(ANS – Zhytomyr) – The bilingual book My First Day of War, published in Ukrainian and English, was officially launched in June 2026. It is neither a novel nor a historical essay, but rather a collection of firsthand accounts by students and teachers from Vsesvit Salesian High School in Zhytomyr, who share their personal memories of February 24, 2022—the day that forever changed the lives of Ukrainians.

The project was conceived and coordinated by Natalia Nahalevska, an Italian language teacher and deputy head of studies at the school. She encouraged students to record their memories so that their experiences from the first days of the war would not be lost over time.

“I realized that, as time passed, many of the details and experiences connected with the first hours and days of the war would gradually fade from memory. That’s why I suggested to the students—of course, only those who wanted to—that they put their memories down on paper. Almost all of them wanted to participate. I still remember a little girl who, after finishing her story, took a deep breath and said, ‘Phew… I finally feel better.’ At that moment, I realized that many children had been carrying those experiences silently in their hearts without ever speaking about them before,” said Natalia Nahalevska.

The book brings together personal testimonies from students and teachers, photographs, excerpts from correspondence, handwritten letters from the children, and drawings. Each page not only documents the sequence of events but also captures the emotions experienced during those first days of the war—fear, uncertainty, hope, solidarity, and faith.

The project took nearly a year to complete. Thanks to the combined efforts of students, teachers, and benefactors, the publication has become not only a valuable record of the experiences of Ukrainian children, but also a meaningful expression of the Salesian educational mission, which continues to accompany young people and form them in a spirit of faith, hope, and love—even amid the tremendous challenges of war.

Source: Salesians, Zhytomyr