(ANS – Zhytomyr) – The bilingual book “My First Day of War”, published in Ukrainian and English, was officially launched In June 2026. It is neither a novel nor a historical essay but rather a collection of documentary accounts by pupils and teachers at the Vsesvit Salesian High School in Zhytomyr, who share their personal memories of 24 February 2022 – the day that changed the lives of every Ukrainian man and woman forever.
The project was conceived and coordinated by Natalia Nahalevska, an Italian teacher and deputy head of studies at the school. She encouraged the students to share their memories so that their experiences of the first days of the war would not be lost with the passing of time.
“I realised that, as time went on, many details and experiences linked to the first hours and days of the war would gradually fade from memory. That’s why I suggested to the pupils – obviously only those who wanted to – that they put their memories down on paper. Almost all of them wanted to take part. I still remember a little girl who, after finishing her story, took a deep breath and said: ‘Phew… I finally feel better’. At that moment, I realised that many children were carrying those experiences with them in silence, deep in their hearts, without ever having spoken of them before,” says Natalia Nahalevska.
This book brings together personal accounts from pupils and teachers, photographs, excerpts from correspondence, handwritten letters from the children and drawings. Each page not only traces the chronology of events but, above all, captures the various emotions – fear, uncertainty, hope, solidarity and faith – felt by the children during those first days of the war.
The project took almost a year to complete. Thanks to the joint efforts of pupils, teachers and benefactors, this publication has become not only a valuable record of the experiences of Ukrainian children, but also an important expression of the Salesian educational mission, which constantly accompanies young people and forms them in the spirit of faith, hope and love – even in a situation characterised by the great challenges posed by the war.
Source: Salesians, Zhytomyr
