Hi everyone,

I’m Anton, 17 years old, writing from Kyiv. I recently wrote a personal essay in English about what it’s like to grow up during war — not just as a Ukrainian, but as a teenager trying to live a “normal” life while sirens, blackouts, and fear become part of the routine.

This isn’t a political rant or trauma porn. It’s just a reflection on the strange in-betweens of surviving — when you’re not on the front line, but the war never leaves your street, your school, or your head.

I’m sharing it here because this sub has a lot of thoughtful readers — and because I haven’t really shared my voice outside Reddit before.

Here's the article on Medium (no ads, no monetization):
https://medium.com/@yuchinskiy/what-it-means-to-be-17-in-a-country-at-war-56e1ac5e3aa2

Thanks for reading — and stay safe wherever you are.

https://i.redd.it/t5a3sx38i0te1.jpeg

by JebFlorenzy

3 comments

  1. No 17 year old can write this.

    Edit: the amount of people triggered and swarming in to defend this is amusing.

  2. Thank you for sharing your experiences Anton. Slava Ukrainia and stay safe.

  3. Thanks for sharing Anton. Ar wu after feed back or have and interest in writing professionally in the future? As tragic and terrible as the situation is you have a unique opportunity to create some very unique and compelling writing. Can I suggest keeping a daily detailed diary/ journal or even a digital diary. I (Australian) and many thousands like me would read it.
    Ukraine is always in my thoughts. Slava Ukraine 🇺🇦 ♥️

Comments are closed.