Picturesque travel vlogs to barren war-time grocery hauls – young people are feeling the impact of Russia’s invasion. Specifically, three young Ukrainian women recently gained traction on their TikToks regarding the war. They shed light on their situation and the state of their home, providing first-hand coverage of what this invasion means for the Ukrainian people.
Valeria Shashenok
Valeria Shashenok, or valerisssh on TikTok, is a 20-year-old freelance photographer who was forced to live underground while Russian forces destroyed everything she once knew about her former life. Shashenok’s posts range from a “Typical Day in Ukraine” to how she and her mother celebrated International Women’s Day amid war. Though the smoky sky highlights demolished movie theatres and schools, Shahsenok makes hopeful and charming content.
“On TV, they show how people cry in Ukraine, that we are so poor, that everything is so awful,” Shashenok told The Cut. “I’m so scared that when I move to another country, if I say I’m Ukrainian, they’ll say, “Oh my God, Ukraine?” Like that’s a bad thing.”
Shashenok has about 1 million followers on TikTok and 36 million total likes. With this newfound popularity, CNN, NBC and Today stories feature her. On March 8, Shashenok took to TikTok to share her interview on CNN, writing in all capitalized letters “My face on the most popular TV show.”
“They need to know that Ukrainian people are the strongest,” Shashenok said when asked what her TikTok audience needs to know. “I wanted to show what really happened. How I see, in my style.”
Since speaking with The Cut, Shashenok has evacuated to Italy where she is staying with family. Her content still covers the Russian invasion.
Alina Volik
Alina Volik is most known for a TikTok posted on Feb. 26 where the 18-year-old lists items and happenings that signify living in Ukraine. Some of which include a to-go bag with money, first-aid materials and a lack of sleep induced by a constant fear of alarms. The TikTok amassed over 16.5 million views.
“I wanted to show the world what we feel and how our daily routine looks. The only entertainment I can do today is to go to the grocery store or the pharmacy,” Volik told The Face.
Volik fled to Spain, where she takes viewers with her throughout days in her new life. Just recently, Volik admitted that though she resides safely in Madrid, her experience in Ukraine has stayed with her and she will continue to raise awareness for herself and other Ukrainians.
According to Reuters, “In an email to Reuters, Volik said she wanted to combat misinformation in the Russian news that the country’s actions were a “military operation” rather than a war that is hurting Ukrainians.”
Kristina Korban
Kristina Korban, or moneykristina on TikTok, usually posts financial self-help videos, but when Russia began to invade her country, she switched to Ukraine-based content. Her videos vary from why she had difficulty leaving to how the air could be damaging to Ukrainian people. But such posts do not come without backlash. On March 23, Insider reported that Korban had “been accused of faking her videos about Russia’s invasion.”
“Some people would be like, “Oh this is fake. There’s no war or, you’re just taking footage from COVID,” or this and that,” Korban said. “And they’re expecting that if I’m not in the front lines, then I’m not in Ukraine. And that to me is already such a misinformed mindset.”
Korban, 32, told CNN that she fears what would happen if her account became banned. According to The Verge, her fear became somewhat of a reality. Some of Korban’s content, like videos where explosions could be heard, were considered graphic and removed but not before temporarily blocking Korban’s account.
“I believe there is a lot of chaos when people receive wrong information, so I do my best to be as honest and factual as I can with the knowledge that I possess and learn as we go through this day by day,” Korban wrote to The Verge. “I aim to provide at least a little bit of clarity for those that trust in me. I feel it is my duty.”