Reporting Trip to Ukraine

Thanks for stopping by. My name is John Grinvalds, and I’m a journalist based in Nebraska.

I want to travel to Chernihiv, Ukraine to tell the stories of civilians living amidst war. Chernihiv, northeast of Kyiv, stands just 50 miles from the Belarussian border used by Russian soldiers to invade Ukraine in February. On the first day of the attack, as tanks and armored personnel carriers rolled toward Ukraine’s capital, volleys of bombs and shells fell on Chernihiv. The city lost its quiet nights for all of March.

Specifically, I want to tell the story of Pastor Alex and his congregation, whose members are starting to return to Chernihiv. This picture shows the ruins of the home of one of Pastor Alex’s friends, just a half-mile from his home. It is among the 3,700 buildings destroyed in the Chernihiv region and part of the 70% of the city that was devastated by Russian bombardment.

Pastor Alex was trapped in the city for weeks. He spent his days and nights with his family on the floor of their home, hoping shrapnel wouldn’t splinter through glass windows. He and his family made it out of Chernihiv and became refugees in western Ukraine for some time.

Now that Russian soldiers have withdrawn from northern Ukraine, Pastor Alex and his family are back, but their future is anything but certain. The video below is from Pastor Alex. It shows the devastation wrought by Russian bombs in Chernihiv, but it also shows the passion and dedication of aid workers in the city.

I graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln last spring with a degree in journalism and have worked as a local reporter since then. This semester, I conducted an independent study on the subject of war reporting with a professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, which had me reading dozens of books by war reporters and following developments in Ukraine closely. Through my job and work in the class, I came in contact with Pastor Alex. I want to write a series of articles on the congregation, the experience of the war in Chernihiv, and refugee resettlement across Poland and western Ukraine. I plan to travel to Poland and Ukraine starting on June 16.

I will spend a few days in Poland, getting to know aid workers and refugees. I want to write about their stories, and if possible, I want to volunteer with and work alongside the aid organization. I would then continue on to Ukraine.

What your money will go toward:

I’ve long wanted to pursue war reporting. Admittedly, I am inexperienced, but there really is only one way to get that experience.

I want to tell the stories of human displacement—with all the tragedy and hope that accompanies them. I hope you will consider helping me.