Fiction and Docufiction Books about the Russo‑Ukrainian War
To understand the true weight of current events in Ukraine, one must look beyond the daily news cycle and the dry statistics of the front line. While headlines provide us with the "what" and the "where," it is contemporary literature that captures the "how it feels" and the "why it matters."
As a translator and a linguist, I believe that stories are the most powerful bridge between cultures. They allow us to step into the shoes of those living through history. The books I have selected below focus on the east of Ukraine (mostly the Donetsk region) and the events that were unfolding since 2014. These works, all originally written in Ukrainian and masterfully translated into English, offer an essential perspective on the resilience, moral complexity, and enduring spirit of a nation fighting for its future.
Setting: Donetsk region, 2015If you are looking for a visceral, atmosphere-heavy exploration of the "grey zone," this is the book to start with. Zhadan is a titan of modern Ukrainian literature, and The Orphanage is perhaps his most poignant work regarding the war's early years.
The Plot: Pasha, a teacher who has spent his life trying to remain "apolitical" and distant from the conflict, is forced to travel into occupied territory to rescue his nephew from an orphanage.
Why it’s essential: The book covers just two days, yet it feels like an epic journey through a landscape of moral and physical fog. It explores the impossibility of neutrality when the war literally knocks on your door. You witness Pasha’s transformation as he stops being a bystander and begins to see the world for what it truly is.
Note about the author: Serhiy Zhadan is is a Nobel Prize nominee and a dedicated volunteer who stayed in his home city of Kharkiv under constant shelling since 2022. His writing carries the weight of someone who lives the reality he describes.
Buy The Orphanage by Serhiy Zhadan on Amazon
Setting: Donetsk, 2014-2015While this is technically a work of fiction, it is deeply documentary in nature. Tamara Duda (writing as Tamara Horikha Zernya) spent years volunteering in the Anti-Terrorist Operation Zone, and she infused this novel with real conversations, real people, and real heartbreak.
The Plot: A young woman chooses to stay in Donetsk as the city falls under Russian occupation. Instead of fleeing, she becomes a vital part of the resistance, navigating a world where trust is the only currency that matters.
Why it’s essential: This is a story about the quiet, everyday courage of ordinary people. It’s about how kindness can survive in the most brutal environments. It’s fast-paced and incredibly revealing about how the occupation of 2014 felt from the inside.
Buy Daughter by Tamara Duda on Amazon
Setting: Donetsk region, 2014–2017For those who prefer a more psychological and raw perspective, Bad Roads is a collection of six plays that explore the darkest corners of human relationships during wartime.
The Content: Each play tells a different story—journalists, soldiers, civilians, and teenagers—all intersecting on the "bad roads". It focuses on how conflict breaks down social norms and forces people into extreme psychological states.
Why it’s essential: It is incredibly honest and often harrowing. It doesn't shy away from the complexities of human nature or the "ugly" side of survival. There is also an award-winning film based on this book, which I highly recommend if you want a visual companion to the text.
Buy Bad Roads by Natalya Vorozhbyt on Amazon
Why literature is the key to understanding
Reading these works allows us to move past the role of a distant observer and begin to empathize with the cultural context of a nation. These authors show us the human cost and the incredible strength required to endure the described events. This cultural awareness is the most important step for anyone truly interested in Ukrainian history and society.
