Amplifying the Voices of Ukrainian Mothers Amid War

To mother in a war is to carry life amid forces determined to end it.

This exhibit depicts the lived experiences of Ukrainian mothers navigating the destruction of the Ukraine-Russia war while nurturing children, exploring the intersection of motherhood, war, and resilience. It features four women: a mother of a child with cerebral palsy (Testimony 758), a widow raising two children (Testimony 336), a single mother giving birth to her fifth child under shelling (Testimony 1037), and a mother caring for a newborn during occupation (Testimony 577). These testimonials share a common desire to care for and protect in crisis. However, they diverge in how trauma is processed, showing maternal experiences shaped by loss, displacement, and a duty to survive for not themselves alone, but for those who depend on them.

These testimonies are not passive reflections. Rather, they serve as windows into the larger themes of trauma, identity, and survival. In conflict, motherhood becomes both a burden and battleground. How can a mother soothe a frightened child while fearing for her own life? How can one maintain self when providing for another demands complete sacrifice?

Once a place of safety and identity, the home is violently transformed by war. Bedrooms turn into shelters. Kitchens become hiding places. Homes are no longer places of comfort, but reminders of loss. Displacement is not only physical but a disruption of identity. These women, living in exile or under occupation, struggle to adapt to both new environments and new selves. Their shifting identities make these testimonies powerful records of how conflict reforms personhood.

How we perceive these stories is largely dependent on memory and translation. The exhibit relies upon translated testimonies, stories that are influenced by both spoken and unspoken words. Idioms of mourning, cultural nuances, and emotional resonance may be lost or reshaped during translation, a process that is not just linguistic but also interpretive. As we transition between testimonies, it's critical to remain mindful of what could be changed, diluted, or even erased. This understanding encourages a more sensitive engagement with the human experiences each story holds, while also pointing to how easily historical memory can be changed or reconstructed through language.

These accounts go beyond surviving war. They reveal the silent strength of those who continue to provide and protect, even amid the most violent and unpredictable circumstances. Motherhood in conflict transcends caregiving; it is identity forged in fire, and love redefined by loss.

Testimonies

Testimony 758

This testimony is centered on a mother raising a child with cerebral palsy amid war and displacement, a perspective too often overlooked. Her account illustrates the increased difficulties of nurturing a child with disabilities under unsafe and unpredictable environments, where routine, mobility, and access to healthcare are all compromised. This voice strengthens the exhibit's examination of the intersections of trauma, caregiving, and resilience in situations that are particularly demanding.

Testimony 336

A widowed mother narrates navigating war with her two children, refusing to flee despite imminent danger. Her account highlights the emotional toll of providing care during a crisis, interlacing grief, shock, emotional exhaustion, and unyielding maternal resolve. It demonstrates how war reshapes domestic roles and disrupts domestic life but also how motherhood, in the face of overwhelming loss, becomes an anchor, a role she clings to as both a duty and defiance in the face of overwhelming loss.

Testimony 1037

A pregnant mother of four recounts giving birth under bombardment and fleeing with her children. She provides a visceral and emotionally complex testimony that captures the emotional dissonance between the desire to give up and the drive to protect, revealing the physical toll of surviving and the loneliness of mothering alone.

Testimony 557

This account, coming from inside the occupation, illustrates the increased paralysis and dread that comes with bringing a baby up in an active war zone. Her story highlights the psychological costs associated with immobilization, feeling frightened while unable to leave. This mother's story highlights the instinct to protect despite complete vulnerability, showing how motherhood can be both a strength and a weakness in times of conflict.