Warriors of light: stories of Ukrainian energy workers and their heroic work in wartime

The new collection of stories at the Museum of Civilian Voices of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation's is dedicated to the true heroes of our time — Ukrainian energy workers. Despite the risks and mortal dangers, they continue to work tirelessly in wartime conditions, providing the country with light and heat.

In the darkest hours of our history, when the enemy tries to destroy infrastructure and leave millions of Ukrainians in darkness and despair, these people become warriors of light, restoring and maintaining Ukraine's energy system, impressing the entire world with their courage and bravery.

The collection of stories from Ukrainian energy workers narrates, in their own words, about working in superhuman conditions, self-sacrifice, and indomitable spirit. The energy workers of Ukraine inspire every Ukrainian to help one another, keep the flame of hope alive, and relentlessly move toward the light through any darkness.

It is very difficult to understand that you could have died five minutes ago
05.06.2024
Dmytro
"It is very difficult to understand that you could have died five minutes ago"
“We have personnel who stay on the surface, and this is really heroic work”
05.06.2024
Andrew
“We have personnel who stay on the surface, and this is really heroic work”
“After the russian shelling, you go out and look. It’s just a shock”
05.06.2024
Eugene
“After the russian shelling, you go out and look. It’s just a shock”
“Equipment can be restored, but human life cannot. That is why the safety of our employees comes first”
12.06.2024
Vyacheslav
“Equipment can be restored, but human life cannot. That is why the safety of our employees comes first”
My duty is to make my people like a second family for everyone
05.06.2024
Oleksandr
"My duty is to make my people like a second family for everyone"
“You never know where a missile will hit. But we are working
05.06.2024
Lesya
“You never know where a missile will hit. But we are working"
Black smoke was over the city, everything was on fire
05.06.2024
Yuri
"Black smoke was over the city, everything was on fire"
«When it hit here, it felt like the war was closer than we thought»
05.06.2024
Myroslav
«When it hit here, it felt like the war was closer than we thought»
“We replaced ordinary work helmets with armored helmets”
12.06.2024
Olena
“We replaced ordinary work helmets with armored helmets”
The station is the heart of our city
12.06.2024
Yulia
"The station is the heart of our city"
“When you come to work, you are constantly on standby, anxiety always stays”
12.06.2024
Victoria
“When you come to work, you are constantly on standby, anxiety always stays”
“No windows, no doors, equipment destroyed”
05.06.2024
Iryna
“No windows, no doors, equipment destroyed”
It is a great destructive force that does a lot of damage. It destroys columns
05.06.2024
Oleg
"It is a great destructive force that does a lot of damage. It destroys columns"
Electricity for the country is like human blood, without which it is impossible to live
05.06.2024
Sergey
"Electricity for the country is like human blood, without which it is impossible to live"
“When I saw the scale of the destruction, I gave up”
05.06.2024
Svetlana
“When I saw the scale of the destruction, I gave up”
 I am holding the energy front
12.06.2024
Serhii
"I am holding the energy front"
«I had Armageddon in front of my eyes»
05.06.2024
Eugenia
«I had Armageddon in front of my eyes»
 The shell landed in a place where many of my colleagues walk and its a real miracle that there was no one there at that moment
12.06.2024
Sofia
"The shell landed in a place where many of my colleagues walk and it's a real miracle that there was no one there at that moment"
“As a power engineer, I feel needed here, so I will not leave the station”
12.06.2024
Tetyana
“As a power engineer, I feel needed here, so I will not leave the station”
I slept for 40 minutes on the floor in my office - we helped evacuate our colleagues from other regions
05.06.2024
Svetlana
"I slept for 40 minutes on the floor in my office - we helped evacuate our colleagues from other regions"
“The picture is terrible: I came to my workplace and it was actually non-existent”
05.06.2024
Igor
“The picture is terrible: I came to my workplace and it was actually non-existent”
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