Concrete Sunflowers

Tag: superstitions

  • Andrey on propaganda

    Vic: What is it? Conway: It’s an ancient superstition. So if you’re giving an example of an injury that happened to someone else and you point at your own body where it happened, then you’re bringing that onto your own body, that injury. Andrey: Yes, I agree. Conway: But this is ancient. Andrey: I also…

  • Ira from Kyiv: Part 1

    Part 1: Ira from Kyiv: Part 1 Part 2: Ira from Kyiv: Part 2 Ira: So, a superstition which I’m not sure I will be able to translate into English exactly, but I will try. So, it started with the pilots. The pilots never tell something like “my last flight”. Because “last,” [останній, ostaniy] it…

  • 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…

  • Ana on wartime culture

    Part 1: Ana on wartime culturePart 2: Ana on superstitionsPart 3: Ana on stamps Ana: Well, again, before, like when it started in 2022, I guess we get more stories like the Ghost of Kyiv or Chornobaivka, if you heard about that. Like it was a village in Kherson which was- the Russian troops, they…

  • 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 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,…

  • 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.…

  • Ivan on folk heroes

    Українською мовою: Іван розповідав про народних героїв Vic: Okay, so first up, can you just give me like a brief “who are you”? Your name, where you live in Ukraine? Ivan: Okay, so I’m [Redacted] Ivan, Ivan [Redacted] in English, we say differently, because in Ukrainian, usually surname goes first. In English, usually first name…