(essay)

There was a time when I thought history had ended. The world felt stable, as if it had finally found its perfect balance. Like the maps we studied at school — fixed, solid, unquestionable. Countries seemed eternal, their borders unbreakable. I thought nothing could really change.

But then came 2014, and something inside me started to shake. At the time, many of us didn’t fully realize how hard-won the things we took for granted, really were. We lived with the quiet hope that everything would somehow work itself out.

Then 2022 came — and shattered that illusion.

That year showed us the truth: history is still being written. What struck me most was how close we came to losing our own country. That thought alone sent shivers down my spine. I think a lot of people are asking themselves now: Who would we be today if the war had never happened? Perhaps most of us know —  we’d be very different.

The war changed the way we see the world. What once felt small – the language, community, kindness, — became essential. Priorities were reversed. Safety no longer meant comfort, but courage.

And yet, in all that darkness, something bright emerged. People. Ordinary strangers who stepped in to help others — sometimes even risking their own life and safety.

Yes, the world has changed. But somehow, even through the pain, through the Russian-Ukrainian war bloodshed, we grew stronger.