A Ukrainian village

and the meaning of occupation

Yahidne is a village in the Chernihiv region of Ukraine which was occupied by the Russian army from 3 to 31 March 2022. Russians forced the entire population of the village into a school basement with about 60 cm of space per person. The locals could only stand or sit.

More than 360 people, including children, spent 27 days there without food, fresh water, sanitary facilities, medication, or oxygen. 10 of them died. 7 more were executed by the Russians on the streets.

On the walls of that torture chamber, you see children’s drawings next to the calendar counting the days in captivity - next to the list of killed Ukrainians - next to the list of those who died because of the conditions in the basement. Next to the national anthem of Ukraine scribbled in a child’s handrwiting.

When Yahidne was liberated, most of the locals jumped into evacuation buses and left, because every house in the village was damaged by the heavy fighting. Yet when volunteers started fixing roofs and windows, the villagers returned. My friend Anna says it’s because their experience is so extreme it can’t be shared outside of the community.

To an extent, it feels true of many Ukrainians living in Ukraine today. We stick together. Our experience is so extreme we barely understand each other, let alone the outsiders. Communication with those who come to meet us in Ukraine and on our own terms can also be strained, but I am grateful for their effort. We need them to know. They need to act based on this knowledge.

When you hear about peace talks and Ukrainian territorial concessions again, think about Yahidne and what Russian occupation means for Ukraine.

The trip was organised by PEN Ukraine and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine as part of the Crimea Global conference. The photos are by Anastasia Mantach.