What holds a society together when bombs fall? How do people preserve their dignity, their culture and their stories in the midst of destruction? This podcast shows a country that not only survives despite war but also reinvents itself in it.
In four episodes, Ira Peter, the former writer-in-residence of Odesa, talks to inspiring guests: survivors of National Socialist crimes, museum directors who protect works of art from missiles, young people who build bridges between Germany and Ukraine, and activists from the Roma community whose voices often go unheard.
The podcast sheds light on how Ukraine is dealing with old and new traumas, transforming museums into digital spaces and shaping a resilient civil society. Each episode introduces everyday heroes and visionary projects that illustrate why Ukraine is of central importance to Europe.
The episodes will be released monthly starting February 19 - on our YouTube channel, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and wherever podcasts are available.
“Ruins & Dreams” is part of our support for Ukraine. Finde out more on our topic page.
Idea and Project Lead: EVZ Foundation
Concept & Moderation: Ira Peter
Production: speak low, Berlin.
Portrait von Ira Peters
© Martin Keil / speak low
Blick in das Podcast-Studio.
© Lotta Storm / Stiftung EVZ
Since 2014, Ukrainian civil society has been incredibly important in the country’s defence against Russia’s war of aggression. Its courage, creativity and resilience serve as an inspiration for civil societies across Germany and Europe. What lessons can we learn from Ukraine and the diaspora? How do we raise awareness that the war already has a European dimension in a hybrid form? And what would it take to become more resilient in Europe? We want to explore these and other questions in the fifth episode of the podcast “Trümmer & Träume” [Ruins & Dreams] recorded live in Berlin.
The panelists:
Moderator: Ira Peter, Freelance Journalist and Podcaster
When? October 30th, 2025, doors open at 6 p.m.; start at 6:30 p.m.
Where? Publix, Hermannstraße 90, 12051 Berlin.
We ask you kindly to be on time - we reserve the right to stop admitting guests after the event has started.
Sinti and Roma – despite being Europe’s biggest minority group, they are often invisible. The same is true for their situation in the war against Ukraine. In this episode, Ukrainian Roma talk about intersectional discrimination, poverty and structural exclusion – and about how they are nevertheless actively engaging in civil society: remembrance, humanitarian aid, combat on the front line or in civil society reconstruction.
The protagonists of this episode are Laslo Djuri, a survivor of the National Socialist genocide of the Roma and initiator of humanitarian projects, ethnologist Janush Panchenko, women's rights activist Anzhelika Bielova, and Artur Ivanenko from the organization Kherson City Society of Young Roma. They are all fighting for visibility, recognition and equal rights. This episode is about discrimination in Ukraine and Germany, remembrance in times of an ongoing war, resilience and the question: How is participation possible despite exclusion?
More links of this episode:
Please note: 30:35 min. is about “Viber groups”, Viber is a messaging app.
Music: Kolpakov Duo – Vadim and Alexander (Sasha) Kolpakov Sr.; Vadim Kolpakov & Via Romen.
Download the transcript of the episode here.
Since the full-scale Russian attack on Ukraine in 2022, many youth organizations have changed their work completely - instead of for example educational work, they now focus on reconstruction, humanitarian aid, psycho-social support and civil society resistance. How does a youth organization work under such extraordinary circumstances? What motivates young people to carry on despite exhaustion and constant danger? And what do they need from us in Germany in order to continue their work?
This episode features representatives from Eco Misto, Build Ukraine Together (BUR), and European Youth of Ukraine and creates an impressive picture of courage, change and resilience, while inviting us to change our perspectives. It includes personal insights from Serhiy Bezborodko, Feliks Shepel, Oleksiy Lavrinenko - as well as the voice of Anastasiia Pykhtina, a young Ukrainian woman in Germany caught between war, exile and hope.
More links of this episode:
Download the transcript of the episode here.
The war in Ukraine is leaving behind not only ruins, but also deep emotional wounds. This episode shows how people deal with trauma, build resilience and find hope despite everything. It also poses the question - how can we help?
At the age of 85, Oleksandra Liaschenko is already experiencing the second war, which is shattering her life. How does she manage to deal with this burden - far away from her home in the Donetsk region? Historian and trauma expert Dr. Imke trains psychotherapists in Ukraine and talks about new ways of coping with trauma. So-called third places also offer hope: in two libraries, art and community projects offer protection and support for those who have lost everything.
More links of this episode:
Download the transcript of the episode here.
In its war of aggression, Russia is not only targeting Ukraine's infrastructure, but is also attacking churches, museums and historical sites. What is the strategy behind this? And what are the consequences for those who are committed to preserving culture – both locally and abroad?
In this episode of “Ruins & Dreams” extraordinary people speak from their perspectives – including Halina Bednarchyk, who is prepared to protect her local museum even at the risk of her life, and Mykola Kushnir, whose tireless commitment keeps the Jewish museum in Chernivtsi alive despite the most difficult circumstances. Experts from the fields of culture and science, including Milena Chorna from the Ukrainian Museum Association, researcher Dr. Alina Mozolevska and Dr. Jörg Morré from the Museum Berlin-Karlshorst, explain why culture plays such a central role in this war.
Further links from this podcast episode:
Khanenko Museum in Kyiv.
Download the transcript of the episode here.
Write to standwithukraine@stiftung-evz.de
