Sky Above Kharkiv by Serhiy Zhadan

Sky Above Kharkiv by Serhiy Zhadan – Dispatches from the Ukrainian Front – is the second book I read by him, with the first one being The Orphanage. This is the second book by him I was recommended. Zhadan is one of Ukraine’s leading writer-activist and a singer, in a band. This book is the story of survival in the first few months of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by russia. Being born in Luhansk, a region that was attacked since 2014, he has been involved in helping the military since the war broke out.

Zhadan used social media to coordinate a network of volunteers who would gather supplies and also use it as a platform to write messages of courage to his fellow Ukrainians. His messages were read by foreigners too, which is important as he has documented russian atrocities. He works a lot with children and those stories are written in short messages. This book has the English version of the Facebook message he wrote, showing the uncertainty the war and also the certainty that Ukraine will win.

A few short quotes, to show how nice he writes:
He rescues people. The imperial culture kills them. Yes, that’s right—the culture itself, and the whole fake, moribund context behind it that we’re all used to putting up with because—well, because it’s a “grand narrative.” In actuality, it’s a grand narrative that always justifies violence and disdain for others. That’s really what it is.

Don’t forget one thing, my friends. History isn’t just being rewritten right now. It’s being rewritten in Ukrainian.

Having volunteers help out isn’t a rebuke of the government, but rather proof that we’re all in this together now.

Ukrainian flags flutter above the city – is something he writes again and again. Today, Ukrainian flags still flutter above the city.

Because it is a book based on Facebook messages, these are short and easy to read. The whole book only takes 2-3 hours to read. Do spend the time to read it, if you have the opportunity. I gave it 5 stars.

Sky Above Kharkiv by Serhiy Zhadan

Details about the picture: –
My rating: 5/5 Stars
Would I recommend it: yes
Published by: Yale University Press
Year it was published: 2022
Format: e-book
Genre(s): Memoir – diary
Pages: 208

About the author: Serhiy Zhadan was born on 23 August 1974 in Starobilsk, Luhansk region, Ukraine. He is a contemporary Ukrainian novelist, writer, essayist, poet, translator, musician, and public figure. Among his most notable works are novels Depeche Mode (2004), Anarchy in the UKR (2005), Voroshilovgrad (2010) and The Orphanage (2017). He also wrote a collection of short stories and poems Mesopotamia (2014).
He recently published Arabesques, a series of 12 stories. He is raising funds for the military in his tour throughout Ukraine, in promoting the book.
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