In the chaos of a country under siege, journalist Ivan Volkovsky abandons the safety of his editorial desk to dive headfirst into the crucible of conflict. As Ukraine's Maidan revolution erupts into full-blown war with Russia, Volkovsky navigates checkpoints, separatist-held territories, and blood-soaked frontlines, determined to document the truth behind the headlines.

Through interconnected stories that blend dark humor with unflinching realism, we follow Volkovsky's perilous journey from the burning streets of Kyiv to occupied Crimea and the devastated cities of Eastern Ukraine. Along the way, he encounters an unforgettable cast of characters: a French cameraman held hostage by separatists, a Donetsk journalist whose wife works for the enemy, a former sommelier turned military intelligence operative, and a young combat medic who dreams of becoming both surgeon and sniper.

As Volkovsky risks everything for his stories—enduring imprisonment, injury, and heartbreak—he grapples with the moral complexities of war: when to intervene, when to remain an observer, and what it costs to do either. With each new assignment, he confronts the question of whether witnessing atrocity without stopping it makes him complicit or simply human.

Alternately tender and brutal, “Reporter Volkovsky” offers a deeply intimate portrait of modern warfare that captures the absurdity, tragedy, and unexpected beauty that emerge when ordinary lives collide with extraordinary circumstances.

If you enjoyed “The Cellist of Sarajevo,” “A Constellation of Vital Phenomena,” or “The Tiger's Wife,” you'll love “Reporter Volkovsky: The Reckless Adventures of a Journalist at War.”

Yuriy Lukanov

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