GRANTEE
This project involves recording the oral histories of individuals who experienced occupation during both the Second World War and the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War. The respondents are elderly people whose childhood or youth coincided with the years of the Second World War. However, history has proven to be cyclical: in their old age, their lives are once again being marked by war. The aim of the project is to contribute to the preservation and continuity of historical memory. The goals are: to document and memorialize the tragic experiences of individuals who lived through two occupations; to reflect on the experience of these two occupations as deliberate attempts to erase Ukrainian national identity; to explore the behavioral patterns of civilians who endured extreme existential challenges (two occupations); and to examine the recurring military practices employed by the enemy. The anticipation is that the project will produce a short documentary film based on the recorded oral histories and a printed collection titled A Life Spanning Two Wars.