Youth in war: The Voice of Yeva Skalietska and Stories We Must Not Forget

 

“You don’t know what war is”—the diary starts with a strong punch. For generations, we have witnessed young and innocent lives disrupted and replaced by fear and survival due to war. Yeva Skalietska’s diary, You Don’t Know What War Is, offers a firsthand view of war through the eyes of a child. Written during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, her diary became a modern replacement for Anne Frank’s Diary of a Young Girl in some schools. 

 

“Yeva Skalietska, holding her diary You Don’t Know What War Is, surrounded by her classmates in a school library.”

 

HER DIARY

Yeva was only 12 when her world and all she knew took a turn. She lived in Kharkiv, a beautiful city that became one of the first targets of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Her diary captures raw emotions and daily struggles of hiding in basements, leaving friends behind, and the uncertainty of what would come next. Through her writing, she reminds us that war is not only numbers or headlines we see online, but a devastating reality that some people have to live through—even children. 

Yet, Yeva’s story is also one of hope and resilience. She and her granny, both of whom have great luck and positivity, find themselves in the right place at the right time. Meeting with courageous and caring people who offer support, they eventually evacuate safely to Ireland, where they find security and a new home. 

By sharing her story, Yeva has ensured that the people affected by the Russo-Ukrainian War are not ignored. Her diary stands as a powerful wake up call, shedding light on the impact of warfare on young lives. But while her voice has been heard and even published, countless other children remain unheard. As they are trapped in war zones, their stories are untold.

THE BIGGER ISSUE

Yeva’s diary, while it may seem like a little girl’s thoughts, reflects a bigger issue surrounding conflict in general. Wars steal children's innocence, happiness, safety, and belonging. Her diary shows this through the panic attacks she suffered, the loss of her home, and the sudden need to act more maturely and responsibly than most children around her age.

Panic attacks are the most common reaction among children in war. Yeva describes her first experience with overwhelming fear in a diary entry from February 24: “My hands were shaking, my teeth rattling. I felt squashed by fear, I realized that I was having my first panic attack” (Skalietska, 34). It is almost impossible to truly relate to the emotions and thoughts that were running through her mind at that moment. According to Save the Children, millions of children living in conflict zones around the world experience significant mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Wars brutally take children away from their homes and loved ones. This is a quote from her diary about her home, which she loved dearly: “I love the living room at mine and Granny Iryna’s flat—we have a lot of plants…and I also really enjoy taking nice warm baths in our huge tub” (Skalietska, 26). Additionally, she expresses her inner wound from the loss of her safe space: “It really hurts. I spent my childhood there. Attacking my home is the same as attacking a piece of me” (Skalietska, 82). The forceful destruction of a place you truly love and cherish can leave deep emotional impacts on people, especially children. According to studies by the World Health Organization (WHO), there are around 272 million international migrants displaced and it is proven that they often suffer from mental issues and symptoms such as… feelings of anxiety and sadness, hopelessness, difficulty sleeping, fatigue, irritability, anger and/or aches and pains.

"REPLACING" ANNE FRANK

Yeva’s diary has been praised by many for making the effects and reality of war feel more real and relatable to young readers, which led many educational programs to replace Anne Frank’s Diary of a Young Girl with Yeva’s You Don’t Know What War Is. While both books express the horrors of warfare, this decision has sparked debate.

Although Yeva’s diary is to the point and speaks with raw emotion, it is apparent that she is very privileged. Her family owns many luxuries, can afford quality education, and can buy plane tickets to evacuate the country. She could also gain recognition and fame through news reporters she had bumped into at the evacuation center out of pure luck. But what about those who are too poor to afford evacuation? What about those who were not lucky enough for their voices to be heard? Some argue that her situation was not as severe as Anne’s. Anne Frank was a Jewish girl during the holocaust hiding from the Nazis in a secret annex with her family. After two years of silently praying every day, they were caught and brought to a concentration camp. She sadly died due to typhus, a painful illness. The fact that states such as Virginia, Michigan, and Alabama had tried to ban her book due to “homosexual tendencies.” also speaks to a disturbing trend of censorship and hand-picked storytelling according to political agendas. Moreover, there is controversy in implementing Anne’s diary in the school curriculum due to the recent conflict in Palestine. However, it is also important to understand that just because Yeva’s experience was less brutal doesn’t mean it was any “less valid” or traumatic. How can we implement both valuable diaries in the education system?

 

TAKE ACTIONS INTO YOUR OWN HANDS

Debates aside, it is clear that Yeva and Anne both faced the ugly horrors of war that no child, nor anybody, should ever have to encounter. Although they lived in different times and were in different wars, the fear, pain, and loss experienced were the same. War destroys everything in its path—childhoods, families, and futures—no matter who you are or when you live.

As readers and far witnesses, it is not enough to feel sympathy. We need to act. It may sound cliché, but supporting organizations like UNICEF, Save the Children, and Doctors Without Borders can help provide basic and essential aid to children in war zones. Donating to refugee resettlement programs or helping fund children’s education can also make a big impact. Even small actions, like sharing these stories or speaking out for peace can lead to real change. Most importantly, we can not forget the stories of survivors. No matter how hard they are to listen to, they are a warning and reminder of the suffering behind the conflict. It is up to us to ensure that our future generations are writing about peace, not war. 

 

 

War may feel like a story far from us to those who live in safety, but for millions of children, it is an everyday reality. Yeva Skalietska’s diary is a powerful reminder that behind every war is a child forced to grow up too soon, a family torn apart, or a home destroyed into pieces. Anne Frank’s diary also teaches us that the horrible effects of war do not change based on the generation or location it took place. If we want to prevent future generations from writing war diaries, we have to take action—no matter how small. Whether through raising awareness, supporting humanitarian efforts, or advocating for peace, we all have a role. The question is, are you going to?

 

WORK CITED

 

Yeva Skalietska, You Don’t Know What War Is, Britain, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2022

UNHCR Ireland -. (n.d.). Book Reading Campaign | UNHCR Ireland. UNHCR Ireland. https://www.unhcr.org/ie/book-reading-campaign

World Health Organization: WHO. (2021, August 31). Mental health and forced displacement. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-and-forced-displacement

Uk, S. (2023, January 16). Two girls, two diaries, two wars. sls-uk.org. https://sls-uk.org/two-girls-two-diaries-two-wars/

Save the Children | 5 Ways that conflict Impacts Children’s Mental Health. (n.d.). Save the Children. https://www.savethechildren.org/us/what-we-do/protection/mental-health/ways-conflict-impacts-childrens-mental-health

UNHCR - The UN Refugee Agency. (n.d.). Global Trends | UNHCR. UNHCR. https://www.unhcr.org/global-trends

UNICEF Ukraine. UNICEF Ukraine, 2024, https://www.unicef.org/ukraine/en. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

Study.com. Why Was The Diary of Anne Frank Banned? Study.com, https://study.com/academy/lesson/why-was-the-diary-of-anne-frank-banned.html. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.