The Mariupol Drama Theatre wasn’t just another bomb shelter. It sheltered they very soul of the city — the smallest, the weakest, the most precious. The future. The children. Those, who have been protected by the unwritten rules of war throughout history. …

Ukrainians are satirical folk. Often enough we use humor as a way of fighting fear. We joke about Chornobayivka, Putin, Kadyrov, NATO, Baiden, EU, Zelensky… you name it. We joke about bombing and artillery, and rockets, and tanks. We even joke about death. Mariupol is only thing we don’t joke…

In one month of the siege of Mariupol, Russians destroyed 2340 apartment blocks and 61.000 private houses and buildings. As if trying to say ‘you have nowhere to go, nowhere is safe’. 7 hospitals and 3 clinics — those they aimed at most precisely. …

Those who have survived Mariupol are probably not afraid of going to hell anymore. I mean, how worse can it get? Imagine people — adults, children, the elderly, the sick, the healthy, the strong, the weak; pregnant, asthmatic, someone whose birthday is today, someone who got married a month ago…

For you ‘Mariupol’ is a name of a Ukrainian city famous only for its diabolical misfortune, plaguing the world headlines in March 2022. But for Ukrainians this one word is a heavy and complex message. Now, this may be uncomfortable to read. But will suggest no reader’s discretion. …

‘Potyer net’ means ‘no casualties’. During the first week it was standard proverb of the Russian military officials. Even though with each passing day it was said in increasingly unsteady voice. Thus, enter the portable crematorium. You may be forgiven for being puzzled and asking questions of what that is…

‘It will be all over soon’. The most trending lie in Ukraine at the moment. It’s not that I don’t believe that the war will end soon. It’s just I don’t think that ending the war will return our old world back. My old world. For war is not something…

‘Apocalyptic sanctions’. Now how can sanctions be Apocalyptic? What sanction exactly leads to Apocalypse? What is with the overtones while speaking about economy? Is stuffed stomach how we define the level of our happiness? Does your life truly end when you become poorer? I understand, poverty is an uncomfortable enemy…

A ‘conflict’ is when Timmy took Jimmy’s toy car and they fight. A ‘crisis’ is when people disagree with each other and can’t find a common solution. And when an army of 200.000 orcs launch 500 kg missiles at city infrastructure and methodically shell the apartment blocks of all over…