Concrete Sunflowers

Tag: religion

  • 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…

  • Ana on superstitions

    Part 1: Ana on wartime culturePart 2: Ana on superstitionsPart 3: Ana on stamps Ana: I remember you asked about the superstitions, so I tried to think about some of them, but actually I don’t know. Vic: It feels like Ukrainian people have a lot of the same superstitions as British people, like black cats…

  • Max on his experiences and the stories he’s heard

    Trigger warning: This story contains mentions of sexual violence Max: So, my name is Max, I’m 19 years old, I was born here at Lviv oblast, in small town named Zhydachiv, but later I moved to another region named Rivne oblast and almost for 12 years I lived here before moving. Vic: Thank you. So,…

  • Iryna on runes and playing cards

    Vic: So as a Ukrainian person, when you see people with the rune amulets or rune chevrons or tattoos, do those have any connotations for you? Iryna: Well, I grew up in a family where tattoos are banned <laughs>. So I think that people can, you know, have as many tattoos as they want because…

  • Valeria’s story

    Series: Valeria’s story Valeria on folk heroes: part 1 Valeria on folk heroes: part 2 Vic:  Can you tell me your name first and where you’re from? Valeria: I’m Valeria from Donetsk region, the town of Avdiivka. Vic: And roughly how old are you? Valeria: 20 Vic: And you’re currently living in Lviv? Valeria: Yeah,…

  • 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…

  • Eric on luck and religion during basic training

    Part 1: Eric on basic training Vic: Do you have anything you’re going to take for good luck? Eric: Actually, yes. I’ve this small figurine of a cat that, I’ve had it for years, just kind of in my bag as a, I don’t know, good luck thing. <laughs> Vic: Is it something from home?…

  • Iryna’s church dream

    Iryna: It’s probably the weirdest and the most strange story that has ever happened to me in my whole entire life. It was probably day three or day four of the full-scale invasion. I was super sick, super high fever, chills, I could barely go to the toilet. I lived by myself in a dormitory…

  • Jason on good luck charms in Afghanistan

    Vic: <laughs> Proceed Jason: Before my first combat tour in Afghanistan- my mom, who’s sort of, a bit of a lapsed Catholic but still semi-practicing, wanted to give me a St. Christopher medal. St. Christopher is the patron saint of travellers and soldiers, maybe, I don’t know. And she figured that two St. Christopher’s medals…

  • 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…

  • Jane on food culture

    Jane is a Ukrainian Youtuber. This discussion took place after she released a video on Ukrainian Easter food: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUJaCS1NgFc Українською мовою: Джейн розповідає про культуру харчування Vic: Okay, cool. Um, yeah, so, I watched your video that you sent me about like the Easter food traditions. Jane: Mhm. Vic: So it’s something that people have…

  • 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.…