Book Presentation: The Story of a Ukrainian Defender - Instytut Pileckiego

Join us for an evening of powerful storytelling and in-depth discussion on the realities of war with Lieutenant Yulia Mykytenko and the renowned journalist Lara Marlowe

Book Presentation: The Story of a Ukrainian Defender

Date: February 12, 2025
Time: 18:45
Language: English
Location: Pilecki-Institut Berlin (Pariser Platz 4A, 10117 Berlin)

Admission is free

Join us for an evening of powerful storytelling and in-depth discussion on the realities of war. The event will feature the presentation of Ein Glück, dass ich den Tod nicht fürchte: Leutnant Julija Mykytenkos Kampf für die Ukraine (How Good It Is I Have No Fear of Dying: Lieutenant Yulia Mykytenko’s Fight for Ukraine), written by acclaimed journalist Lara Marlowe.

Speakers

• Lara Marlowe – Renowned journalist and author
• Lieutenant Yulia Mykytenko – Commander of a drone reconnaissance unit on the Donetsk front (joining via video link)
• Moderator: Viktoriya Feshak (Vitsche)

Book Reviews: 

‘I can do the same job as a man’: Ukraine’s first frontline female commander on war, grief – and her hope for the future | Ukraine | The Guardian

Journalist Lara Marlowe discusses her book 'How Good It Is I Have No Fear Of Dying' : NPR

Book Blurb:

Bloomsbury presents How Good It Is I have No Fear of Dying: Lieutenant Yulia Mykytenko's Fight for Ukraine, written and read by Lara Marlowe.
The first time Lara Marlowe interviewed Lieutenant Yulia Mykytenko in Ukraine in 2023, Marlowe realized that the 28-year-old woman army officer was one of the most extraordinary people she had encountered in 42 years of journalism.

Mykytenko was born in Kyiv in July 1995. She co-founded the 'female squad' of the 16th regiment of the Self-Defence Force during the 2013/14 Euromaidan protests, which overthrew the corrupt, pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych. She married Illia Serbin, a soldier, in 2015 and joined the army to serve with him in Donbas the following year. Mykytenko briefly left the army after her husband was killed in a Russian bombardment, but re-enlisted on the first day of the full-scale Russian invasion of 24 February 2022. She commands a 25-man drone unit on the frontline in Donbas.

Drawing from a series of interviews with Mykytenko through the winter of 2023/24, Marlowe paints a searing portrait of life on the frontline and offers insights into Ukraine's past and possible future. How Good It Is I Have No Fear of Dying is a compelling story of a country at war and a fearless woman fighting for its survival.

This book offers deep insights into the resilience and courage of Ukrainian defenders. Through Lieutenant Yulia Mykytenko’s story, Lara Marlowe delivers a compelling account of life on the front line and Ukraine’s ongoing struggle for freedom.

This event is part of the Truth to Justice project and is organized by Vitsche, Tropen Verlag, and the Pilecki-Institut Berlin.

Spread the word—invite your friends, colleagues, and anyone interested in learning more about Ukraine’s fight for its future. We look forward to seeing you there!