,%20.png)
During war, journalism is not just news. It is a way to record crimes, preserve memory, support those who are holding on, and explain to the world what is really happening. It is work under shelling, in basements, and in evacuation sites. And this is a responsibility - to speak honestly, not to be manipulated, and not to allow others to rewrite reality.
We talk about this in the new episode of “Conversations about Restoration,” with Daria Litovchenko, a Ukrainian journalist from Sloviansk, the Donetsk region, who has lived and worked in Kherson since the first days after the city's liberation. She filmed evacuations, recorded the consequences of shelling, and saw the city in different periods — from the euphoria of de-occupation to daily survival under drones.
In 2023, when we started filming the first episodes of “Conversations about Restoration,” we actively discussed recovery with an optimistic outlook on the future. Today, unfortunately, given the security situation, we are increasingly talking about survival with the heroes of our interviews. The conversation with Daria was no exception. It was essential for us to hear her thoughts as someone who documents what is happening every day, whether we can talk about recovery now.
“It is difficult to talk about recovery now. First of all, there should be a focus on preservation,” says Daria Litovchenko.
She recalls Oleksandrivka in the Stanislav community. In 2022, immediately after the liberation, Daria was among the first journalists to arrive there. Ruins, a few people left, complete uncertainty. In 2023, some residents returned and began rebuilding their houses. There was hope. Today, it is almost impossible to get to Oleksandrivka. Evacuation is complicated, sometimes practically impossible. The Dnipro River, which has become the front line, simultaneously saves and traps. The territorial situation has not changed over the years, but the intensity of shelling and the methods of attack have. What seemed impossible two years ago is now commonplace: “Kherson is such a contrast. The people who stayed here are amazing and resilient. They continue to do everything they can to ensure the city exists. Therefore, discussing the need for mandatory evacuation is a complex topic. And, of course, first of all, it is worth thinking about the evacuation of children who continue to be born here underground, in shelters, in basements. But life still goes on and exists here.”
Despite all the dangers, municipal services are working in Kherson: the city is cleaned, broken windows are closed after arrivals, and the city continues to live. But, at the same time, there is constant criticism of local authorities. According to Daria Litovchenko, it is worth comparing it. She recalls a recent trip through the cities neighboring Kherson: “As different as night and day. For me, utility workers are heroes first and foremost. Despite the danger, constant shelling, drone attacks, and the current weather conditions, they do everything possible for the city. The sidewalks and roads here are so clean that you can function normally and not break your legs, like in neighboring cities, where the front line is much further away. We don’t see and don’t have that there. In general, there will always be criticism, and it is necessary to approach it in a more, you know, measured way. It is easy to speak from the outside, but when you start to immerse yourself in it a little more, or maybe even come to work in government bodies, you already understand more from the inside how this process is happening.”
At the same time, there is a question of communication. People often lack understanding — what’s next? What is the strategy? What is the vision — short-term, medium-term, long-term? An illustrative example is evacuation. People are afraid to leave not only because of their attachment to home, but also because of their attachment to others. They do not know what awaits them, where they will be taken, or what the conditions will be. Daria Litovchenko specifically traveled the entire way with the evacuees so that people would not be afraid to leave and knew that they would not be left alone, because specifics reduce fear. And this is also a matter of communication.
In a city that has been living under drones for years, experience has been accumulated — both civilian and military. How to respond to new threats, how to organize the work of services, how to equip shelters, how to move hospitals, schools, and theaters underground. Kherson experienced a year and a half or two years ago what other regions are only facing. This experience can and should be shared.
Daria often compares Kherson with the Donetsk region — Sloviansk, Druzhkivka, and Kramatorsk. According to her, the security situation may be similar, but the level of self-organization in Kherson is exceptional.
“In Kherson, people are the driving force,” says the journalist. After the full-scale invasion, many charitable foundations, initiatives, and volunteer groups appeared. According to Daria, it is essential to improve communication and cooperation between the authorities, not only with the population, but also with the public sector. “Local administrations should pay more attention to charitable organizations, which are doing everything possible in Kherson today.”
The Kherson region has maintained an active journalistic community. We asked Daria how effective the work of journalists in Kherson and the region is, because every day on social networks users say that “everyone has forgotten about Kherson”, “no one writes about Kherson”, etc.
“There are many journalists and representatives of various media working here on the spot. And the fact that “everyone is silent about Kherson” is not true. There are hundreds of stories on YouTube that my colleagues and I make. Of course, covering events plays a vital role in showing and broadcasting to the whole world what is happening here. And it is important how to show it. Unfortunately, there is really a lot of this, you know, “conventional” stuff now. Shelling is happening all over the country. Therefore, it is important to show not only destruction, but also people's stories. It is they who touch both Ukrainians and audiences abroad,” says Daria Litovchenko.
The world is surprised that cafes, beauty salons, and gyms work under constant attack in the city. Not because it is safe here. But because people have reformatted their lives and have not given up.
According to Daria, Ukraine has been living in an information war for much longer than 12 years. Disinformation and manipulation — all this continues. And journalists today must be very objective in their coverage and documentation of events. At the same time, information consumption is changing. Many people read Telegram, often in anonymous channels. This is a challenge for the media. “Not all niches are occupied by the media. We need to work on this, not stand still, look for new formats, listen to the audience,” she says. Journalists are responsible, unlike anonymous channels. And this is their strength.
Daria communicates with Kherson residents every day and shares with us her opinion on the role that the residents themselves play in the process of restoring the city or ensuring its vital activity: “It seems that there are no more volunteers in Kherson. Everyone does something for the city in one way or another. I met an 82-year-old woman who weaves nets and helps. Perhaps the occupation also had such an impact on people that they reevaluated their values and priorities. At the same time, unfortunately, there are no people here who would not suffer from Russian aggression. There are amazing people here. I will not stop confessing my love for this city and its residents.”
What will Kherson be like after the war? Daria admits: nothing will be “as before”. This is impossible. But she believes in restoration - different, new, perhaps in other formats. The slogan “We will rebuild” is heard less often. People have become more realistic. However, the foundation of the city is not buildings. The foundation is the Kherson residents. Resilient. Exhausted. But those who continue to hold their city, despite everything.
We invite Kherson residents to participate in an anonymous survey to better understand the moods, needs, and challenges faced by the Kherson region's population, and to assess the effectiveness of public organizations and authorities' work. Each of your answers is a crucial brick in the foundation of your future recovery. Your answers are completely anonymous and will be used exclusively in a generalized form for analytical purposes.
The interview has been produced by the Kherson Regional Charitable Foundation “Union” with the support of the European Endowment for Democracy (EED). Its contents do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of EED. Responsibility for the information and views expressed in this publication lies entirely with the authors.
