It's Your Week. How a Ukrainian journalist honors loved ones lost in war
Welcome to Your Week, a newsletter exclusively for Paste BN subscribers. Sallee Ann here.This is a busy weekend, so I appreciate you taking the time to read some of the great journalism you support with your subscription.
This week, I've been working with graphics reporter Karina Zaiets on translating her project on loved ones lost in Ukraine for our Telegram channel. Her reporting was so memorable and impactful, I asked her to share more with you all today.
But first, don't miss these stories:
- ‘What does it mean to be freed?': How parents are teaching their children about Juneteenth
- My dad taught me every problem has a solution. Then he got sick and I needed those lessons to learn how to help.
- A 2009 warning about right-wing extremism was engulfed by politics. There are signs it’s happening again.
- EPA must cancel popular Seresto collar over link to pet deaths, congressional subcommittee recommends
- Considering an electric vehicle? Here's what to expect if you've never driven an EV before.
'Every Ukrainian is in pain now'
Karina Zaiets fled Ukraine the day Russia invaded. The war has since gone on for more than 100 days. The United Nations has confirmed more than 4,000 civilians have been killed since, but the true number is probably far higher, according to the world body.
Zaiets wanted to tell the stories of the people who died in the war, and its impact on their loved ones.
"Most of the Ukrainians I reached out to for this project were too devastated to talk and relive the loss of their family during the interview," Zaiets said.
But she made contact with three women who lost family and loved ones. One was Victoria, who lost her mother when the Russian bomb struck their home.
"I kept in touch with Victoria and she told me how she felt I was the only one who cared about her family," Zaiets said. "She lost all her possessions in the war, including photos of her mother, which burned in a bomb strike. The story we wrote is the only memento of her mother she has left."
Zaiets spoke with Anna, who lost her mother, brother, his wife and their three children when the family home was bombed. She spoke with Dasha, whose boyfriend Sasha and his parents were found in a mass grave.
The project includes audio clips of the women talking about their lost loved ones. It's haunting and powerful to listen to them.
"Working on a story about the murder of my fellow citizens devastated me," Zaiets said. "Every Ukrainian is in pain now because every day the war goes on we are losing dozens of amazing people. I hope these stories bring readers closer to Ukrainians, how we lived our normal lives and how the war takes away our hearts."
Lives destroyed: Ukrainians' stories of loved ones lost in the war
- Lyudmyla Strylets was a fighter: She fell in love and had a family — then Russia bombed their home
- Sasha and Dasha, high school sweethearts: He stayed with his parents; she fled Russian troops. The couple was never reunited
- The Priymenko family: Russian bombs kill three generations in Ukraine family — hours before evacuation
Thank you
Your Paste BN subscription helps make important journalism like this project by Karina Zaiets possible. We can't tell these stories without your support. Take care of yourself and each other, and I'll see you next week.