EP. 15: How Love Breaks Colonial Narratives with Mariam Naiem

EP.18: From Work-Life Balance to War-Life Balance with Yuliia Turba

In Ukraine, “work-life balance” has become “war-life balance.” In this episode of “Yak ty? Ukraine Live”, Kyiv-based public policy specialist Yuliia Turba reflects on how Russia’s full-scale invasion has reshaped everyday life especially for her generation. A Generation Rewritten by War Yuliia was living in Budapest when the invasion began. Far from home but emotionally torn, she soon made the decision to return to Ukraine, despite the risks. She speaks candidly about those first surreal days, the emotional disorientation of being safe abroad, and the deep sense of survivor’s guilt that followed. Since then, life in Kyiv has been anything but ordinary. Yuliia describes the daily rhythm of war: checking the news for missile attacks, working from shelters, making future plans while fully aware they may not materialize. For young Ukrainians, , she says, grief, hope and seriousness coexist in everyday moments. About Yuliia Turba Yuliia Turba holds a Master’s degree from Central European University. After returning to Ukraine, she worked for the United Nations in Kyiv. But over time, the institutional neutrality and bureaucracy felt misaligned with her sense of urgency. Wanting to do more, she recently left her UN position to become an advocacy manager at the Snake Island Institute, where she now works to amplify Ukraine’s defense sector abroad. Why Listen This episode is a powerful reminder that war is not only fought on the frontlines. Yuliia’s voice captures the emotional landscape of a generation coming of age under air-raids and choosing to stay, raise their voice, and act. 👉 Listen for a moving, personal perspective on what it means to live and fight for the future of Ukraine. Resources Connect with Yuliia Turba Instagram: @iamturba [https://www.instagram.com/iamturba] LinkedIn: Yuliia Turba [https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuliiaturba] Connect with Luzia Tschirky Instagram: @LuziaTschirky [https://instagram.com/luziatschirky] LinkedIn: Luzia Tschirky [https://www.linkedin.com/in/luziatschirky/] Website: www.luziatschirky.ch [https://www.luziatschirky.ch/] Book: Live aus der Ukraine [https://echtzeit.ch/buch/live-aus-der-ukraine]

EP. 17: Motherhood, War, and Resilience with Lisa Yasko

Ukrainian member of parliament, Lisa Yasko, shares her deeply personal story of survival and motherhood amid Russia’s full-scale invasion. A young parliamentarian, Lisa describes waking to the sounds of drones and missiles over Kyiv, enduring daily air raid sirens and sleepless nights for her family. She recounts how she fled westward from Kyiv in the first chaotic days of war, making split-second decisions while grappling with uncertainty. Lisa also opens up about her personal life, including her former relationship with the ex-President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, and how the turmoil in her private life intersected with the war. She reveals that she kept her pregnancy secret to avoid becoming a target of Russian propaganda while Saakashvili was imprisoned in Georgia. Amid these trials, Lisa remained devoted to her country. She offers a rare glimpse into wartime governance. From casting critical votes in Ukraine’s parliament after nights of air raid alarms, to rallying exhausted colleagues in person because even during war the Rada never moved fully online. Lisa speaks candidly about the mental health toll this period has taken on everyone in Ukraine, including her. Despite the hardships, Lisa’s passionately advocates for global justice and is pushing for a special tribunal to prosecute Russian war crimes so that one day the perpetrators are held accountable. At times, Lisa admits, Ukrainians have felt abandoned by the international community. She expresses deep gratitude for the ordinary people across Europe who showed true humanity by opening their doors to give Ukrainian families shelter in their darkest hours. Resources Connect with Lisa Yasko Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisa_yasko [https://www.instagram.com/lisa_yasko] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisa.yasko1 [https://www.facebook.com/lisa.yasko1] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-yasko [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-yasko] Connect with Luzia Tschirky Instagram: https://instagram.com/luziatschirky [https://instagram.com/luziatschirky] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luziatschirky/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/luziatschirky/] Website: https://www.luziatschirky.ch/ [https://www.luziatschirky.ch/] Book: https://echtzeit.ch/buch/live-aus-der-ukraine [https://echtzeit.ch/buch/live-aus-der-ukraine]

EP. 16: How to be a soldier, a mother and a filmmaker with Alisa Kovalenko

Alisa Kovalenko is an award-winning Ukrainian documentary filmmaker and parent who joined a volunteer battalion in 2022 after Russia’s full-scale invasion. She documented her combat experience on camera and later turned the frontline footage into the film "My Dear Théo", offering an intimate view of life in war through the eyes of a soldier separated from her child. In this episode, Alisa Kovalenko shared with the host Luzia Tschirky many insights: Choosing to Fight: The story behind her decision to enlist in the army after the invasion, fulfilling a personal promise. Parenthood in War: The conflicting feelings of guilt and the inner strength she balances as a parent serving on the frontlines. Editing, Grief, and Memory: How piecing the film together became a process of mourning fallen comrades and preserving their memory Love and Light as Resistance: How love and hope fuel Alisa’s resilience, especially her love for her young son and why holding onto light amid darkness is crucial to sustaining the resistance. Resources Connect with Alisa Kovalenko Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alisa.kovalenko.24 [https://www.instagram.com/alisa.kovalenko.24] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alisafrom/ [https://www.facebook.com/alisafrom/] Trailer of her documentary «My Dear Théo»:https://vimeo.com/1061232681 [https://vimeo.com/1061232681] Connect with Luzia Tschirky Instagram: https://instagram.com/luziatschirky [https://instagram.com/luziatschirky] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luziatschirky/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/luziatschirky/] Website: https://www.luziatschirky.ch/ [https://www.luziatschirky.ch/] Book: https://echtzeit.ch/buch/live-aus-der-ukraine [https://echtzeit.ch/buch/live-aus-der-ukraine]

