#Kyiv

The city of Irpin, just outside Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, was one of the first major targets of Russia’s full-scale invasion—and for a month, it stood as a battleground under occupation.

The full scale of Russian atrocities in Bucha, known as the Bucha massacre, surfaced only after its liberation on March 31, 2022—bodies in the streets, mass graves, homes reduced to rubble. But this isn’t just a story of devastation. On one street, residents have been reclaiming their town step by step—burying their dead and rebuilding their lives.

Ukraine’s Kobzars were once the nation’s living memory—blind troubadours who sang of war, loss, and resilience. Nearly erased by Soviet purges, their tradition endures, echoing through time.