Concrete Sunflowers

Tag: interviewed in ukrainian

  • Grandfather’s war

    [This post is part of the larger one A supply hub tour] R: I have a very interesting story, I can tell it [takes out a Soviet military ID]. Here, honey, open it and take a look. Read it carefully, then you’ll see it’s not as simple as it seems. Read the year. I: 1898.…

  • 3D printing characters for fundraising

    V: Can you ask him if they didn’t 3D-print things like the “Ghost of Kyiv” or “Pes Patron” [Patron the Dog]? R2: Pes Patron? Nah. We do universal prints. No one ordered stuff like that. V: People don’t like them? R2: No, why? I wouldn’t say they don’t like ’em. First off, we’ve been at…

  • A supply hub tour

    R: Let’s take this one, here’s its number. See? It’s all there. And this one was shot down literally about a year ago. I: Is it made of cardboard or what? R: Yeah, sorry, as we say, it’s made of shit and sticks, no other way to put it. That’s just how it is. But…

  • Запис вуличного інтерв’ю 3

    П — перекладачР — респондент English: Street interview 3 Р: Я вважаю, що тут усі без винятку — мої товариші, які виконують завдання, пов’язані із захистом Харківщини і України загалом, — усі є героями. І дай Боже, щоб усі поверталися зі щитом, а не на щиті. П: Це правда, дякую. Можливо, ви можете розповісти якусь…

  • Street interview 3

    I — InterpreterR — Respondent Українська: Запис вуличного інтерв’ю 3 R: I believe that without exception, all of them — my comrades who are carrying out tasks related to the defense of the Kharkiv region and Ukraine as a whole — are heroes. And God willing, everyone will return “with their shield, not on it”…

  • Запис вуличного інтерв’ю 2

    П — ПерекладачР — Респондент *Через сильні пориви вітру можливі неточності в передачі розмови. English: Street interview recording 2 П: Чи відомо вам щось про місцевих героїв? Наприклад, як у Києві — Привид Києва. Можливо, тут є хтось, хто вам запам’ятався? Р: Чесно кажучи, ні. П: Не маєте? Р: Ну, точно в Харкові щось таке…

  • Street interview recording 2

    I — InterpreterR — Respondent *Due to strong wind noise, there may be some inaccuracies in the recording. Українська: Запис вуличного інтерв’ю 2 I: Have you heard anything about local heroes? For example, like the Ghost of Kyiv — maybe someone here who stood out or stayed in people’s memory? R: Honestly, no. I: You…

  • Vlada’s story

    Part 1: Vlada on folk heroes Part 2: Vlada’s story Vlada: Okay. Um… Ask Vic if I should tell her about… about the experience of the full-scale invasion. Valeriia: Do, do you want to hear about her experience of the start of the full-scale invasion? Vic: Um. I mean, if… if you’re happy to speak…

  • Vlada on folk heroes

    Valeriia, a friend of Vlada, originally joined to be a translator between Vic and Vlada. Half of Vlada’s responses were in Ukrainian and half in English Part 1: Vlada on folk heroes Part 2: Vlada’s story Vic: First, could you tell me your name and your age roughly? Valeriia: You are not required to answer…

  • Альона про мову та лайку

    Альона: [переходить на українську] Ми знаємо, що наша реальність має великий вплив на нашу мову, і так само мова має вплив на нашу реальність. Коли почалося повномасштабне вторгнення, я саме досліджувала, для своєї дисертації, інвективну [лайливу] лексику в українській мові, в політичному дискурсі. Тому, безумовно, у мене з’явилося набагато більше матеріалу для дослідження. Е, перед…

  • Aliona on language and swearing

    Aliona: [starts speaking Ukrainian] We know, that our reality has a great impact on our language, and language impacts our reality just as much. When the full-scale invasion started, I was in the middle of research, for my dissertation, on invective [swear] lexis in Ukrainian language, in a political discourse. Because of that, certainly, I…

  • Kraken soldiers on beliefs and intuition

    Vic: How familiar are you with the Ghost of Kyiv? Has the story come to Kharkiv a lot? Roman: Should I answer in Ukrainian? Vic: Whatever you prefer. Roman: Personally, I don’t know the Ghost of Kyiv. Of course, I heard about him at the start of the war, even before I arrived in Ukraine.…

  • Ostap on premonitions

    Part 1: Ostap on his experiences with Kraken Ostap: Anything could happen. There just weren’t that many people around—many had left. And, generally, a lot of people were allowed to pass, let go. Though some were simply shot in their cars right in the middle of the road. Everyone was scared, not knowing what to…

  • Ostap on his experiences with Kraken

    Part 2: Ostap on premonitions I: Just so you know, I’m the interpreter. I can translate if it’s easier for you to speak. If you want to add anything in Ukrainian later, I’ll translate it. [translates into English] Ostap: I’ll try in English first, and we’ll see how it goes. I: If you need help,…

