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Darya Zorka Profile picture
@daryazorka
Apr 4 • 10 tweets • 3 min read Twitter logo Read on Twitter
I want to share one story that was written and recorded by Julia Kochetova - Ukrainian photographer who tells the stories from war on her Instagram page (handle: seameer). Her bio says: “War is personal. Based on a true story” and she tells it as no one else. Keep reading ↓ 1/10
«Tamara says she's glad for every prisoner exchange. So far, 1993 people were returned from captivity, among them - only 171 soldiers of the "Azov" battalion. “Many well-known Azov captives were released, but the majority is some abstract 700 people. They are not visible.”»
«The city and cafes around us are buzzing as if nothing had happened. Tamara shares what she wants after Sasha's return - rehabilitation, then a trip to the mountains, and then - silence.»
«War shapes you and others. It gives you a bunch of sharp notches - so easy to cut yourself. It teaches you to let people closer - but only those, with the same notches.»
«"I have become very independent - I can do everything myself. Before that: "Sasha, bring water. Sasha, go to the post office. Sasha, I'm too lazy to make the bed, help me." And now I can do everything myself."»
«"Some time ago I helped with body identification. You look at the photo of a charred corpse - some spots, tattoos. Even the underpants were somehow recognizable. It hardened me. It made me independent.
I feel like I'm 50 years old already. And it's time to retire."»
«She laughs and then turns very sharply serious: "I guess I won't be such a child inside anymore."»
«At home, Tamara shows me a pillow with a photo of Sasha. His portrait is in acrylic. Books about "Azov" soldiers who are still in captivity. Then she hugs a giant toy bear and laughs: "Here, take a picture of me hugging him while I'm alone here."»
«I think "hope" is the last word on the earth. And very loudly I hear the silence in the empty bedroom.»
The text and photos by Julia Kochetova
This story deeply touched me. When I tried to recall when I felt happy during the last year - it was the day when many Azov soldiers were released. It was the happiest day, when my heart didn’t feel heavy as usual but sang. However, so many soldiers are still in captivity.

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More from @daryazorka

Darya Zorka Profile picture
Mar 8
Last year when the news about russian violence against Ukrainian women and little girls became known, I thought that prominent feminists around the world would be outraged and would shout about it from the rooftops. It didn’t happen. 1/6
What happened is they either remained silent and completely ignored it or said things like: “Ukraine should negotiate with russia to end this violence!” Shifting the blame to Ukrainians for russian atrocities, like people shift blame to the victim instead of her abuser.
This reaction left me speechless. It was one of the first disappointments of the world's human rights activists of many that followed later that year.
Read 6 tweets
Darya Zorka Profile picture
Jan 24
Story from Denis Minin whose team evacuates people from besieged Mariupol: “Our driver Ivanka saved hundreds of people and animals. During the last trip russians kicked everyone from her van (women and kids), took the van and said to her: “Go back to Mariupol and rebuild it.” 1/6
Ivanka made dozens of trips to occupied Mariupol and back. russians at the checkpoints started to recognize her. She experienced lots of sexual advances from them, including numerous proposals of matching her with their Chechen commander. She endured it in order to rescue people.
However during the last trip russians didn’t let her nor her passengers go to Ukraine and stole their van. Ivanka was brought to Ukraine in a truck hidden beneath the vegetables, because it was too dangerous to let her stay on the occupied territory.
Read 6 tweets
Darya Zorka Profile picture
Jan 15
Many of you remember my friend Sergei who is a medic on the frontlines. He saves the lives in the hottest spots, like Bakhmut. He lived in Mariupol and lost everything that he had there. Today he shared that his cousin’s family lost their apartment in russian attack in Dnipro 1/4
It was right in the middle where the missile hit. They were extremely lucky and weren’t at home at that time, because right now there is a giant hole instead of their apartment. They lost their home and all of their belongings and are currently staying with Sergei's parents.
Sergei is the kindest, selfless person I know and he and his family already lost so much. Now his family suffered once again. If you have the desire to help, you can donate to Sergei’s PayPal: doc.sergeiandreevich@gmail.com and he will transfer this money to his cousin.
Read 4 tweets
Darya Zorka Profile picture
Jan 13
Malanka (Ukrainian New Year’s Eve) is traditionally celebrated on January 13th. It is rich in ancient ritual, folklore and magic. Watch this video to see the celebration! 1/5
“The ancestors of 🇺🇦 believed that on New Year’s Eve, good and evil spirits descended on the earth. In order to ward off the evil forces and ensure a good new year, the night was spent in dancing, performing, fortune telling, and singing carols of well wishes called Shchedrivky.”
There is one particular village in Ukraine called Krasnoilsk that preserved this tradition very well and hosts the biggest and the most famous Malanka in the country. Here is a very good article about it: ukrainer.net/krasnoilsk-mal…
Read 5 tweets
Darya Zorka Profile picture
Jan 11
What is like to grow up in a heavily russified country and to be deprived of your culture and identity. A thread about personal experience and consequences of #russiancolonialism. 1/19

*Photo of my beautiful grandmother wearing a Belarusian embroidered shirt, year 1957.
I saw a phrase by Citizenset, a Ukrainian poet who lives in San Francisco, and it resonated deeply with me: “I came to my identity as Ukrainian and I stopped waiting for someone to give me permission to be who I am.” I struggled with my Belarusian identity all my life.
When I was growing up I almost didn’t experience Belarusian culture, I didn’t speak Belarusian language, I didn’t learn accurate history - everything was heavily russified, history books were rewritten in favor of russia and russification affected every aspect of life.
Read 19 tweets
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Dec 28, 2022
Remember Anna, 🇺🇦 refugee woman from Germany, whose kids presents were stolen by disgusting neighbor, and you helped her, and she spread your kindness further and helped other 🇺🇦 kids? We stayed in touch and she recently shared that her brother Andriy is fighting in Bakhmut. 1/
Anna was raised together with her cousins whom she considers siblings. They lived in one house, went to the same school and spent every day together. They stayed very close even when they grew up. This is a photo of them before the invasion (Anna is on the right).
When the invasion started Andriy went to the front and his sisters have been supporting him and his unit ever since. Their family has been fundraising for drones, night vision devices and other. He is their only brother and they are very worried for him. Andriy is on the left.
Read 10 tweets

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