EP. 15: How Love Breaks Colonial Narratives with Mariam Naiem

For several hundred years, Ukraine has endured Russian colonial domination, from Tsarist expansion to Soviet repression. Yet the colonial nature of this relationship, especially during the Soviet period, went largely unacknowledged for decades. Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, Mariam Naiem has dedicated her work to helping people understand the cultural and historical context of the war. She is a Ukrainian author of Afghan origin. As Mariam explains, understanding the present war requires seeing Ukraine not as a former Soviet republic attacked by its neighbor country Russia, but as a nation breaking free from a long history of imperial control. Mariam reflects on how language shaped her awareness of colonialism, how the West often misreads Ukraine through outdated lenses, and how global inattention deepens the trauma of war. She also opens up about her own identity as a Ukrainian of Afghan origin and the challenges of being seen or not seen as Ukrainian. For Mariam, the strength to keep going is rooted not in revenge, but in love: love for her brother, for her friends, and for the vision of a free and independent Ukraine. Resources Connect with Mariam Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariaaamnaiem/ [https://www.instagram.com/mariaaamnaiem/] Twitter: https://x.com/mariamposts [https://x.com/mariamposts] Website: https://mariam.space/about/ [https://mariam.space/about/] Mariam’s Book (French): https://www.amazon.fr/dp/2017265578?ref=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_RJYHP16QY2CHNRBQ9EQH [https://www.amazon.fr/dp/2017265578?ref=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_RJYHP16QY2CHNRBQ9EQH] Preorder in German: https://www.avant-verlag.de/comics/eine-kurze-geschichte-eines-langen-konflikts/#cc-m-product-9257663120 [https://www.avant-verlag.de/comics/eine-kurze-geschichte-eines-langen-konflikts/#cc-m-product-9257663120] Preorder in English: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/809143/a-brief-history-of-a-long-war-by-mariam-naiem-illustrated-by-yulia-vus-and-ivan-kypibida/ [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/809143/a-brief-history-of-a-long-war-by-mariam-naiem-illustrated-by-yulia-vus-and-ivan-kypibida/] Connect with Luzia Tschirky Instagram: https://instagram.com/luziatschirky [https://instagram.com/luziatschirky] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luziatschirky/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/luziatschirky/] Website: https://www.luziatschirky.ch/ [https://www.luziatschirky.ch/] Book: https://echtzeit.ch/buch/live-aus-der-ukraine [https://echtzeit.ch/buch/live-aus-der-ukraine]

EP. 14: Capturing Ukrainian Stories to Build Justice with Sasha Dovzhyk

After living for nine years in London, Sasha Dovzhy, a researcher of Ukrainian literature, teacher, and project curator, decided to move back to Ukraine permanently at the end of 2023. On this episode, she shares her deeply felt motivation to return amid the full-scale invasion and discusses the launch of INDEX, an institution in Lviv dedicated to achieving justice by truthfully capturing Ukrainians’ stories. Through INDEX, Sasha hopes to establish a framework for how the war against Ukraine will be understood by future generations. She also opens up about coming to terms with her personal experiences of loss and describes how her sense of responsibility can feel both burdensome and a gift. Finally, Sasha offers three book recommendations for anyone seeking a deeper insight into Ukrainian culture. Resources Connect with Sasha Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ukrainiankilljoy/# [https://www.instagram.com/ukrainian_kill_joy/#] Website: https://www.sashadovzhyk.com/ [https://www.sashadovzhyk.com/] INDEX: https://www.index-ukraine.org/ [https://www.index-ukraine.org/] Three books written by Ukrainian authors that Sasha Dovzhyk recommends: Lesya Ukrainka – Cassandra https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674291775 [https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674291775] Olena Styashkina – Cecil the Lion Had to Die https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674291645 [https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674291645] Victoria Amelina – Looking at Women, Looking at War: A War Justice Diary https://www.williamcollinsbooks.co.uk/products/looking-at-women-looking-at-war-victoria-amelina-9780008727529/ [https://www.williamcollinsbooks.co.uk/products/looking-at-women-looking-at-war-victoria-amelina-9780008727529/] Connect with Luzia Instagram: https://instagram.com/luziatschirky [https://instagram.com/luziatschirky] Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luziatschirky/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/luziatschirky/] Website: https://www.luziatschirky.ch/ [https://www.luziatschirky.ch/]Have you already ordered Luzia's book about her experience reporting from Ukraine? https://echtzeit.ch/buch/live-aus-der-ukraine [https://echtzeit.ch/buch/live-aus-der-ukraine]