The Emotional and Psychological Registers of War

This chapter is a conversation with Natalka Ilchyshyn conducted by Bohdan Shumylovych and Magdalena Zolkos. It raises the issue of mutism (‘internal silence’) that many Ukrainians reported at the beginning of the war, as Ilchyshyn argues that any form of journaling self-reflections in response to war trauma can help survive the uncertainty and upheaval caused by the invasion across the social fabric. The strong emotions recorded in the diaries suggest that abnormal political and social circumstances leave imprints on individual psyches. An important part of Ilchyshyn's argument is that it is not the reality or experience itself that brings about trauma, but rather the individual's own socio-psychological reaction to wartime reality. This also touches on diverse affective dimensions that experience, including guilt, shame, responsibility, and emotional instability. The chapter concludes with a set of reflections about the impact of war on people who, like the contributors to Diaries of War and Life, are at some distance from the battlefields and yet remain profoundly affected by it. Ilchyshyn surmises that when the war is over, those currently in proximity to the battlefield and those who are somewhat removed from it will face the challenge of (re)learning how to live together.