This Is How It Was

ebook A Ukrainian Officer's 691 Days In Russian Prisons · Ukrainian Voices

By Vahur Laiapea

cover image of This Is How It Was

Sign up to save your library

With an OverDrive account, you can save your favorite libraries for at-a-glance information about availability. Find out more about OverDrive accounts.

   Not today

Find this title in Libby, the library reading app by OverDrive.

Download Libby on the App Store Download Libby on Google Play

Search for a digital library with this title

Title found at these libraries:

Library Name Distance
Loading...
Serhiy Kazimir, a Ukrainian officer, stood against Russia's aggression in 2022, only to be captured during a reconnaissance mission on March 11. Imprisoned for 691 days, he was liberated in a prisoner exchange on January 31, 2024. While some of his comrades remain captive, Serhiy's story of survival and resilience comes to light. Vahur Laiapea, an Estonian documentary filmmaker and prolific author, has ventured into Ukraine fifteen times since the war's onset, capturing the human side of conflict in his works, including Diaries from Ukraine (2025). His writing bridges the emotional divide, bringing the reader face-to-face with the war's impact on individuals. His narratives, steeped in pain, are not for the faint-hearted but are essential for those brave enough to engage with the truth. In spring 2024, Laiapea started documenting Serhiy's life post-captivity, and from those interviews, this book emerged. It is Serhiy's raw testimony of his ordeal. As these lines are being written, Serhiy is back on the front line, defending Ukraine near Pokrovsk in Donbas.
This Is How It Was