The Vadym Stolar Charitable Foundation presented the book "Stories of the Strong" in Odesa. The publication contains memoirs of Ukrainians about the beginning of a full-scale war, about the horrors they experienced and how they managed to survive and not lose hope, UNN reports.
"Stories of the Strong" is a unique book about people who survived the occupation, Russian torture chambers, and active hostilities. However, they did not break down and continue to live. We presented the publication in the format of a theatrical performance, which allowed us to highlight the deeper meanings and live each story together with its authors. Our Foundation will continue to help people and tell the world the terrible truth about the war firsthand - from those who are experiencing its hardships and horrors here and now," commented Vadym Stolar, founder of the Foundation.
The event, held at the UNION Cultural Center, was attended by MPs Antonina Slavytska, Anatoliy Burmych, Valeriy Hnatenko, Artem Dmytruk, Natalia Prikhodko, Volodymyr Moroz, Oleksandr Kovalev, Yevhen Shevchenko, Oleksandr Yurchenko, Yevhen Yakovenko, Ihor Kisilov, Anatoliy Urbanskyi, Mykola Skoryk, Artem Chornomorov, members of the Odesa Regional and City Councils, politicians and public figures.
The heroes of the book who attended the presentation shared their stories from the stage. "We did not realize at first that war had come. We realized it only when the planes started flying. The worst thing was when it was night and you didn't know where the bomb would fall," said Larysa Holovan.
As Maryna Provotorova noted, for her, the war began in her homeland, Luhansk Oblast, back in 2014. "I left my home on the first day of the war, and since then all my experiences have become rhyming lines. This is a chronicle of the war that will soon become a poetry collection," she said.
According to Svitlana Trubachova, her husband was a border guard and died on the 50th day of the war. "It was the worst day of my life when the commander called and told me that my beloved was gone. I tell my children that they shouldn't give up, because their father is a hero, and their mother does everything for the sake of their father's memory!" the woman emphasized.
In his turn, Eduard Bobrovytskyi shared the story of his neighbor, which impressed him greatly. "He was transferred to serve in Mariupol a month and a half before the war. In May, they were captured, where he stayed for 21 months. Just think, the guy is 23 now, and he spent 21 months in captivity! He returned home on February 8, when there was a 100-for-100 exchange," he said.
The authors' speeches were followed by a theatrical performance of Stories of the Strong, staged and performed by a team of young actors from Kyiv theaters. They managed to create a truly modern and interesting interpretation, creatively rethinking each of the stories included in the book.
According to Natalia Prykhodko, a volunteer of the Foundation, the book was published simultaneously in English and Ukrainian.
"We want to present Stories of the Strong not only in Ukraine but also abroad. We want the whole world to hear and see what Ukrainians go through every day," she said.