Someday the day will come,
the war will end…
It’s a month since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. During all this time we have been bravely defending our own state. We have been seeing ourselves as Ukrainians for a month now and we are proud of that. For a month now, we have been proving around the world that we are the strongest, the most fearless, the most resilient. It’s been a month and no one knows how long it’s going to last.
A month ago, we woke up to the phrase “Russia has attacked Ukraine.” Exactly since then, everyone has dreamt of waking up from the words “get up, we have won”. Nobody knows when these words will become a reality, but not everyone understands that after them we will build a new Ukraine, the true free country of which we once only dreamed of.
The war will change Ukrainians forever. In fact, it has already done so. It may not be so noticeable yet, but I’m sure everyone has already felt it. The changes were enormous: we felt like Ukrainians. Ukrainians, as Ivan Franco wrote, are not Galician, not Bukovinian, not Ruthenian, but Ukrainians “without official borders.” We understood that Ukraine will be equally defended in Lviv and Kharkiv, in Ivano-Frankivsk and Kherson. We felt that the west and the east became one, and our heart – Kyiv – burns equally. We spoke one language – the language of faith, struggle and gratitude. In the end, we became Ukrainians without borders and somewhere out there Ivan Franco smiles softly at us.
Changes occur with each passing day of the war. But they will still be so rhythmic after our victory. Yes, we have a long period of reconstruction ahead of us. It will take years to rebuild destroyed cities, villages, districts and houses. It will take years to achieve at least the indicators we had before the war and decades to surpass them. But Ukrainians are ready for this. They are inspired. They are ready to roll up their sleeves and build a new bright future.
Most likely, we will become more demanding. A positive scenario can develop in such a way that we will not allow the authorities to deceive, negotiate, steal and neglect the people again. We have become fearless, and if Kherson residents are already going to rallies against the armed occupiers, it will be easier for the rest of the Ukrainians to go out against the people’s deputies. Russians has aroused in us Cossack disobedience and it seems that it is time to allow it to come to the surface.
On the other hand, along with a positive scenario, there is always a negative one. Who knows, maybe after the victory we will return to where we started, and neither corruption nor delays in action will go anywhere.
However cynical it may sound, Ukrainians are well aware that this war has become a window of opportunity for Ukraine. Now we have no way back. We are fighting to the last – to the last orc, which will fertilize the Ukrainian chernozems.
But, let’s face it, the war changed us only for the better, we’re more strong-willed. The war scared us. “Gifted” us new collective injuries. It made me afraid of sudden sounds, made me turn off the light as soon as it got dark and be constantly on the alert. The genocide of the Ukrainian people of the 21st century is not the first destruction of us, but certainly the last. We will put an end to this. Now or never. We will not allow our identity to be destroyed. Never again.
Meanwhile, I already feel different. I feel the changes. These are not the changes I expected and expected with the arrival of spring. These are the changes that happen when you are constantly in danger. You know, I used to listen to music all the time. Morning, day, evening, night. I walked with her, rode, bought groceries, laughed and … I loved each my song and could not imagine that I would ever be able to live without them. Yes, as I do it now…
Every bit of song adds fear, every song causes panic. “Turn off the music, you won’t hear sirens and beats,” says the brain. I can’t resist him. Now is the time. Someday everything will fall into place and I will wake up again and fall asleep with music. But now turn off the music. You will not hear sirens and blows.
Translator: Yana Melnychenko
