Democracy and Society in a Long War of Attrition

Ukrainian poet and soldier Yaryna Chornohuz discusses how prolonged war has shaped Ukrainian society, democracy, and civic life.

Democracy and Society in a Long War of Attrition: What the Western World Should Learn from Ukrainian Experience Please join the Fletcher Russia and Eurasia Program: https://sites.tufts.edu/fletcherrussia/ for a presentation by Yaryna Chornohuz -- Ukrainian poet and senior corporal in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Drawing on her experience as a soldier and medic in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Chornohuz will discuss how the ongoing war has shaped Ukrainian society and democracy. What are the key challenges that the prolonged war poses for Ukrainian society and the Ukrainian state? How has Ukrainian society sought to sustain resilience and democratic life during wartime? What should the Western world learn from Ukraine’s wartime experience? The discussion will also consider the relationship between war, poetry, and civic engagement, and will conclude with a poetry reading by Chornohuz. This fireside chat will be moderated by Dr. Oxana Shevel: https://as.tufts.edu/politicalscience/people/faculty/oxana-shevel, a professor of comparative politics in Tufts University’s Department of Political Science who works on Ukraine.

Yaryna Chornohuz is the author of three collections of poetry, as well as a senior corporal in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. She enlisted in the Ukrainian military in 2019 and served as a soldier and medic in the 140th Marine Reconnaissance Battalion. She was awarded a Medal for Lifesaving in 2022. She is a winner of the Shevchenko Prize for poetry (2024). She has been included in Focus magazine’s list of 100 most influential women in Ukraine. She has traveled to the US to testify before Congress on the need for funding Ukraine’s military defense. She has been profiled in the New Yorker and the New York Times for her poetry, activism, and military service. Before joining the Armed Forces, Chornohuz studied philology at the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.

Tea, coffee, and cookies will be served. This in-person event is open to the public. Please register via the Google Form here: https://forms.gle/7curUc5KcboGzohe9. Date: Friday, October 16, 2026 Time: 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM ET Location: Cabot 702, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy Address: 160 Packard Ave, Medford, MA 02155