The full-scale war in Ukraine has forced millions to confront who they are and where they belong, yet much of this transformation happens internally. Identity shifts quietly in language choices, habits, and even what people can laugh about. Displacement, uncertainty, and collective trauma blur personal borders, making identity a living, unconscious process rather than a fixed label.
Centuries of Russian imperial rule left layered traces: partly erased language, distorted histories, and countless deaths and traumas. The war feels not only likea territorial invasion but a confrontation with invisible mental colonization.
Amid destruction, Ukrainians revive folk traditions, relearn suppressed dialects, and celebrate local artists. This is less a sudden awakening than a slow remembering of what was always there.
Across Ukraine, practical rebuilding projects are underway despite the ongoing war. Local groups and independent organizations are developing housing programs, infrastructure repairs, and cultural spaces. These efforts show that planning for the country’s future is happening alongside immediate wartime needs.
In this zine, you may find some of the societal changes that are transforming alongside the current political situation. it may not always be obvious, but it certainly can be felt in the national mood.
Oleksandra Tsapko
2025