A Loss: The Story of a Dead Soldier Told by His Sister

When this book was written, it was the story of one death among many in the war in Eastern Ukraine. After February 24, 2022, it took on a new dimension - now it is not so much a personal story, but the story of a country under the most severe attacks. The premonitions about Putin’s intentions, which moved the author’s brother to fight as a soldier of the Ukrainian armed forces in the Donbas and defend his country, have now come to pass in the most horrific way. Olesya Khromeychuk tells the story of her brother Volodymyr Pavliv, who was killed on the front line in 2017, taking the point of view of a civilian and a woman - perspectives that tend to be neglected in war accounts - and focusing on the stories that take place far away from the war zone. Through a combination of personal memoir and essay, Olesya Khromeychuk brings her readers closer to the events of this now even more brutal war in the heart of Europe and to the private experience of war itself. This book speaks to anyone struggling with grief and the shock of the sudden loss of a loved one.

This new edition was updated after Russia attacked Ukraine in February 2022 by Monoray with new chapters and a new Foreword by Phillippe Sands.

Dr Olesya Khromeychuk is a historian and writer. She received her PhD in History from University College London. She has taught the history of East-Central Europe at the University of Cambridge, University College London, the University of East Anglia, and King’s College London. She is author of ’Undetermined’ Ukrainians. Post-War Narratives of the Waffen SS ’Galicia’ Division.