The war has been going on for 731 days: we have withstood it, and therefore we will win!

No one prepared Ukrainians for war, because how can you prepare for it? No one prepared Ukrainians for the war that began on the Maidan Nezalezhnosti in 2013, the war that has been going on in the east of our country since 2014, and which forced thousands of Ukrainians to leave their homes. And, obviously, no one prepared us for the great war that unexpectedly burst into the lives of all Ukrainians, without exception, on February 24, 2022, forcing us for two years in a row to comprehend what Erich Maria Remarque was writing about and to understand from our own experience how to live, work, and make plans during the war.

Photos: Evgeniy Maloletka, Christopher Occhicone, Glib Garanich, Konstantin and Vlada Liberov, Vladislav Musienko, Oleksandr Magula

No one prepared us for the war, but we are fighting. We are fighting desperately and fearlessly, and our resistance, obvious and visible from every corner of the planet, shook the world two years ago and still makes others admire us.

No one told us that russia's full-scale war on the territory of Ukraine would last for two years and that it would be so ruthless against both military and civilians. Just as no one warned us that Ukrainian cities would wake up to the sound of explosions or fires almost every night or morning. No one told us that not only airfields, military units, and oil depots would be destroyed, but also residential and maternity homes, hospitals, museums, kindergartens, and schools, in the desperate attempts of the russians to erase our national memory and identity, not realizing that it lies within us.

But fortunately, today we already know that we will learn to live with it and continue to take our children to kindergartens, go to work, do our favorite hobbies after a hard day at work, and eventually get to know our neighbors while sitting together in parkings or shelters. However, the fact is that even if some of our routine has managed to return to the way it used to be in these two years, some things will never be the same again, and most importantly, a large number of people who gave their lives for Ukraine's independence and our opportunity to be here and now will never see the peaceful Ukrainian sky again.

Photos: Igor Lukyanenko, Yuriy Stefanyak, Mykyta Shandyba, Albert Lores, Arsen Petrov, Sergiy Kovalyov, Dmytro Smolenko

But we remember!

We honor!

We know that we need to remember everything: the moments that gave us hope, the moments that were colored by pain, the events that made us grieve, and the events that made us believe in miracles again. We must remember, because it is our task to bring all this experience and share it with future generations, so that in years and decades to come we will be united, united as a people, knowing who remained a friend despite everything and who was the worst enemy.

With incredible strength and courage, we stand in defense of our homeland. The Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Territorial Defense, medics, volunteers, businesses - all have united to repel the enemy. Yes, it can be overwhelmingly difficult for us, we lose our jobs, homes, dreams, and loved ones, but we know for sure that one morning the dawn will come in a peaceful Ukraine.

Therefore, today we are kindly asking all those who care to join proven funds or initiatives and donate to the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, veterans or civilians who have suffered from russian aggression in one way or another. For example, to the fund - https://u24.gov.ua/seababy or https://steelwings.net/en/

Because we have withstood, we will win!

Glory to Ukraine!