Solidarity Rather Than Pity
One of the challenges of fundraising for Ukrainian musicians internationally is conveying the experiences of actual people going through the war while refraining from “war porn.” Wrecked tanks and dead bodies scattered around the once peaceful city streets; entire apartment blocks torn down by Russian missiles; women, men, and children, shell-shocked and with blood and soot on their faces, trying to escape this hell—these graphic images certainly travel fast and get instantly carved in memory. This is what Ukraine has come to be associated with over the past year. All these images show the reality of Russia’s brutal war against Ukraine, but they don’t give you the full picture. Hundreds of thousands died, millions lost their homes and had to flee; but there are as many—in fact, even more—people [...]
