“...Just To Wait for Victory”: The Story of the Resident Shestovytsia Village in Chernihiv Region on the Occupation

(record and publication by O. Boriak)

Abstract

The purpose is to present the story of a resident of the Shestovytsia village in the Chernihiv region about the realities of the occupation of the settlement by the Russian troops, and therefore justifying not only the expedience but also the urgent need for conducting in-depth interviews with those who witnessed the large-scale Russian invasion that began on February 24, 2022.

The method of a narrative (with in-depThelements) semi-structured interview was used to achieve the goal, where, in addition to the general topic, only a certain range of questions was outlined — while the course of the conversation remained free and open, with clearly expressed feelings and emotions of the respondent.

The scientific novelty consists in the introduction into the scientific circulation of new facts about the life activities of the village inhabitants during hostilities and occupation, their stability and endurance, the behavior of the occupiers, etc.

Conclusions. The free narration of the respondent, without the active intervention of the interviewer, allows to reveal the most important content-creating motives that construct his narration. Despite their subjectivity, they convey important historical facts. In the future, they can be properly verified by an array of other narratives.