On the Minefield of Memory: Diaries, Essays, Stories

Memory is what holds us together. It can be strong like frontline coffee, but with time, memories fade, dissolving into daily routines. Yet, some things are etched too deeply to disappear: war. What has been experienced doesn't get erased or vanish. All you have to do is close your eyes, and memory, like an old film projector, brings back scenes you can't escape.

«We will always come back here, for the rest of our lives, to these trenches, to us young men with weapons. You'll see. You'll understand it later».

This book contains diary entries, essays, short stories, and some poems by Maksym «Dali» Kryvtsov, collected and organized by his friend and fellow soldier Valeriy Puzik. Maksym began recording his thoughts back in 2015 while serving with the 5th Battalion of the Ukrainian Volunteer Corps «Right Sector» and as part of the Rapid Reaction Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine.
Many entries were also made after his demobilization, where he reflected on photography, baking, travel, the children's camps where he was a counselor, and his work with veterans of the Russian-Ukrainian war. After the full-scale invasion began, «Dali»" rejoined the military, served as a machine gunner, and during this difficult period, he actively documented daily life, photographed his comrades, and wrote poetry.
«Dali» is no longer with us, but he lives on in our memory through these film photographs, poems, and diary entries.