Live from Ukraine

How Ukrainian civilians are using Instagram to show the world lived realities of the ongoing war

Every Sunday at 9.30pm IST, a pink halo comes around the Instagram account @travelingchapati as its owners go live. Kristina Masalova and Eugene Petrus — a Ukrainian couple who are parents to an Indian indie dog named Chapati — appear alongside their pet to update their followers on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. Based in Kyiv, the couple’s weekly streams attract followers from all over the world, particularly India. One of their latest streams discussed how power outages in Ukraine can affect them. 

What was once an account dedicated to tales about Chapati (who is also a record holder for being the most travelled dog in India and Ukraine) and travel content, now showcases the destruction in their home country. Like Masalova and Petrus, many other Ukrainians are using Instagram to show people the realities of war, one that is different from cold, hard facts or mere numbers and statistics reported in mainstream news. 

For example, Ukrainian illustrator Yev Haidamaka’s (@yevhaidamaka) posts are colourful and whimsical artworks but the captions also paint pictures of personal stories and current events on the frontline. As Yev puts it, “After the war I became a mini news channel.” 

Following a similar strategy is Orest Zub (@orestzub), a Ukrainian who was a blogger and marketer in his pre-war life. Since February 24, the 34-year-old has taken to reporting on the war on Instagram and YouTube, posting his captions in English instead of Ukrainian to widen his reach. Orest’s take differs from news reports as he adds a human layer to the news, bringing forth the perspective of the civilians. 

In a post about Trostyanets, a city in North Eastern Ukraine, Orest adds a carousel of pictures, including a local sipping coffee against the backdrop of a charred building. Recounting his visit, Orest’s caption explains how life has paused in the town. “We found only one operating pizza place in a town with 20,000 residents… Young boys play, making check points on the streets, collecting donations for the Ukrainian army…”  

“Unless you go to the area, you don’t understand it fully,” explains Orest in a video interview. “I speak to people and also touch upon the history and background of the place affected. People then have a prelude to understanding the topic and area, more than knowing ‘the bomb fell here.’” 

Orest, Kristina, Eugene and Yev’s Instagram updates serve as grim reminders: The war is not showing any sign of ending. But while soldiers fought on land, air and sea, these regular folks took to raising their voices on social media. Julia Singh, who now lives in Germany with her Indian-origin husband and child, for instance, founded Voices of Ukraine (@voicesofukraine), a collective that brings Ukrainian perspectives into English and German-speaking space.