In the war-torn city of Sloviansk, Ukraine, teenagers are living their teenage years in a holding pattern due to the ongoing conflict. With no prom, graduation ceremonies, movie theaters, parties or sports, the youths mostly use humor to cope with the ferocity of the fighting around them. The Russian invasion has caused tremendous direct damage, killing tens of thousands of people and forcing millions of Ukrainians from their homes. It has also stolen the normal experiences of teenage life.
The youths find themselves walking the streets of Sloviansk, passing soldiers in full combat gear, and watching military trucks rumble past. When explosions echo through the streets, they fall to the ground for safety, then start horsing around. They mostly handle the hardships of war with humor, making fun of everything around them, including one another.
Mykyta, 16, has not been in a classroom for more than a year. He hopes the war be over by the time he graduates next year, after finishing online classes from teachers who sometimes provide instruction from abroad. He also said he has affection for the city, even after living through the months of war.
The teenagers don’t talk much about the war, instead focusing on topics such as movies and music. They find solace in the empty bleachers of a soccer stadium, where no games are held lest a crowd form, inviting a more tragic outcome from a single rocket strike.
The Russian invasion has changed everything for these teenagers, and the normal angst of teenage years, and the first ventures of independence, it all now takes place amid the ruins of a mostly deserted city. War has not cured ennui, but the youths are determined to make the best of their situation.