By Kontur and AFP | 2024-11-22

KYIV -- At a rave in a former silk factory in Kyiv, Bogdana Lukyanchuk was out partying for the first time since her father was killed fighting Russian forces in eastern Ukraine.

The party raised funds for the 3rd Assault Brigade, which has gained countrywide name recognition thanks to its military feats and marketing.

"I knew it was a charity event with people that I respected, so I could come and let my emotions run wild for just a day," Lukyanchuk said, showing a photo of her dad with a broken heart emoji on her phone screensaver.

"There is still life in Ukraine. Life pulsates. Blood pulsates," the 23-year-old said, shouting over the loud bass.

The Saturday night rave featured a combat drone simulator and merchandise from the 3rd Assault Brigade.

The mix of party and military reflected the split reality of young Ukrainians, whose attempts to enjoy life are constantly marked by grief, air raid alerts and strikes.

It showed the efforts being made to galvanize youth exhausted by the war as the Russian invasion nears the three-year mark.

'Gently involve young people'

About 80% of Ukrainians have a close relative or friend who has been wounded by Russian forces, according to the Kyiv Institute of Sociology.

To process the violence against their country, some young Ukrainians find a sense of purpose and camaraderie in nationalist military organizations.

Lukyanchuk came to the rave with friends she met at workshops teaching civilians to handle rifles and use tourniquets, life-saving devices to staunch massive bleeding.

"There are conscious people here," she said.

She worried that others were forgetting the war.

The patriotic fervor of the beginning of the war has subsided.

Stepping into the breach, the 3rd Assault Brigade has distinguished itself with its Instagrammable branding.

A neon orange logo in support of the brigade lit up the drone simulation room, which looked like a gamer's den filled with teenagers slouched on a couch.

Some watched the drone flight simulator on a large computer screen.

The blend of genres serves a purpose, said rave organizer Viktor Mazur.

"We gently involve young people. We don't do it harshly with heavy propaganda but rather through entertainment, and that way we develop their loyalty," the 29-year-old said.

Sofia Tabatska was surprised how quickly she worked out how to fly the drone under the guidance of an instructor.

"It's like playing a computer game, like Grand Theft Auto," said the 24-year-old.

"It would be nice if I could use it in some way in the future," Tabatska said.

But she ruled out joining the army any time soon, describing herself as a pacifist.

'Children of the war'

Some militarization of Ukrainian society was inevitable following the Russian invasion, said Marianna Tkalych, a psychologist.

But the effect may not be lasting and the real test will come when the war ends and Ukraine's political process, frozen by martial law, resumes, she added.

The popularity of patriotic and militaristic organizations after the war, she said, will hinge on Ukraine's capacity to deal with a traumatized generation.

"There will be some young people who have not found their purpose in any other sphere and who haven't experienced normal life," said Tkalych, who also heads the research platform Rating Lab.

"The generation growing up right now are children of the war."

Fourteen-year-old Yury was just a toddler when Russian-backed forces launched a first armed aggression in eastern Ukraine in 2014.

He can hardly remember a life outside the conflict that escalated in 2022.

The teenager says he plans to enlist if the war is still ongoing when he turns 18.

He said he thought his family would support his plans.

"My mum knows. I hope it will be okay."