Networks of Solidarity and Care in Contemporary Ukrainian Refugees’ Autobiographical Narratives

Abstract This article examines the narrative construction of networks of solidarity and care at the basis of representations of the migration of Ukrainians triggered by Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. It focuses on two works of Ukrainian refugees who were twelve years old and fifteen years old, respectively, when they left Ukraine: Yeva Skalietska’s You Don’t Know What War Is (2022) and Sonya Zhurenko’s refugee experience included in the graphic novel The Power of Welcome (2023). The article proposes that these works’ use of Holocaust references for narrative construction as well as their genres, a diary and a graphic narrative using text and images, make them function as “network narratives” emphasizing how solidarity and care orchestrated by the refugees are acts of resistance and an important asset in developing a system of trust and protection. Furthermore, the juxtaposition of Sonya Zhurenko’s story of displacement from Ukraine with those of migrants of other races from Africa and Asia puts the Ukrainian refugee experience in perspective, highlighting the limitations brought to solidarity and care for migrants depending on their race and what continent or what part of Europe they come from. These refugee narratives capitalize on the importance to think and act collaboratively in order to change discriminatory policies and mindsets.