We're launching opinion columns, a newsletter, and a new interview series. In her debut column, Yellow Blue editor-in-chief Yuliana Skibitska details what to expect—and reflects on how we can support one another in challenging times.
I recently got back from a short break in Romania. Most of the time I was there, I slept. Day and night. Friends who moved to Romania from Ukraine about a year and a half ago even asked how I could sleep so much. When I told them how poorly I sleep in Kyiv, they added, “Well, so do we.”
Had I posted this on Threads, it would have sparked another flame war about how Ukrainians living abroad are out of touch. But they aren’t. These same friends survived explosions back home, and they flinched just as hard when someone set off fireworks near the beach at night. I know people who left for other countries and found emigration so grueling that it left deep marks on their lives. And I know those who chose to return, driven by a simple thought: “Better under bombs, but at home.”
Social media thrives on the Olympics of suffering—and that isn’t limited to those who left versus those who stayed. Do people in western Ukraine have the right to say they’re terrified when a drone flies overhead, given that drones fly over Kyiv almost daily? Meanwhile, people in Zaporizhzhia might argue that Kyivans have no right to complain because they aren’t being targeted by guided aerial bombs. Anyone can claim they have it worse. But our experiences are distinct, and that’s okay. We don’t need to compete over who suffers more to acknowledge one another’s pain.
Across my interviews, a common thread keeps emerging: we cannot afford to write off any Ukrainian, or there won’t be any of us left. Those who left and those who stayed are all part of a single nation forced to become global. That’s a reality we must embrace. We may process the war differently, carry different scars, and even envision different futures. None of that makes anyone less of a Ukrainian.
Our own team is scattered across Ukraine and around the globe. We’ve navigated depression in exile, massive ballistic strikes in Kyiv, and guided aerial bombs in Kharkiv. Our loved ones live in frontline towns or pass away under occupation. Instead of fighting, we try to support one another—sending a care package of Ukrainian treats to Canada, or chipping in for a power station for someone back home. We don’t need to compete over who has it harder. We just need to know we have each other.
This autumn, Yellow Blue is rolling out three important projects.
- First, we’re launching an opinion section on our site, featuring stories and insights from Ukrainians at home and abroad. We promise it will be worth your time. If you have an idea for a piece, drop us a line at [email protected].
- The second is a series of interviews with people who left Ukraine and later returned, as well as those who divide their lives between two countries, and those who continue to support Ukraine while living abroad.
- Third, we’re introducing the Yellow Blue newsletter. Every two weeks, we’ll curate a dedicated editorial roundup of compelling personal stories, inspiring figures, and noteworthy reads about Ukrainians worldwide. It won’t just be a rehash of site links—it’s a standalone piece featuring what we’ve discovered, read, and deemed essential.
Yellow Blue’s core mission is to make Ukrainians visible. We’ll keep bringing you new formats, so keep an eye on our website. Perhaps next time you log onto Threads, you’ll feel inspired to share not just what’s heavy, but what keeps you going—and how you can hold space for someone else.
