This Kultural Capsule feature looks at Ukraine’s first modern bid for independence in the years surrounding the First World War.

It outlines how the early declarations of statehood set the foundation for a national revival that continues to resonate today. It also reflects on the unification of Ukraine’s early republics and the symbolic moments that kept the idea of independence alive through decades of repression and diaspora memory.

The feature closes with a look at one of the defining early clashes of the period — a young group of defenders facing overwhelming force — a reminder of how deeply rooted Ukraine’s fight for freedom has always been, and why that history still matters.

This Kultural Capsule was recorded in 2011 and is still relevant today. It was rebroadcast on the January 24th 2026 Vancouver edition and January 28th Nanaimo edition along with some more recent related events, including some great Ukrainian tunes. Check it out on MixCloud!

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A review of Serhiy Zhadan’s A Harvest Truce, a tragicomic portrait of grief, resilience, and daily survival on Ukraine’s front lines, translated by Nina Murray and reviewed by Myra Junyk.

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This week’s Knyzka Corner looks at A Harvest Truce, Serhiy Zhadan’s tragicomic portrayal of everyday life in Eastern Ukraine during the ongoing conflict. Through the story of two brothers trying to bury their mother amid shelling, collapsed infrastructure, and strained community bonds, the play reveals both the harshness of daily survival and the quiet resilience that sustains ordinary Ukrainians living under Russian aggression since 2014.

Reviewer Myra Junyk highlights the mix of bleakness and dark humour that runs through the work, as well as its echoes of Beckett in the way characters navigate an uncertain, often absurd reality. She also notes the strong sense of community that persists despite fear, suspicion, and the constant threat of violence.

Published by the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute (HURI), a leading centre for scholarship and publishing in Ukrainian studies.

A Harvest Truce is available from Chapters/Indigo, Amazon, and directly from HURI.

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International correspondent Sergei Loiko reflects on his time inside the Donetsk airport during the height of the fighting — a rare vantage point that later shaped his novel Aeroport. This 2016 interview captures how the battle was understood before the English translation appeared and before the full‑scale invasion reshaped global awareness. A clear, unfiltered snapshot of the early phase of Russia’s war against Ukraine.

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In January 2016, international correspondent Sergei Loiko joined Nash Holos for a conversation shaped by his rare firsthand experience inside the Donetsk airport during the height of the fighting. Loiko was the only foreign journalist to spend several days embedded with the Ukrainian defenders known as the Cyborgs — access that later informed his novel Aeroport, published in Ukrainian and Russian in 2016.

This interview was recorded the day after his Ottawa presentation marking the release of those original editions. At the time, no English version existed; the translation would not appear until 2018, under the title Airport.

Re‑released now to provide historical context on the early phase of Russia’s war against Ukraine, the discussion offers a clear, unfiltered snapshot of how the battle was understood at the time — before the full‑scale invasion and before Loiko’s novel reached an international readership. His reflections on the soldiers, the siege, and the human cost of the conflict remain strikingly relevant.

Coming soon on Knyzhka Corner:

A review of the 2018 English translation of Airport.

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