The stories of nine children and young people from the Donetsk region were included in the interactive book *Stronger Than the Darkness*, created based on the results of a nationwide creative contest. Through literary works and videos, the young authors shared their personal experiences of life during the war, memories of their homes, forced displacement, overcoming hardships, and what helps them keep faith in the future.
The book was presented during the closing meeting of the “Stronger Than the Darkness” online literary and artistic residency. It became the main creative outcome of the sociocultural project of the same name, designed to amplify the voices of a generation of Ukrainian children and youth growing up during the war and to preserve their stories as a testament to our times.
What sets the project apart is its focus not only on the difficult circumstances these young Ukrainians have had to endure, but also on their inner strength, their ability to overcome challenges, support others, learn, create, and make plans for the future.
The project brought together a nationwide creative contest, which ran from July through August 2026, an online residency, workshops, and meetings with artists, journalists, painters, and military personnel. Children and young people up to and including age 21 from various regions of Ukraine participated, including those from frontline and de-occupied territories, as well as those who were forced to move to other regions or abroad due to the war.
Children and young people from the Donetsk region actively participated in the contest by submitting entries in each of the categories, and they also took part in workshops and an online residency.
In the “Video Clip/Vlog” category, the book features two works by 16-year-old Anastasia Yakovenko from Bakhmut—“February 23” and “Live.” In her own unique style, Anastasia shared her memories and highlighted the small joys that fill the lives of Ukrainians today.
The book also includes literary works. Among them is “A School Bell Kilometers Long” by 14-year-old Polina Kapshuk from Lyman. In it, the young author shares memories of the first days of the war, a life that changed in an instant, and her desire to stay connected to home and to return there no matter what.
16-year-old Olena Holuzynets from Pokrovsk contributed poems from her own collection, “Poems Scorched by War,” in which she describes her forced relocation and her longing for home.
17-year-old Margarita Mikhailian from Kramatorsk submitted the piece “Despite the Darkness,” filled with longing for her hometown yet also radiating light and faith in the future.
In her piece “My Childhood in the Shadow of War,” 16-year-old Hanna Trembach described in detail her experience of forced displacement at the start of the full-scale invasion, the terrifying events unfolding nearby, and the struggles of her large family as they had to find their place in life once again, without losing faith in the future. Hanna is also from Kramatorsk.
Sofia Polupan, a 14-year-old from Lyman, submitted a piece titled “Sofia’s Diary: Survive and Remember,” in which she described, in chronological order, the events surrounding the start of the full-scale invasion and her current life in a new city, among new people.
18-year-old Polina Seroy from Velyka Novosilka submitted a piece titled “Nurturing the Light.” In her work, the author shares her memories, sorrows, and dreams, as well as her desire to return to a normal life.
13-year-old Oleksiy Shuman from Dobropillia described in his piece his childhood memories of the evacuation, his confusion about what was happening, and how he is building his life today.
The work of 18-year-old Polina Yefimova, who has been living in Lozova, Kharkiv Oblast, for quite some time, deserves special mention. She dedicated her piece, “Gardens Touched by War,” to her hometown of Lyman and her memories of her grandmother’s house.
The book *Stronger Than Darkness* was published in an interactive format. Readers can not only read the literary works but also listen to them as read by the authors themselves, and view the video works by scanning QR codes. The publication is available in print and digital formats, and the audio format allows readers to hear the voices of the young authors.
You can explore the book, listen to the works, and download the publication for free on the “Success Despite” creative youth platform: https://uspikhusuperech.com.ua/proekt-silnishi-za-temryavy-2026/tvorchi-roboty-ta-kniga/
The project was implemented by the non-governmental organization “D.I.Y. Local History and Cultural Society” in partnership with the Oles Honchar Dnipro National University—specifically, the Faculty of Psychology and Special Education—with the support of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation.