Microhistorical dimension of the modern Russian-Ukrainian war: individual experience of representatives of the Kharkiv diaspora.

Abstract

The aim of the article is to analyze the individual experience of diaspora representatives located in Kharkiv in the conditions of the full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war through the application of a microhistorical approach, in particular, in identifying identity transformations, solidarity practices, and survival strategies in a situation of existential threat.

The research methodology is based on the principles of oral history, a microhistorical approach and interdisciplinarity. The source basis is interviews recorded in 2025 within the framework of the project “Those Who Remained: Stories of Residents of the Kharkiv Region”, implemented by the Center for Urban History of Central and Eastern Europe. The methods of narrative analysis, comparison and contextualization of personal testimonies with a broader socio-cultural background were applied. Special attention is paid to the ethical aspects of recording and using oral history materials in conditions of ongoing war.

The scientific novelty lies in the introduction of new oral historical sources into scientific circulation and in the interpretation of the experience of the Iranian, Armenian, Azerbaijani and Bulgarian communities of Kharkiv through the prism of conscious choice.

The conclusions show that the war actualized the moral dimension of belonging: to stay meant to preserve dignity, responsibility and solidarity with the city. Volunteering, professional activity and creativity became at the same time forms of psychological adaptation and civic participation. In the analyzed interviews, Kharkiv is reflected as a space of multinational resilience, in which the common experience of danger consolidates different groups around the idea of ​​responsibility for the future of Ukraine. The study demonstrates that the preservation of ethno-cultural identity is combined with deep integration into Ukrainian society, which refutes Russian propaganda narratives about alleged discrimination of minorities.