Not Easy, But We Move: Ksyusha Lohvinenko on Ukrainian Youth, Resilience & Hope

“The very worst circumstances give you the opportunity to discover the inner resources that help you to survive.” 

These are the words of Edith Eger — a psychologist who survived Auschwitz. 

And while this quote has traveled the world, today, I want to give it a Ukrainian meaning. 

Kharkiv — once known far beyond our borders as the student capital of Ukraine — has changed. 

A city once filled with late-night laughter, with busy dorm kitchens and wild student ideas, is now better known as Zalizobeton — steel and concrete. A fortress. 

The sound of jokes and campus chatter has been replaced by air alarms. 

All-nighters are no longer for exams — they’re for survival in shelters and,  sometimes, exams right after.  

But there is something that hasn’t changed. 

Something that didn’t break under pressure. 

The unity of our people. Especially — the youth. We may not be shoulder by shoulder physically together, but every Kharkiv person carries the weight of what it takes to be resilient, humble and attuned.  

I used to think solidarity was loud – like big protests or movements with banners. Kharkiv goes through it, of course, but there is a bit of a new flavor.  

You never know which “how are you?” check in would race your heartbeat and stay in the back of your brain till the the end of the day if someone isn’t replying. But there’s more to that. The shared power banks as a sign of empowerment, the cups of coffee drank in silence at 9 am every morning as an honor to those who have given their lives for ours. The donations no matter how small or big that follow up horrible news stories. Youth initiatives that gather together bright minds and brave hearts. 

We may be forced to be across the globe — 

but we carry the same energy. 

The same pulse. 

The same quiet refusal to give up. 

And maybe this is what it means to be young in Ukraine right now. 

Not just to grow up — but to hold each other up like steel and concrete no matter where you are at. This point brings us to Lviv – modern capital of youth.  

European Youth capital lit the fire of our souls. It was the time when our motto was born. The mantra we carry with us. 

Through the long nights towards bright skies.  

Through each relocation in search for inspiration. 

Through uncertainty that never fully leaves. 

Not easy, but move. 

In Lviv, youth-led energy is visible everywhere. But let’s be clear: this is not a competition. 

It’s not about which city holds the crown. 

Solidarity doesn’t need rankings. 

It needs recognition. And in Lviv, young people recognize what they’ve inherited — 

and what they still owe to those holding the line elsewhere. 

For many of us, coming abroad is a breath of fresh air.  But more than that – it’s been a mirror. It reminded us of what it takes not just to exist within a society, but to truly live in one. 

To feel safe enough to plan ahead. 

To speak freely and deeply. 

To reimagine who we are, outside of survival mode. 

So whether in Kharkiv, Lviv, or abroad— 

we’re not just surviving. 

We’re still learning. 

Still caring. 

Still showing up — for each other, and for the future we believe in.  

Not easy, but we move. 

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