1. Ssoko (she), 42; photographer, performer, cafe owner in Kyiv.
2. Russia -> Ukraine -> Germany. Born in Moscow, moved to Kyiv in 2008, to Berlin in 2022 (I consider Ukraine my home country).
3. March 2022 (Berlin)
4. I left because of the war my fckng motherland brought to Ukraine. I have 2 kids, I wanted to bring them to safety.
5. Now I’m better than a year ago, let's say. But in any case, it's far from the same as it was before the war. Constant dreadful news from Ukraine... shattered lives... so much pain. I'm working with a therapist; it helps. I have two children, there's a routine; it creates a shell. It feels like my emotions have frozen.
6. I miss home, my café in Kyiv, Podil, my friends who are either in Ukraine or scattered around the world.
7. Will I return? That's a complex question. I don't know... it depends on when, what the situation will be like here at that time, and what my children will want...
8. My father's family moved from Donetsk to Moscow during the Soviet years.
9. When I used to listen to the Ukrainian anthem, I thought, 'God, what a sad anthem,' starting with the words 'It’s not dead yet.'... how come? But now, I've learned more about the country's history, and everything has fallen into place, all the words and meanings. Ukraine is now associated with its anthem. Well, it's fckng madness, but that's how it is. Oh! And Kalush Orchestra - Stefania.

I can probably associate all of the Russian cringe with the song 'Katyusha'... During World War II, Russia and Ukraine were 'Soviets,' one country, where 'Rushka' (Russia) dominated all others. And they sang 'Katyusha' together, out there, damn it, on the shore... on behalf of both Russia and Ukraine, essentially against the Germans, who were also boosting their morale with a war song... but now what? Germans no longer boost themselves, they're not at war. But Katyusha, damn it, she took up her old ways and headed towards Ukraine's shore because Ukraine (How could she?!) became independent and no longer wanted to stand on the same shore, shooting at common enemies (even if they are now only imaginary enemies of Putin). And what do we sing in Ukraine now? That's right, the anthem, which carries all the pain of how they tried to undermine us and the simple desire to live when 'Zghynut' nashi vorizhenky, yak rosa na sontsi. Zapanuyem i my, brattya, u svoiy storontsi.' (Let our enemies perish like dew in the sun. We shall prevail, brothers, in our own land.)
Lili Marleen - here's a song that became popular during World War II among both German soldiers and soldiers of the opposing allied armies.
Katyusha, Lili, and Stefania - symbolically, everyone has their own female heroes.

***RUS***

1. Ssoko (она), 42 года; Фотограф, перформер, владелица кафе в Киеве.
2. Россия -> Украина -> Германия. Родилась в Москве, переехала в Киев в 2008, в Берлин - в 2022 (Украину считаю своей родной страной).
3. Март 2022 (Берлин)
4. Я уехала, потому что моя ё***я Родина вторглась в Украину с войной. У меня двое детей, я хотела перевезти их в безопасное место.
5. Я чувствую себя гораздо лучше, чем, скажем, год назад. Но в любом случае, это далеко не то же самое, что до войны. Постоянные жуткие новости из Украины… разваленные жизни… много боли. Я работаю с терапевтом, это помогает. Есть двое детей, есть рутина, это создаёт оболочку. Чувства как будто заморозились.
6. Я скучаю по дому, по своему кафе в Киеве, по Подолу, по друзьям, которые в Украине или разбросаны по миру.
7. Вернусь ли я? Это сложный вопрос. Не знаю.. смотря, когда, что будет на тот момент здесь, чего будут хотеть мои дети…
8. Семья моего отца переехала из Донецка в Москву в советские годы.