In September 2022, a few days after the Russian forces retreated from the Ukrainian town of Izium, I was standing outside an apartment block that had been split apart by a missile. Its shattered presence symbolized not only loss but also the haunting memories associated with what was once a neighborhood, now characterized by its absence and destruction.
The idea that the spaces between the houses symbolized gaps in memory and that forgetting might be essential if people were to live together in peace encapsulated the future facing the Ukrainians I had met that day. War has left behind bitterness and enmity, fostering an atmosphere where suspicion and mistrust loom large over communal relationships.
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