The Black Sea Whale No.1: Ideas & stories from Ukraine

See the unseen.

The Black Sea Whale is a new literary and cultural magazine expanding our knowledge and understanding of Ukraine by offering unique perspectives on current affairs, mixing personal experiences of the war with fantastic storytelling, all beautifully illustrated by local artists.

In her story “(In)Correct Ukrainians,” Marichka Melnyk reflects on life under Russian occupation, while Janusz Bugajski reveals the wider consequences of Russia’s war on global politics in “Mapping Russia’s Devolution.” Through the radioactive prism of Chornobyl, Mary Mycio provides insights and context about the impact Russia’s war on culture and the environment in “Zones of Alienation.”

Sergej Sumlenny reveals the origins of Berlin’s deep-seated infatuation with Moscow in “The Curious Case of a Delusional Codependency,” while Oleksii Dubrov contrasts divergent paths of development between the Baltic countries and Ukraine in “The Epistle of Baltic Hippies.” Viktoriia Antonenko offers an excursion through “The Museum of Soviet Values” and The Black Sea Whale launches a new series with “Deus ex Ucraina,” a glimpse into an alternative future set in 2049 in the UN Occupation Zone of Moscow.

Readers will hear echoes of their own experiences in the ideas and stories about Ukraine in The Black Sea Whale, your beacon in the sea of troubles.