Coolest Souvenir Ever
I recall purchasing a refrigerator magnet on my first trip to Ukraine in 2012 that said “Welcome to Ukraine, home of the not-smiling country,” with a stern Slavic grandma illustration. Well, a lot has changed since 2012, including the preponderance of smiles I see (yes, stoicism is typically followed by a smile, if you are […]
Americans in Ukraine
AMERICANS IN UKRAINE For whatever reason, during my annual visit to Ukraine in 2025 I felt I met more Americans than ever before working and living in Ukraine. Perhaps it was the election of our current ruzzian friendly president, or maybe it was pure coincidence, but my curiosity got the best of me on more […]
The Kyiv Independent Puts Current U.S. Journalism to Shame
I finally met some of my greatest professional heroes—the journalists of the Kyiv Independent. If you are not familiar with the Kyiv Independent, you should be. These courageous reporters broke away from a rival news organization after many resigned in protest over an oligarch owner’s interference in editorial decisions. Determined to build a genuinely independent […]
Synagogue in Kyiv Hit by ruzzian Drone
A ruzzian drone hit last night (Oct. 24, 2025) in Kyiv, a synagogue in Podil. It was just two blocks from my apartment, where I stayed in July/August. I walked past it every other day during my runs along the Dnipro River. I don’t know why it makes war feel more tangible when something or […]
Linda Yaccarino Resigns X as I Cower in My Bathroom in Kyiv, Ukraine
How fitting that on the day Linda Yaccarino resigns as CEO from Twitter/X and expresses gratitude to Elon Musk “for entrusting me with the responsibility of protecting free speech…” I am cowering in my apartment’s bathroom in Kyiv, Ukraine, at 3 AM because Ruzzia is bombing us again and terrorizing Ukrainian citizens for over three […]
Amyl and the Sniffers Show – Smells Like Punk Rock To Me
It’s cliche, albeit inaccurate, to say “punk music is dead.” In the past, to counter this false narrative, I’d point to bands like Rancid or musicians like Laura Jane Grace from Against Me. But then I’d just be proving their point. Rancid’s seminal “And Out Come the Wolves” album exploded onto the scene in 1995, […]
My Apartment Building in Kyiv is Bombed
Yesterday, the neighborhood and the apartment building (and possibly the very exact apartment – I’m still investigating) in Kyiv I stayed for a month during the filming of “My Summer in Ukraine,” was hit by a Shahid drone from ruzzia, injuring 11 and damaging the mall across the street at the very entrance I used. […]
Robert Featured on Two-Dots Video Podcast
It was a tremendous honor to be featured on the video podcast “Two Dots” (a reference to the letter of resistance in the Ukrainian alphabet – and on my shirt during the interview). Here is the complete video if you’d like to watch it. Please support Hanna by liking, commenting, and subscribing.
Raw Travel’s “My Summer in Ukraine” Film is Streaming Now.
Raw Travel’s “My Summer in Ukraine” documentary film premiered to a standing-room-only crowd in New York City last month, a scant one week after the election. I was amazed and grateful at the response of the crowd, especially Ukrainians, who were visibly moved, some to tears. Rather than trot the film out to film festivals […]
Helping the Flooded Communities of Kherson, Ukraine
Driving from Kyiv to the Southern parts of Ukraine, I can see that farmland is everywhere and that Ukraine is the world’s breadbasket. Wheat is ripening. Fruit is in season. Farms, as far as their eyes can see, make the flooding brought on by the Russian destruction of the Kakhovka dam so unspeakably harmful. Yesterday […]
Return to Przmesyl, Poland
Day two of my trip, I was so tired that I spent 15 minutes thinking I was locked IN my apartment share because I was pushing a pull door. I was JUST about to call the apartment owner when I figured it out. Thank goodness. The language barrier is terrible enough without her thinking I’m […]
Raw Travel Visits Ukraine in Wartime
Crossing the border from Przemsyl, Poland into Ukraine during wartime was surreal, sad, inspiring, and infuriating. Slava Ukraine!