Olena Braichenko

GRANTEE

Educational Project їzhakultura / The Centre for Food Studies (NGO/NPO)

Independent Researcher

Documenting Ukraine Grants

Food and Nutrition During the War in Ukraine

The research based on oral reports provided by Ukrainians under Russian occupation will utilize in-depth interviews with Ukrainians behind the front lines, IDPs, and Ukrainian evacuees in other countries. The central questioning will revolve around food, namely how to get food, distribution of foodstuffs, cooking methods, and changes in culinary practices and food preferences. The methodology, among other things, aims to record the atrocities committed by the Russian army and their direct and indirect impact on limiting access to food. The collected oral reports will be used to produce popular science articles on the festive food tradition vs. daily food practices in wartime, shifting culinary patterns and food preferences, and practices/cases of communal dining outside of a family circle. The material could become part of a book, telling a larger story of culinary practices under the Russian occupation. This contribution aims to discuss the food situation in countries at war in connection with global issues. 

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Latest Grantee's Blog Posts

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  • The Longest February: One Year of Full-Scale War
    There has not been a moment since the morning of 24 February 2022 left untouched by the Russo-Ukrainian War. A wry commonplace among Ukrainians is that February 2022 still hasn’t ended – we are now in its 13thmonth. It feels both impossible and essential to reflect on the past year, to think about where we stand now, and to envision the future. Here we present a selection of publications by members of the IWM community tied in some way to the anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, in English and German. Many of the authors represented here are part of the IWM's Documenting Ukraine program. New items are added on an ongoing basis. 
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  • Olena Braichenko: "There is a love and care that can be shown to others precisely through food"
    “ïzhakultura” is an independent project about food culture that was founded by Olena and Artem Braichenko in 2017. It is the first resource in Ukraine dedicated to the history of Ukrainian cuisine, where scholars, chefs, food critics, and food anthropologists discuss history, culture, and art through the prism of food. Over the five years of its existence, ïzhakultura has included gastronomy research, the publishing house ïzhak, and numerous thematic events, which not only deepen Ukrainians’ knowledge of their own culture, but also tell the world about Ukraine. Here Olena Braichenko talks about ïzhakultura’s work since February 24.
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