haben keine große Wahl: entweder standhalten in diesem Krieg oder vernichtet werden. Alles andere funktioniert einfach nicht.'

[Jurga · Rating 5 out of 5]

„Tomorrow, we'll wake up one day closer to our victory“.
Sky Above Kharkiv is essentially a diary of the Ukrainian activist, writer, poet, and musician Serhiy Zhadan. The book consists of the author‘s Facebook posts since Russia‘s full-scale invasion of his country began last year in February. Through them all you can feel the very true Ukrainian spirit itself. It‘s not just Kharkiv, the whole of Ukraine resists like that. Stubbornly, helping and looking after each other, encouraging themselves and fighting back the aggressor trying to occupy their home. While this war is still ongoing, pain and destruction are immeasurable, Ukrainians don‘t give up and stand strong. Posts are full of strength, positivism and humanism, which is an inspiration to read. A good read for anyone who is trying to understand the Ukrainian spirit and daily resistance to outside violence.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Russia invaded Ukraine, acclaimed Ukrainian writer Serhiy Zhadan turned to social media to coordinate a network of resistance, to send message of support, encouragement and comfort to his fellow Ukrainians and to link together all those opposing the Russian invasion. What began as a local effort soon became international as more and more people began to follow Zhadan’s messages and pledge their support. It’s a remarkable chronicle of on-the-spot writing, giving a first-hand day-by-day account of life on the ground in those first terrible months, accompanied by many haunting photographs. Although originally posted on Zhadan’s Facebook page between February 24 and June 24th 2022, the posts have lost none of their impact and immediacy. Who could have thought that the fight would tragically still be going on over a year later?

[Dolf van der Haven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Support Ukraine 🇺🇦, read Ukrainian books!

"Ukrainian flags flutter above the city."

I have been wondering lately what I would do if Putin would win the war in Ukraine and decide to continue in Western Europe. Life in a war is hard to imagine for me.
This book by writer, poet, singer and activist Serhiy Zhadan shows what is possible in a city constantly under siege. These are basically his Facebook posts of the first four months of the war, showing how he has become a hub helping the citizens of Kharkiv and the nearby army groups. It is impressive and inspiring in all its simplicity.

"Tomorrow we'll wake up one day closer to our victory."

[Laura N · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting account from the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine from the perspective of a writer/artist in the city of Kharkiv. The book is in the form of journal with pieces taken from the author’s Facebook page for four months in 2022. Most of the entries are general encouragement for other Ukrainians, with information on what they as volunteers are doing to help the war effort.

It is sad to read this now as he usually ends each entry with the encouraging words of "one step closer to victory". Of course not realizing that it was only the beginning of a conflict that continues today.

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll give it a 3 to be kind, but these posts didn't really work as a book. Very repetitive and didn't really give you that great a grasp as the reader of the feeling over in Ukraine during the first 6 months of the war. I expected so much more from a writer's FB posts in such an emotional time. Oh well.

[Hélène D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Der Krieg ringt mit der Sprache. In Kriegszeiten ertappst du dich dauernd bei dem Gedanken, dass dir die Worte fehlen, als Stöcke dir der Atem, als bekämst du keine Luft, so dass die Worte verloren gehen, auseinanderfallen, unpassend erscheinen. Das ist ein sehr seltsames Gefühl. Seltsam und unangenehm, denn es enthält zu viel Wut und zu viel Machtlosigkeit."

[Zuzana Be · Rating 4 out of 5]

Čo k tomu napísať.. kniha je zostavená zo statusov Serhija Žadana na soc.sieťach od prvého dňa ruskej invázie do Ukrajiny. Väčšinou sa snaží udržať nádej, ale samozrejme, nie vždy je to jednoduché. Z jeho popisov Charkiva (o ktorom som predtým nič nevedela) ale mám chuť ho navštíviť raz, keď sa už bude dať.

[Ulrike Bungert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jeder Krieg ist schrecklich. Es ist schön wenn Menschen zusammenhalten. Darüber hinaus konnte ich dem Buch nichts abgewinnen, nur die Inspiration, den Fokus auf Kultur, Freundschaften und Frieden zu setzen. Was ja schon recht viel ist, daher 4 Sterne.