Life in Spite of Everything: Tales from the Ukrainian East
A PIMs book discussion with Victoria Donovan, Uilleam Blacker and Volodymyr Kulikov
Life in Spite of Everything: Tales from the Ukrainian East
14 Mar 2025, 17:30 – 19:00
Join us for a conversation with Victoria Donovan on her latest book, Life in Spite of Everything. Tales from the Ukrainian East (Daunt Books, 2025), which explores the lived experiences of communities in Ukraine’s Donbas region. Since 2014, the region has been synonymous with conflict, its cities becoming tragic symbols of devastation. In this revelatory and deeply humane work, Donovan uncovers a different narrative—one that highlights the Donbas’s rich, multicultural history and the resilience of its people. Through immersive storytelling and conversations with curators, artists, railway workers, and young people growing up amid war, she amplifies local voices and reveals the intensely personal lived reality of Putin’s war.
The discussion will feature Uilleam Blacker and Volodymyr Kulikov, who will engage with Donovan’s work and explore how history, memory, and identity intersect in the Donbas. This event offers a powerful and timely reflection on Ukraine’s past and present, celebrating its people’s tenacity, creativity, and independence.
Find out more about Places, Identities and Memories (PIMs).
Victoria Donovan
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Further information
Ticketing
Pre-booking essential
Cost
Free
Open to
All
Availability
Yes