Many people think that the Russo-Ukrainian War started when Vladimir Putin’s Russian forces invaded Ukraine in February of 2022. In fact, that invasion was an escalation of a conflict that has been ongoing since 2014. The past two years have, however, been the most extreme. Polly and Artur shared that in that time, according to official data from the United Nations, over 10,000 civilians have been killed, and 1800 children have been injured or killed. 6.3 million Ukrainian refugees have been displaced, 80% of whom desperately want to return to their homes.

Polly and Artur explained that the conflict began in earnest after Ukraine’s Revolution of Dignity. The deadly protests followed then-President Yanukovych’s decision not to join the European Union (EU) and instead strengthen ties with Russia. The students went on to talk about the denuclearization agreements in 1994 between Bill Clinton, Boris Yeltsin, and then-Ukrainian President Leonid Kravchuk that surrendered 1900 nuclear warheads to Russia in exchange for the integrity of Ukraine’s borders, an arrangement that Vladimir Putin has refused to recognize.

Polly acknowledged that wars in foreign countries could often seem a world away, and the significance doesn’t register with students in the United States. To this point, Polly shared graphic images of the destruction in Bucha. This small Ukrainian city that now serves as a devastating monument to the war is just ten minutes from Polly’s home.

“If this presentation leads to a single donation, my speech was successful,” says Polly. “I am not here to make this about myself or tell tragic stories. I am here so people understand how important their help is and recognize why Ukrainians are fighting.”

Artur talked about the “Executed Renaissance,” the story of over 200 Ukrainian authors and poets killed during the 1920s and 30s simply for writing in their native language. He said the silencing of Ukrainian voices continues today and urged Gould students to read Ukrainian authors.

“The reason you don’t know any Ukrainian writers or their works is because they were murdered,” says Artur. “If you need help finding Ukrainian writers or their books, let me know, I can help you find them and make recommendations.”