Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine as Witnessed by Ukrainian and Polish Students

Abstract

The aim of this study is to explore the experiences of those who observe war from a distance and to gain insights into how war affects communities and societies at a distance from direct hostilities. We compare the reactions to the outbreak of war both behind (in Lviv—considered a safe city in an invaded country) and beyond (in Wrocław, Poland, which neighbors Ukraine) the frontline. These cities represent, accordingly, a post-Soviet state undergoing Westernization, and a state now belonging to the realm of liberal Western democracies. Our study is based on an empirical analysis of memoirs written by sociology students in Lviv and Wrocław during the first three months of the war in May 2022. We analyze the structure of witnessing the war, evaluate the resilience of social order in the face of war-induced threats, and highlight the similarities and differences discovered between Ukraine and Poland. The outcomes highlight fundamental ways of experiencing the war outside the hostilities. The differences between Ukrainian and Polish narratives can be interpreted in terms of how real the threat of war is but also in the wider historical and political context.