At the beginning of September, writer and journalist Anastasia Fedchenko came to Khmelnytskyi with a presentation of her book “They Won”. The author worked on it throughout 2021 and included the stories of 11 winners. The heroes and heroines of this book suffered various losses during the war (the period of Anti-Terrorist Operation and Joint Forces Operation): someone lost an arm or a leg, both legs or both arms, an eye, teeth, or even half a skull. Others lost peace, the ability to sleep soundly, and sometimes the meaning of life. All this was described by the author in her publication in order for Ukrainians to understand better those who protect us on the front line, and to understand that they should not be pitied in any way, but we must not forget about them and we are to adapt the environment for their comfortable living with us.

“This book is not only for people who saw the war in its face, it is for each of us (and about each of us).” After all, any of our wounds and losses – visible or invisible – can become an anchor, or can be a springboard to something completely new,” says the annotation to the book “They Won”.

It’s a good book that will help you understand a little more about the combatants and that many people are going through such grief and events that we thought, at least I thought, that it would never apply to me. I will work as a journalist and that’s it. I never thought that I would write the stories of those who are there. I don’t know who will die in the war after some time, or that I will talk to someone who lost an eye in the war. And it is unlikely that Sakura, for example, thought that one day he could lose an eye in the war. Therefore, in order to better understand the participants in hostilities and, in principle, not only them, but also those, for example, civilians who also lost their legs, arms, lost their health, received various injuries, it helps to understand. Moreover, it is a really difficult book. It is not simple, but it gives hope. It is about what a person really is.

During the presentation of her book, Anastasia Fedchenko said that she often thinks about whether she is doing enough during a full-scale invasion. She also thought about joining the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but considers herself indecisive. That is why the author decided to make her contribution by doing what she does best – writing. She wrote her book while simultaneously working on several other jobs.

Anastasia is not yet working on the second book, because working on it and having three jobs is extremely difficult. However, she will think about starting work on a new book.