and here's lesya ukrainka's verse that keeps me going these days:
no, through all my tears i still shall laugh,
sing songs despite my troubles;
have hope despite all odds,
i want to live! away, you sorrowful thoughts!
on this poor, indigent ground
i shall sow flowers of flowing colors
i shall sow flowers even amidst the frost,
& water them with my bitter tears
& from those burning tears will melt
the frozen crust, so hard & strong,
perhaps the flowers will bloom
& Bring about joyous spring
Гетьте, думи, ви, хмари осінні!
То ж тепера весна золота!
Чи то так у жалю, в голосінні
Проминуть молодії літа?
Ні, я хочу крізь сльози сміятись,
Серед лиха співати пісні,
Без надії таки сподіватись,
Жити хочу! Геть думи сумні!
Я на вбогім сумнім перелозі
Буду сіять барвисті квітки,
Буду сіять квітки на морозі,
Буду лить на них сльози гіркі.
І від сліз тих гарячих розтане
Та кора льодовая, міцна,
Може, квіти зійдуть – і настане
Ще й для мене весела весна.
Я на гору круту крем’яную
Буду камінь важкий підіймать
І, несучи вагу ту страшную,
Буду пісню веселу співать.
В довгу, темную нічку невидну
Не стулю ні на хвильку очей,
Все шукатиму зірку провідну,
Ясну владарку темних ночей.
Так! я буду крізь сльози сміятись,
Серед лиха співати пісні,
Без надії таки сподіватись,
Буду жити! Геть думи сумні!
• • •
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for 23 days mariupol remains under siege. for 23 days our city is purposefully destroyed by russian occupiers. thousands of civilians are killed, the number of wounded is at least 3 times higher. despite all of this our hospitals continue to fight for the lives of mariupol folks
the matsuka city hospital in the livoberezhnyi district is still functioning. continuous shelling forced doctors to move emergency surgeries to a basement. diesel generators provide some minimal lights. doctors drain remaining boilers in the building for last bits of water
appreciate @McFaul‘s solidarity with ukraine. but also would appreciate him to stop rebroadcasting russian colonial mythology. speaking russian in ukraine in 90% has no relation to russian ethnicity. on the opposite - it’s a byproduct of russian colonial erasure of ukrainian lang
i am actually a russian speaking ukrainian born and raised on the soil mentioned here. this is such a western gaze nonsense fed by russian colonial mythology and i‘d love for american media to give platform to ukrainians instead on anything related to our identity @MaddowBlog
i get why russians, both putinists and not, keep pushing this narrative — this is just a step away from denying the ongoing genocide of ukrainians and their collective responsibility for it, because ‘hey there’s no genocide possible since there are russian victims too’
this is kharkiv zoo.
russian bombs killed two kangaroos today.
and yesterday russian fire killed two staff members who tried to bring food to animals and paid with their lives for it. the zoo appeals for global solidarity to safeguard over 5,000 animals
a word from the owner: 'today i appeal to everyone who can help. the situation with keeping animals is extremely difficult. we urgently need funds to ensure the animals’ safety as well as to ensure their full nutrition' instagram.com/p/CazoFv3IEPe/
just several days after the invasion, the zoo welcomed this kiang newborn. his first memories in this world are the sounds of russian bombs and gunfire. he doesn't have a name yet. let's make sure he lives to get it.
friends,
kharkiv is under russian siege. it's a massive city w/ the 2nd largest queer community in ukraine. proud homecity of @KharkivPride. many can't leave because of non-stop bombing. many don't want to leave because that's their home. my queer family there needs your support
as russian bombing of kharkiv gets worse, my queer family already financially struggles to buy food, secure stockpiles for bomb shelters. help them now while the city has connection, bank cards work & they can cash them out. in day or two they might be cut off #StandWithUkriane
i can vouch personally that your money will reach queer ukrainians on the frontline. these people are my family and i trust them with my life. if we can't protect skies over their heads for now, then this is the least we can do
my grandma is about to celebrate her 92th birthday in her apartment hearing russian bombs falling closer and closer. she is too frail to leave. she survived hitler and his invaders setting her house on fire and shooting her point blank as 12yo teenager. she is not scared
i talk to her every day. every time she ends up comforting me, despite that i am not the one in mortal danger. it breaks my heart over and over again. “don’t worry. i outlived hitler. i’ll live to the day when they hang putin, too” — that’s how we end every conversation
my grandma taught me how to read and write. during dark poverty days of 1990s she would shelter me when my parents were struggling to provide enough food even for themselves. being head nurse at kids hospital, she always had energy reserved for me even after most grueling shifts