Hanna Bochenko

Self-portrait, Ukraine.

On February 24th, Russian troops invaded Ukraine. Hanna Bochenko and her family were forced to flee their beloved city Kyiv. Life there has become too dangerous with daily shootings and bombings. We asked Anna these questions:

Are you safe?
No. No one is safe in Ukraine right now.

What does Russian occupation of Ukraine mean to you?
This occupation is the expression of an egocentric, fanatical dictator with no respect for human life. It’s also the end of the myth of a Great Russian Empire.

What would you say to the world who is watching right now?

Ukraine is a country of strong people. We have proven this many times. Unfortunately, the price we have paid is the unfathomable loss of human life. How is it possible that the world is once again allowing this to happen? War is a nightmare that will torment those who lived through it for the rest of their lives. I cannot communicate to you how much all of us are hurting. But we are not broken!

Bomb-shelter is_________.

It’s something you never really imagined, something you only saw in movies. It’s a place in underground basements of buildings where people sleep right on the floor, on their essential belongings. You worry about returning to a home that has been bombed to ruins.

What haven’t you given up on doing through all this?

I haven’t stopped admiring the strength of people defending us, and the solidarity from people around the world that is growing stronger by the day. But our worlds are upside down right now as we navigate the chaos and flee from violence all around us.