Ukraine diaries: our ethnographic correspondent documents the war

I arrived in Lublin, Poland, on 15 April. At the airport, I discovered that my backpack had been lost by the airline. Stunned, anxious. I had planned to cross the border the same day. This is the first step of such a journey: to reach the country as soon as possible. Author provided

On 15 April 2022, I travelled to Ukraine, intending to stay there for a month. A simple question underpins my research trip: how do we behave when the world collapses around us? We oppose it with weapons, mutual help, aid, and humanitarian work. We watch it in disbelief. We flee it. We take action.

Throughout my month-long trip, I endeavoured to document the day-to-day experience of the war, based on accounts from civilians who are reacting to this overwhelming chain of events.