FilmEU is proud to launch a special podcast series created in collaboration with Sumy State University, Ukraine. Through a collection of conversations between students, educators, and researchers across the FilmEU Alliance, this series offers a powerful insight into life, learning, and resilience in a region living under the constant reality of war.

On 24 February 2026, Ukraine marked 4 years of resisting the russian full-scale invasion (while russian invasion in the east of Ukraine has been going on for 12 years now). The city of Sumy is situated 30 km from the northeastern border with russia. This means the city is under constant threat of shelling and is being bombed almost daily. Living, studying and working in the area is therefore a very different reality from the one in relatively safe Western Europe. It requires a whole different skillset of survival and emotional coping that the Ukrainians have developed. Even during our calls with our colleague from Sumy, we were interrupted several times and had to pause our conversation because of the explosions in the campus area. Sometimes throughout the podcasts you will hear air raid alerts being announced as we speak. This summer will be a graduation time for the bachelor's students who started their studies in 2021/2022. It means their whole student experience has been marked with war.

We strive to encourage support – both emotional and by action – and while we wish to do so by telling stories about human resilience, strength and courage, we truly state that Ukrainians are not cyborgs but people: hardworking, brave, yet vulnerable, whose endurance is fuelled by love and hope in their hearts.

Episode 1: Sumy/Dublin: Zakhar Iuvko - Interviewed by Regina Zagoni (IADT) 

This episode is a conversation between the Ukrainian student in Sumy and a FilmEU student in Dublin.

They discuss their experiences of learning, growing, coming of age, and facing the reality of the war that has put its unfading mark onto the young life. Zakhar Iuvko, media student and journalist, is interviewed by Regina Zagoni, film student at IADT.

Episode 2: Sumy/Sofia: Dr Alla Krasulia - interviewed by Hristina Yosifova (NATFA) 

In this episode Dr Alla Krasulia, Sumy University staff member and educator, is speaking of the reality of surviving and developing their study programs while being bombed by russia almost every single day for 4 years. The conversation is led by media student and musician Hristina Yosifova (NATFA).

Episode 3: Sumy/Aarhus  

This is a story of Anna Markhel, who started her studies in Sumy but decided to emigrate to Poland due to the war and continued her studies at Sumy State University online. In conversation with Anna is Oksana Babych, a Ukrainian student currently enrolled in an animation program at VIA College, Denmark.

Episode 4: Sumy/Lisbon  

This episode hosts Dr Olena Bondarenko, a philology teacher from Sumy State University, who shares stories about her work of education and resistance in Sumy during these four years under the russian invasion, and her support for her family members fighting for Ukraine in the Armed Forces. In conversation with her, Dr Anastasiya Maksymchuk, Ukrainian filmmaker and researcher working at Lusófona University, Portugal.

Click on the button to visit our FilmEU Podcast webpage.

Podcast webpage