  • Maksym on language

    I: We tried to get some street interviews yesterday. We approached all kinds of people – young, old, men, women. Most of them turned us down. Why is that? Maksym: Eighty percent of the population in Kharkiv right now are displaced people. See them over there with the bags? [Points to a group at a…

  • Maksym on the unique position of military volunteers

    I: What meaning do flags have at the frontline? What do soldiers say if they have a flag? How do they feel if they don’t have one? Does it carry a specific meaning, or are there traditions tied to them? Maksym: I’m not sure I follow the question. I: I put a lot into that…

  • Olha and her café under occupation

    H: Henry, I: Iryna, O: Olha H: Does she remember my fish? [Iryna and the fish] I: [in Ukrainian to Respondent] Do you remember that fish we brought you? It was a huge fish. That was back in ’22. O: Honestly, I don’t remember that any more. So many people have passed through, so many…

  • Viktor the retired soldier

    V — Viktor | I — Interpreter V: At that moment, there was nothing left of the city… if you take a five-story building, just a corner of the house — that’s all that remained. Nothing else was left. I: That was in ’22, probably? Somewhere in the autumn. V: Yes, it was November. I:…

  • Bogdan on folk heroes and idiot soldiers

    Part 1: Bogdan on his time in captivity: Part 1 Part 2: Bogdan on his time in captivity: Part 2 Part 3: A smoke break with Bogdan Part 4: Bogdan on the Civilian Prisoners of War organisation V: When I talk to people from Lviv and Kyiv, they’re quite far from the front. Especially in Lviv, where you…

  • Bogdan on the Civilian Prisoners of War organisation

    Part 1: Bogdan on his time in captivity: Part 1 Part 2: Bogdan on his time in captivity: Part 2 Part 3: A smoke break with Bogdan I: Do you feel like it’s history repeating itself, like when you were a kid and you looked after him and took care of him? Now you have…

  • A smoke break with Bogdan

    Part 1: Bogdan on his time in captivity: Part 1 Part 2: Bogdan on his time in captivity: Part 2 I: [in Ukrainian] Can I have one more stick, please? I… don’t smoke— H: Khm… I: [in English] Just one. V: [laughs]. I: I love this. I quit smoking IQOS, well, quit smoking altogether… After…

  • Bogdan on his time in captivity: Part 2

    Part 1: Bogdan on his time in captivity: Part 1 Українською мовою: Богхан про свій час у полоні: Частина 2 B: What else is interesting from 2022 that really stuck in my memory, and now I think I probably wouldn’t do something like that again. When the road was being heavily shelled and the last…

  • Bogdan on his time in captivity: Part 1

    Trigger warning: This post contains descriptions of torture, including sexual violence. Oral interpretation provided during the interview has been omitted from the transcript for brevity, except where the interpreter provides additional cultural context or clarification. I: Vitaliy was telling me, I think… It [the city] was occupied in March, right? Or something like that? B:…

  • Brian from New Hampshire

    Brian: When I moved to Kharkiv full time, April 2024, I had brought my Springer Spaniel Annie, with me. We nicknamed her Humanitariannie, and they used to have these little billboards by the sidewalk with Patron photos warning kids about unexploded ordnance and that type of thing. So I got some great photos of my…

  • Chocolate eggs at The Phoenix

    [We had been to Roshen and bought chocolate eggs and bunnies for the children to celebrate spring] Jay: Awesome, they will be happy! Olena: They will be over the moon. So in Ukraine you will get one Kinder Surprise. Like, just one thing. You don’t get a kinder surprise plus MORE Kinder Suprises plus some…

  • Yulia on Vitalik

    Previous: Yulia on a ghostly warning Українською мовою: Юлія розповідає про Віталіка Ivan: And what’s the second story? Yulia: My boyfriend — my ex-boyfriend — was supposed to go on a mission. We were constantly in touch, because I was very worried. At some point, he was called away. He left me with a fellow…

  • Yulia on a ghostly warning

    Previous: Yulia on staying in touch Українською мовою: Юлія розповідає про привида з попередженням Yulia: I still have two stories. Well, one is more like a legend, and the other is something that happened with my second ex-boyfriend. After that, it’s hard not to believe in mysticism. Ivan: Okay, go ahead. Ivan: So, Yulia has two…

  • Yulia on staying in touch

    Previous: Yulia’s Father Українською мовою: Юлія розповідає про те, як підтримувати зв’язок Ivan: Are there any other examples? Yulia: Our soldiers have a tradition during rotation — meaning a change of soldiers from the front line. In the last settlement where there is a café, before going on a combat mission, they stop, slowly drink…

  • Yulia’s Father

    Note: This interview was conducted in Ukrainian via my translator, Ivan. To simplify things I have removed my questions and Ivan’s translations of Yulia’s responses. Українською мовою: Батько Юлії Vic:  So first could you tell me a little bit about yourself, so where do you live in Ukraine, how old are you roughly? Yulia: Okay.…