PPV #44: RECONSTRUCTION//DESTRUCTION: The Dual Reality of Ukrainian Volunteering

Ten years after Russia began its war on Ukraine, and three years after it launched its full-scale invasion, the Ukrainian war effort remains heavily dependent on localised grassroots volunteer efforts. From the provision of food and shelter to internally displaced people, to the purchasing of cars and ammunition for the military, there is next to no aspect of Ukrainian society which is not now dependent on these networks.

Kseniia Kalmus is one of the tens of thousands of Ukrainians who now dedicate their lives to volunteering. Like many others, she splits her efforts between civilian support, repairing damaged homes in deoccupied and formerly-frontline territories, whilst also organising a drone-making workshop in Kyiv, where ordinary Kyiv residents come to handcraft drones for the frontlines.

This interview with Kseniia will explore the links between the civilian and military sides of volunteering. As western governments and NGOs mark off aid as being reserved for one or the other, there is a clear understanding within Ukrainian society that both must exist together. Without drones to hold russian troops back, there would be no homes under Ukrainian control left to repair. Simultaneously, without these repairs in heavily damaged areas, civilians would have no homes to come back to. Furthermore, in a war where the majority of the army were civilians three years ago, these distinctions become increasingly futile. Kseniia will speak about the processes surrounding her volunteering, both in relation to drones and homes, and the movement from civilian to military aid, interrogating the blurred lines between them.

The discussion will be led by Ada Wordsworth, founder and director of KHARPP (the Kharkiv and Przemyśl Project) and a PhD student at UCL SSEES.

Drone emoji on poster by Vecteezy

This event is part of PPV (Perverting the Power Vertical: Politics & Aesthetics) a seminar and events platform running under the auspices of the UCL SSEES FRINGE Centre.