The Bun man is 4 years old today. Wow, he has had quite a journey through life, even though he won’t remember it. And fortunately for him, he has had no trauma from the war. I love this little man more than I ever could have imagined. And I love being his dad. Happy birthday Bun. He is a proper oke, as Marta likes to say.

In Wroclaw we will find out tomorrow if the city will need to evacuate. Just two weeks ago I was at home in Kyiv and there were many nights of missile attacks and bomb shelters. And now, a flood over here in southern Poland … ?!

Yesterday we spent many hours going from store to store trying to buy bottled water. The shelves were generally empty. There is anxiety here and panic is in the air.

If Wroclaw does flood I don’t believe there were will be any mortal danger like in some other cities that have already been hit, but the local news is suggesting that the electricity may go out and the plumbing may stop if the city does get flooded in the next 24 hours.

Wroclaw is the prettiest city in Poland it reminds me of Prague. There are rivers and canals all over the place, and it is charming and gentle place. If raging river waters do cause chaos here then I wonder what else is going to happen in the world. Locusts … ?

“Boy was I surprised. Kyiv is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen. What has touched me the most since I have been here are you the people.

Life is going on. It is important for the world to see not just the front line which we see the horrendous pictures and we see the risks you are taking and the heroism by your soldiers, but to see the life behind the front line. To see how strong you are. To see the culture.”

We recently went live with a landing page for our Ukraine documentary film project. Please check it out.

www.weareukraine.movie

Ukraine deserves a better conversation in the world. It is enough of all those stupid stereotypes.

Kyiv has to be one of the best-kept secrets in the world. And to anyone who knows this place, there was the view that Ukraine’s capital was on track to be one of the hot spots of Europe in the next five years. The place was booming (even with all the problems Ukraine was facing, like corruption, old Soviet mentality, etc.). Creativity and entrepreneurship were on the rise, and you often would hear that Kyiv was the next Berlin.

Have a look at this : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOqMRs3aRY8&t=12s

This film is a love letter to Kyiv. It shows us what the world will miss out on if Kyiv ceases to exist. Kyiv, and the rest of Ukraine, is soulful. There is something magical here that is worth protecting. Worth nurturing. Worth investing in.

This week in Kyiv was not easy. The attacks have been intense. Monday’s strike by Russia on the capital was the biggest since the start of the full scale invasion. Please God this nightmare ends soon.

This Saturday was Independence Day in Ukraine and the mood in Kyiv was spirited. It was good for the soul. The city center was full of life, and for a moment in time all felt “normal”. But this morning there was a massive attack on Ukraine. Here in Kyiv I heard many explosions and now the electricity and the water are out. There are dead and wounded throughout the land.

On Saturday evening I was sitting at home feeling inspired by what I experienced that afternoon in the city. I wrote some text about it. And now, as I sit here this afternoon I feel sadness and despair. When will this nightmare ever end?! And what will happen this winter if Russia continues to attack more infrastructure. It could be a seriously hardcore Christmas here and many innocent people could suffer, and die. If the heating system does not work here this cold season then Europe could face the biggest humanitarian crises it has ever had to deal with.

Ukraine — A brave country celebrates its Independence Day

There are apps to tell us about air quality, traffic, electricity outages, and so much more. All of these are man made scenarios. And of all of these alerts that we can install on our phones the one that really raises the bar is the air raid siren app.

There is so much magic and beauty in the world, and also, so much greed and corruption. Why can’t all of us try stamp out the negative and embrace the good. I guess this will always remain as one of the curious questions of the civilized world (if we can even call it that). But rest assured, we have apps alerting us about all of these crazy things.

One of the most amazing cities in the world has to be Kyiv. A well kept secret for sure. Overflowing with creative spirit, eccentricity, energy, humour and so much beauty. A place that was just waiting to be discovered. A gift for travelers, for the curious, for the artists, for the techies, for the architects, the photographers, for the coffee lovers and foodies. For everyone. And yet, missiles rain down on this incredible city week after week, and other cities all over Ukraine. It is still all so hard to believe.

I was in Kyiv a few weeks ago and I just arrived back. It is always good to be here. At home. In the past two weeks the mood has lifted and Ukraine is back in the news headlines. God knows how this is going to play out but one thing is for sure, Ukrainians are brave, and smart. This move into the Russian city of Kursk has captured the world’s imagination. Slava Ukraini.

Today marks 900 days since the start of the full scale invasion of Russia into Ukraine. I remember that first day of the war like it was yesterday. Every detail. This nightmare is far from over.

The last few days there have been a lot of funny memes about Ukraine’s move into the Russian city of Kursk. From what I read in the news and the general vibe I get from friends and colleagues in Kyiv is that Ukraine’s morale has been boosted.

Make no mistake though, people are dying, and so many are suffering. The past month was the deadliest month so far for Ukrainian civilians, reports the UN. At least 219 civilians were killed and 1,018 injured in Ukraine in the past month.