Ukrainian Resilience Four Years On:

‘I Do Not Deal With Peace, Because I Have to Deal With War’

Olesya Khromeychuk visited Kyiv ahead of the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and reflects on what survival really involves for those who have to live through it every day

Could we please meet somewhere warm, my respondent asks as we confirm our interview. The young woman I am arranging to meet is willing to give me her time and share the difficult memories of her life under Russian occupation for my new writing project. The least I can do is ensure she does not have to endure additional physical discomfort during the interview. But a space where you do not have to keep on several layers is hard to come by in Kyiv these days.

Outside, it is -15°C, and with minimal or no heating indoors temperatures drop below any acceptable level. People are told not to come into offices because they are unheated, yet for many, working from home is not an option either: electricity is often unavailable, and frequently enough, there is no running water.

Kyiv is a very modern city.