Book Recommendation: I Will Show You How it Was
June 1, 2024
Today we’re going to do something different for Moldova Matters. I’m going to share with you a book that I highly recommend everyone interested in Moldova or Ukraine reads. That book is I Will Show You How It Was: The Story of Wartime Kyiv by Ukrainian journalist Illia Ponomarenko (amazon link).
Note: Up front I want to be clear that this is a simple recommendation. I haven’t been paid to promote this book in any way. If you’re ever interested about the newsletter’s policy on sponsorships, etc please see the about page.
Illia Ponomarenko was among the journalists who founded the Kyiv Independent following the closure and reorganization of the Kyiv Post. He covered defense and security news for the paper from 2021 - 2023 and became famous for his coverage of the Battle of Kyiv.
This book, his first, is a gritty, up close retelling of the Battle of Kyiv by someone who had a front row seat to the horrors unfolding around him. It’s also a blindingly honest book that blends war reporting and memoir. Illia writes extensively about his worries, fears, anger and sometimes elation as he grapples with how quickly a massive European city turns into a battlefield.
As I listened to the book (I primarily consume books in audio form these days) I was struck by how emotionally affecting it was for me. His descriptions of the first days of the war span a broad cast of friends, family and random people he meets all trying to make sense of what was unfolding. It reminded me of my own time in Chisinau during those first weeks. My wife and I hosted a family of Ukrainians, friends of friends, who themselves had fled Kyiv and were on their way west. During the few days they spent with us I’ll never forget how they were glued to their phones scrolling for updates on what was happening. The most salient thing for me was how quickly emotions can swing. Anger, shock, tears all came and went in cycles. But so did laughter and a certain type of intense pride as it became clear that Kyiv was holding out against the odds.
In Moldova, many people had similar reactions. Bags were packed, some people fled, but everyone was glued to phones to see what was unfolding. I particularly remember reacting to a video where a Ukrainian “gopnik,” slang for a track-suite wearing, chain smoking walking stereotype of Eastern Europe, smashed a Russian soldier over the head with a piece of asphalt, all while continuing to puff on a cigarette. Videos like that sent the world the message that this city could not be defeated. In his book Illia captures all of these highs and lows in a beautiful and raw narrative.
If you want to understand better the Battle of Kyiv, the spirit of Ukraine and the way people rise to an unspeakable challenge then I cannot recommend this book enough.
I Will Show You How It Was: The Story of Wartime Kyiv (amazon link)
Thanks for the recommendation. I'll try to get a copy. Those first days and through March, I was nonstop refreshing the news, like every three minutes.