Hi citizens! Sorry that I’ve been gone for some time. Now that I finished my first year at university I can dedicate more time to doing things that are more exciting than sitting at my work desk and staring at a Zoom loading screen.
To make things easier for mr Hooper, I’m going to start posting the Ukrainian updates by myself now. I think it’s important to keep everyone aware of what’s happening here. Plus, I really enjoy writing these posts, so it’s not a problem for me at all.
So, it’s been over 100 days of war now. Almost four months. And I’ve noticed that the media’s attention on what’s happening here is really coming down and I’m not okay with this. For a lot of people, news outlets are the only source of information about everything that’s happening here, so if they all stop reporting about it, people will just assume that everything is fine. But it’s not. Far from it, actually. russia is still a huge, HUGE threat that is looming over the world. When I say something, I really mean it. I’ve studied Ukrainian history on a deeper level, so believe me when I say that russia won’t be stopped as soon as putin dies. It’s not just him who’s making lives of millions of Ukrainians become actual hell. russia’s hatred of Ukraine and it’s neighbouring countries doesn’t start from putin or the government. It’s internalised, it’s deep, and it’s roots started growing hundreds of years ago and it will only continue unless we all come together and rip said roots out, once and for all. People need to understand that pitying russians only makes things worse. “Oh no, you haven’t done anything wrong, average russian citizen vanya ivanov! Sure, you’ve been paying your taxes to fund russia’s war machine, you vocally hate Ukraine for “ruining your life” by taking your Mcdonald’s and your Netflix subscription, and you think Ukrainian land historically belongs to russia (it does not.) but you haven’t done anything wrong! It’s not you, it’s putin!”
It makes me absolutely sick that according to some people, russia has suffered in this war as much as Ukraine did. I’m sorry, but are there any children’s hospitals that were bombed in russia? Are there mass graves of innocent civilians who had no reason to die? Has anything that happened in Bucha, Kherson, Mariupol and many other Ukrainian cities also happened in russia? If my memory isn’t faulty, I don’t fucking think so! Most of this pitying comes from shallow-minded people who can’t even imagine their home destroyed and colonised by one of the world’s biggest powers, but they can sympathise with russians because having their big macs and frappuccinos taken away is such a tragedy! 😒
I’m very much disappointed with everything... especially with the media talking less and less about my country. Not because I like the attention, it would have definitely been nice to have that in a more peaceful time. I’m angry because more and more people are assuming that everything here is suddenly calm, and since nothing is happening, isn’t that a good time to sit down and have a nice, peaceful talk with russia? Oh, just fuck off with that. After seeing all they did and are STILL doing to us, having a little chat with russia over a nice warm cup of tea is the last thing my country needs. That’s all I have to say about that for now.
Despite what a lot people think, Ukrainians actually have a life outside of war! Life here has changed a lot here in the past four months. But we’re still here, and we’re not going anywhere. We make art, we go to concerts, we raise money for our army, and we try to make the most out of life. Last week my friends and I went to a concert that was organised to gather money for a refugee shelter in Lviv and our army. I didn’t know any of the bands but I had such a great time. We were all dancing and hugging each other, it was great. So despite everything that’s happening, we can always find something worth smiling and living for. I think it’s beautiful. Life in Kyiv is mostly back to it’s regular pace, if you ignore the air raid alarms, the demolished buildings, and the sky-high prices for petrol. In the city centre, there’s an exhibit of destroyed russian vehicles. Seeing kids climbing on top of what’s left of all those weapons of destructions and happily proclaiming glory to Ukraine is.. a fairly bittersweet sight.
To end this post on a positive note, I’d like to mention that a recently I saw the movie called “Everything Everywhere All at Once”. I’ve been dying to see it months before the war started, and I was sad to find out that it wouldn’t get a release in Ukraine because of it. But now that it’s out digitally and I watched it at home, it’s safe to say that it’s one of the most unique, funny and profound films I’ve seen in my life. I can’t keep recommending it enough! It’s not for everyone but it’s worth checking out. Sure, it may seem weird at first, but the message I got out of it in the end makes me more hopeful for the future. Life is sad and weird, but there’s always something that’s worth to keep going for. So, that’s a certified recommendation from Boomtown’s local film fanatic. 🐀👍
Paul
@Major Paul you might be interested in reading this article, which Bob wrote for the Guardian newspaper. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jun/27/stop-war-ukraine-prevent-world-hunger-bob-geldof-russia
Hey, Paul...I just woke up to learn about what happened in Kyiv and I logged in here to send you a message asking if you were okay, only to see your update from a few hours ago. I'm very relieved to see that you're okay but I'm horrified that this happened only 20~minutes from where you live & deeply saddened to learn two people have definitely died and that others are under the building. 💔 The picture of the little girl is heartbreaking. I pray that she will live and that her mother is found alive. This is all so heartbreaking. I'm thinking about you and your family & friends and praying for you all to stay safe. You have a very positive way of thinking and I know you will be okay. Sending my wishes for much happier, safer, peaceful, and joy~filled days, Jennifer 🌻🇺🇦🌻
😢
my morning doesn’t start with coffee… it starts with more news about a missile hitting another apartment building in my city, just 20 minutes away from where i live.
two people are confirmed dead. more unidentified bodies remain under what‘s left of the building. here’s a photo of our firefighters and medics trying to save a 6 year old girl who was rescued from under the destroyed building. her mother is still not found.
remember this photo whenever someone tells you that there are ”good russians”. i don’t fucking care about them. and i won’t until my country’s people stop dying. and spoiler alert - there are no good russians. and there never will be (unless they’re six feet under, wink wink).
Your post are amazing.You are in a war torn nation yet you find the effort to keep us informed.
Everyday I play The Rats song “I can make it if you can” and think of your struggle.
Please stay safe and keep living the best you can.
We are still with you and that will never stop.
spotted in Oxford.
Paul, thank you for this update. Your frustration is understandable and you express it so well. I also like the almost Bob like ‘Fuck Off’ to express your annyance. Exactly how Bob has frequently used it in numerous interviews! And despite the ongoing horrors in the East of your country, the resolve of the Ukrainian people to still oraganise music events, not only to raise money for your army, but to help maintain a spirit of defiance and togetherness.