This exhibit explores the intersection of youth, gender, displacement, and resilience through the stories of four Ukrainian women whose lives were shaped by the Russian invasion. Their testimonies, collected by the Narratives of War Project, reveal the emotional, social, and psychological costs of war, especially for young women navigating crisis in roles of caretaking, survival, and resistance.

Some of these women were displaced, while others remained in communities under threat. Despite differences in age, geography, and circumstance, all four testimonies share an emotional core: fear, endurance, and hope. They show us that wartime decisions are never simple. Staying behind or fleeing abroad are choices made under pressure, and both carry long-lasting emotional burdens.

Two of the women featured here (IDs 1480 and 75) were forced to leave their homes. One fled with her family to Armenia. The other left to protect a toddler nephew and now works abroad to support her loved ones. Both describe alienation in foreign countries and a longing to return. The other two testimonies (IDs 832 and 543) offer insight into the quiet strength of those who stayed. Their words speak to emotional restraint, national loyalty, and the day-to-day resilience required to survive under constant uncertainty.

Rather than portraying these women as passive victims of war, this exhibit highlights their agency and emotional intelligence. They emerge as protectors, decision-makers, and storytellers, shaping the historical record in their own voices. Their words connect to course themes such as trauma, identity, displacement, and memory. Through this exhibit, we see how everyday people become symbols of endurance. And how hope, in itself, can be a form of resistance.