Semenova Antonina

The project “Visual War Diary” is a cultural and artistic endeavor with a memorial component. The artistic aspect of the project involves capturing the events of the war from the moment of the full-scale invasion through the artist’s daily, concise sketches as reflections on the war.

The public memorial part of the project documents daily life during the war through the stories of Ukrainians. These are stories about the war’s daily realities, emotions, and perceptions, told from the perspective and reflections of various Ukrainians. They include stories of occupation, deportation, and displacement. Stories of civilians, military personnel, and volunteers. Stories of those who survived the worst, and those who did not. The book about the first year of the war following the full-scale invasion was published in the fall of 2023, and the project continues to expand.

The “Visual War Diary” project began on February 24, 2022, with the full-scale attack by Russia on Ukraine. Having been accustomed to keeping written diaries, that evening, I sat at my desk intending to record my thoughts. The day had been emotionally intense, and my thoughts swirled without forming into words. However, they suddenly took the form of a concise graphic sketch in a small sketchbook. This sketch was about the first day of the full-scale war—the first sketch of the “Visual War Diary” project.

To this day, I continue to maintain this graphic diary, creating one small graphic illustration each day, depicting one event from that day. At the time of this application, there are over 900 sketches. Documenting the events of the war through these sketches has become a way to reflect on and comprehend the war.

As interest in the project grew, the idea to scale it emerged. Thus, I began collecting the stories of various Ukrainians about their everyday lives during the war. This project serves as a way to memorialize the experiences of Ukrainians in this war. Part of the project consists of my traditional graphic work, while another part is a social component—new in terms of my professional activity but familiar through my experience in active volunteering.

Interacting with people ranks second among my volunteering activities. This is why I’m creating this interdisciplinary project for Ukrainians—to help them feel the strength we possess and provide inspiration to continue the fight.

The textual part of the Diary is being gradually compiled through conversations with Ukrainians, matching people’s stories with the events depicted in the diary. The stories are not necessarily directly connected to the sketch illustrating a notable event of the day. For instance, a story under a sketch about destruction caused by shelling may describe a calm day without air raid sirens. Just as in real life, Ukrainians have different experiences in this war. However, the war affects each and every one of us, regardless of where we are—on the frontlines, in a frontline city, in a city occasionally hit by rockets, or even safely abroad. Wherever we are, the war impacts us all, and through our actions or inactions, we influence the war and its consequences.

I find the participants whose stories I collect for the project through social media, news, reports, and shared posts. Some stories come to me through word of mouth, while others are recommended by journalist acquaintances. The stories are intended to provide a broad depiction of Ukrainians’ war experiences, with heroes or authors from diverse backgrounds. These participants represent various ages, genders, and geographical regions, each with different fates and experiences in this war.