Authors

Olha Polishchuk¹;  ¹ Saarland University, Germany

Discussion

In my presentation The War Diary as a Means of Perceiving Reality in Times of Crisis, I explore how diaries created during the Russian-Ukrainian war allow people to process and articulate the traumatic realities of war, serving as important tools for coping, reflection, and resilience. Written during the war, these diaries capture the psychological and emotional landscape of those living through the crisis, offering not only personal insights but also valuable historical records. My research combines close analysis of digital diaries posted on Facebook with information gathered from in-depth interviews with the authors of these diaries, providing a unique perspective on how trauma is expressed, coped with, and managed in these personal narratives.

By exploring the complexity of the war diaries shared online and analysing the reflections of the authors, I am to show how these records serve as a therapeutic space to confront fears, losses, and hopes, allowing the authors to navigate trauma and make sense of their altered reality. This study highlights the importance of war diaries as a contribution to individual and collective archives of the Russian-Ukrainian war, offering a nuanced understanding of how trauma is experienced, processed, and memorialized. Using first-hand accounts and digital documentation, I explore how these diaries create a deeply personal yet widespread historical memory that records the immediate and lasting emotional impact of the conflict.