Ukraine: Life During Wartime
War isn’t only about bombs, bullets and deaths on the battlefield. It’s also about people away from the fighting, struggling to maintain a modicum of normalcy and hope in their daily lives. In this three-part series, we learn about the lives of people living away from the front line and we hear from a Ukrainian psychologist about the effect the war is having on people’s mental health and the strategies they can take to protect themselves.
Twice last year and again in January and February of this year, Jeremy Bigwood, a veteran reporter and photographer, traveled to Ukraine to report on the war and and document the impact it is having on ordinary Ukrainians. Over the last year, he spent almost five months there and interviewed dozens of people about living in a war zone and the effect the Russian invasion is having on them and their families. He conducted the interviews in Ukrainian, English and Russian and translated them to English, with consultation from professional translators and language instructors. In April, after returning to the U.S., Bigwood interviewed Ukrainian psychologist Anna Katruk via WhatsApp.
In Part 1 of this series, you’ll meet people from Kyiv, Odessa, Mykolaiv and Kherson and hear from them about how they are dealing with the continual threat of attack while fearing for loved ones on the front.
In Part 2, you can read Bigwood’s interview with Katruk about the ways the war is affecting the mental health of people in Ukraine and those who have taken refuge in neighboring countries.
In Part 3, we introduce you to a series of public service announcements aimed at helping Ukrainians manage their stress and anxiety.
Part 1 – ‘This Was Not a Dream’
War isn’t only about bombs, bullets and deaths on the battlefield. It’s also about people away from the fighting, struggling to maintain a modicum of normalcy and hope in their daily lives. Read the story here.
Part 2 – “Living under war tests the strength of the psyche and body”
An Interview with Psychologist Anna Katruk
Katruk left Ukraine and now lives in Prague, where she works with the refugee community. She speaks often on Czech and Ukrainian TV and radio about adjusting to life during wartime. She is no stranger to the war’s tragic impact. Her brother was killed fighting against Russian forces earlier this year.
Part 3 – Ukraine Uses TV, Internet to Train People to Manage their Stress and Anxiety
With the support of many international aid organizations and the World Health Organization, the Ukrainian government has set up projects intended to mitigate the effects of the war on the psychosocial health of the population remaining in Ukraine.
Series design by Eric Turner
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