By Vanessa Huang
On the eve of the 24th of February, Danylo Nikiforov was unable to sleep. As President of the LSESU Ukrainian Society, he was all too aware of Russia’s mounting threats towards Ukraine. In the preceding weeks, the society had coordinated gatherings outside the Ukrainian embassy, the Russian embassy and 10 Downing Street, all to stand in solidarity with Ukraine and denounce Russian aggression. But that night, the seemingly unfathomable occurred.
“I was monitoring the news and livestreams and suddenly a lot of newsflashes started popping up and I could see explosions on the livestreams,” he says. “As soon as it was confirmed that Russia [had] invaded Ukraine, I woke up my parents, who live very close to [the] Bucha region, and told them that the war [had] begun. When I called them again, I could hear explosions and helicopters flying in the background. That was the night when Russian airborne troops attacked Hostomel Airport not too far away from my house.”
For Aleksandra Slyusar, head of the Ukrainian Society’s marketing, the news also came as a shock. She woke up to frantic calls and messages from friends and family and instantly called her mother. “[My mum] told me the war had started and I felt terrified,” she says. “I was in disbelief that this [was] really happening.”
Once the news broke, the Ukrainian Society immediately mobilised its members and pivoted its activities towards vigils, protests, and fundraisers. Within days, they announced the formation of the Ukrainian Students Union (USU), a joint group of Ukrainian students across multiple UK universities. Then in March, alongside Ukrainian societies from UCL, University of the Arts London, and City, University of London, LSESU Ukrainian Society held a fundraising gala, raising over £10,000 towards military aid for Ukraine and receiving commendation from Prime Minister Boris Johnson for their efforts.
The society continued to take a leading role in the USU and expanded its initiatives over the following months. Through its relationship with the Ukrainian embassy, the USU coordinated a live broadcast in June from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to thousands of students across multiple institutions in the UK. This included a direct broadcast to LSE’s Sheikh Zayed Theatre, with Ukrainian ambassador to the UK Vadym Prystaiko present. During his address, President Zelenskyy reaffirmed Ukraine’s commitment to keep fighting, and hailed Ukrainian students in the UK as “ambassadors” for the country that would play a vital role in its reconstruction.
The feats the society has achieved over the past few months are astonishing on their own, but to have done so in the midst of being bombarded with photos and videos of your own country’s destruction and worrying about the safety of your own friends and family is unimaginable. Danylo lists the four things that have impacted him the most since the start of the war: the blockade of Kyiv while his family was in the city, the Bucha massacre, the destruction of Mariupol, and the deaths of people he personally knew. When he describes the past several months as “a constant state of anxiety and [worry],” this seems like an understatement. But Aleksandra points out that working together to coordinate these events was in itself instrumental in supporting Ukrainian students, as it provided them with “a sense of community and unity,” particularly for students that were away from their homes and families.
Outside of Ukrainian Society, Danylo and Aleksandra express appreciation for the support they and other Ukrainian students have received from LSE. “LSE issued a response that I believe is one of the best coordinated in the UK and addressed every concern that members of our society and Ukrainians at LSE had,” Danylo says.
Their feelings about the global response, however, are less favourable. “After over half a year of killing and destroying my country, I have a lot of resentment towards the Russian regime and anger towards the world for not doing enough to stop this genocide,” Aleksandra says. She describes her feelings now as “more anger than fear,” taking aim specifically at European nations whose actions, she believes, have fallen short: “Europe’s [dependence] on Russian oil has inhibited their ability to take a stance which should have reflected the values of freedom and democracy [that] the West praises.” Danylo, on the other hand, is more measured with his criticism. He laments the loss of life that could have been prevented had there been greater support in the first few days of the war, but says that “the global community [has] helped Ukraine a lot.”
The Russian invasion of Ukraine dominated global news as it began to unfold, but as time goes on, attention is beginning to wane. As of 15 September , the term ‘Ukraine’ stands at a tenth of its peak popularity, according to Google Trends. Razom for Ukraine, a charity based in New York, similarly received an outpouring of support at the start of the war that has since dropped. As the news shifts its attention to the next social media phenomenon, Ukraine risks being left behind by the global community.
Still, Danylo and Aleksandra are approaching the future with a sense of cautious optimism. The challenges Ukraine faces remain monumental. The Ukrainian government, European Commission and World Bank jointly estimate the cost of reconstruction at 349 billion euros, which would plunge Ukraine into “severe economic crisis,” as Aleksandra puts it. But, if anything, the past seven months have been a lesson in never underestimating Ukraine’s resilience. From the outset, Ukraine facing up to a perceived great power like Russia seemed impossible, and Danylo, like many, feared Ukraine would be “losing the war in 3 days.” Not only has Ukraine managed to hold its own, but news of success in its recently launched counteroffensive has begun to spread. Despite Russia’s partial mobilisation of its military, Ukraine has boldly shifted from defending to reclaiming its territory in the south and northeast, fuelling hope and excitement across the world. When I ask if there’s anything else they would like to add before closing, Aleksandra simply responds: “Слава Україні! (Slava Ukraini!)”
