I'm Turning Into... Occupation Diary. Selected Poems

Ukrainian writer Volodymyr Vakulenko-K. kept a diary during the Russian occupation of Izyum and his native village of Kapitolivka in Kharkiv Oblast. In this diary, he described how people lived under occupation, how they changed under its influence, and his own struggle for survival.

Vakulenko-K. was an active volunteer and patriot of Ukraine, so he was particularly vulnerable to the occupiers. He was kidnapped by the Russians and, as he said, he realized that he had little chance of surviving. Unfortunately, Vladimir's suspicions came true. His body was found in a mass grave after the Ukrainian forces liberated the village of Kapitolivka. However, the day before he was kidnapped, he managed to hide his diary under a cherry tree in his yard so that his father could give it to the Ukrainian authorities.

In his diary, Vakulenko-K. describes how the occupation destroys people's lives. He writes about hunger, cold, fear, and violence, which were an integral part of life under occupation. He also writes about how the occupation changes people, turning them into greedy, evil, and ruthless people.
However, the diary also has moments of hope. Vladimir writes about how people find ways to survive and support each other in this terrible situation. He also writes about his belief that Ukraine will win this war.

This book, which contains the diary, is an important document that tells about the reality of the Russian occupation of Ukrainian territories. It is a reminder that war is not just a military confrontation, but also a struggle for human values.