Kurama (Japan). The poems about events in Izium (war in Ukraine 2022)

 

On this video: Ukraine war: Accounts of russian torture emerge in liberated areas — BBC News.

 

 

Kurama
(Japan)

POETS REVEALING

This broken city is just beginning.

To tell its stories.

And reveal how many victims.

‘Orcs’ left behind.

The occupiers had a menu of abuses.

For those held in the dank basement cells.

Of a makeshift ‘orcs’ prison in Izyum.

There was more than one type of torture.

He experienced most of them.

The pensioner recounts the abuses he suffered:

Electrocution, beatings, broken bones.

And needles inserted beneath the skin.

Sitting in a ward in the city's main hospital.

Which was badly damaged by shelling.

His left arm is bandaged and in a sling.

He is weary, but his voice is unwavering.

“They beat me everywhere.

They broke my arm.

One ‘orc’ was holding it.

And another one beat it with a pipe.”

“They beat me to the point.

Where I didn't feel anything.”

“They used an electric current.

On my fingertips - how they burned.”

Then there were the needles.

Pushed into his back.

“They were long and they put them.

Under my skin.”

“Here and here.”

Gesturing to his shoulders.

“I was taken from there half-dead.

When our forces liberated this place.”

That was on 11 September.

When ‘elves’ forces swept into the city.

Ending more than five months of ‘orcs’ rule.

"They tortured me for 12 days.”

During the occupation ‘orcs’ used the city.

As a launchpad for attacks.

In the eastern Donbas region.

And as a key logistics base.

He was detained along with others.

Who ‘orcs’ suspected of sabotage.

The prisoners were hooded.

Sharing the cramped conditions and the abuse.

“Sometimes they took someone.

From their cells.

Two or even three times.

In a day.”

“All of those held.

With me were tortured.”

“I saw someone being carried out.

I think he was dead.”

During his time in the cells.

“Of course. I had to pray.

Anyone would be praying there.”

He wears a cross around his neck.

This broken city is just beginning.

To tell its stories.

And reveal how many victims.

‘Orcs’ left behind.

The torture took place.

In the police station in Izyum.

Like much of Izyum it was shelled.

By ‘orcs’ before they took the city.

In disarray.

With some doors missing.

And windows blown out.

Darkness closes in two lower floors of cells.

Most of the cells.

Are small and bare.

Apart from grimy bedding.

And some discarded clothing.

In one cell.

Someone has etched.

Lines on the wall.

Recording the length of their captivity.

An ‘elves’’ soldier says.

"It seems like.

All these walls are.

Full of pain and suffering.”

This broken city is just beginning.

To tell its stories.

And reveal how many victims.

‘Orcs’ left behind.

“They attach electrodes.

And connect a current.

And you begin to shake.”

“I was falling from the chair.”

“The pain was too strong.

It was pitch black. 

They tortured us.

In complete darkness.”

“They had head lamps.

I asked my cellmates.

How long I had been absent.

And they told me 40 minutes.”

“I think that you black out.

After 15 to 20 minutes.”

This man was held in the same cells.

In the prison abandoned by ‘orcs’ in Izyum.

This broken city is just beginning.

To tell its stories.

And reveal how many victims.

‘Orcs’ left behind.

 

 

 

 

Kurama
(Japan)

POETS COMBING

This broken city is just beginning.

To tell its stories.

And reveal how many victims.

‘Orcs’ left behind.

A short distance from the prison.

Investigators are at work.

Combing through a damaged office building.

Used by ‘orcs’ as their command centre.

A sign saying “police” in ‘orcs’ language.

Still hangs over the door.

Inside on a desk is a thumbed edition.

Of an ‘orcs’ daily newspaper.

Lead investigator has made a grim discovery.

He opens a drawer to show an axe.

Bearing traces of what looks like blood.

“Our investigation will reveal whose blood it is.”

He has also found a watch-list.

Kept by ‘orcs’, with names of those.

Thought to be supporting.

The ‘elves’ government.

“They were called ‘the ones with extremist views’.”

“They brought them here.

And interrogated them.

They were kept on a short leash.”

This broken city is just beginning.

To tell its stories.

And reveal how many victims.

‘Orcs’ left behind.

 

 

 

 

Kurama
(Japan)

POETS TORMENTED

This broken city is just beginning.

To tell its stories.

And reveal how many victims.

‘Orcs’ left behind.

In the pine forest.

On the edge of the city.

Forensic teams are continuing to exhume.

Human remains from more than 440 graves.

The authorities say the dead are mostly civilians.

But one grave contained the bodies of 17 soldiers.

Some with their hands bound.

And bearing signs of torture.

The regional prosecutor said.

‘Orcs’ had killed almost all of those.

Buried here - one way or another.

Including by shooting, shelling or air strikes.

As emergency workers carry away.

Remains in a white body bag.

She looks on, caught between hope and dread.

She has come in search of her father.

Her father served with Ukraine's 95th Airborne Battalion.

She is tearful, leaning on her husband for support.

“The last phone call we had was.

On 17th of April,” her husband says.

“The next day they moved to the frontline.

And many of his unit went missing.

We know five were killed.

Their bodies were found by another unit.”

Tormented by unanswered questions.

Her husband says.

They are almost envious of those.

Who at least have remains to bury.

“We know families.

That were in the same situation.

As we are now.

But they found the bodies.”

“And they are.

It's hard to describe.

Happier than we are.

Because at least they found them.”
 

So far, the military remains.

Unearthed in the forest.

Are of soldiers from a different brigade.

To his father-in-law's.

So she and her husband.

May have to search elsewhere.

For others, the exhumations.

Have already provided answers.

This broken city is just beginning.

To tell its stories.

And reveal how many victims.

‘Orcs’ left behind.

One widely published photo.

From the burial site showed.

A decayed hand with blue and yellow bands.

Around the wrist.

A reddish mark was.

Barely visible underneath.

They were the remains of a soldier.

Of Ukraine's 93rd Mechanised Brigade.

When his wife.

Saw the photo.

She recognised the tattoo.

On his wrist.

This broken city is just beginning.

To tell its stories.

And reveal how many victims.

‘Orcs’ left behind.

 

 

 

 

Kurama
(Japan)

A POET ON THIN ICE

This broken city is just beginning.

To tell its stories.

And reveal how many victims.

‘Orcs’ left behind.

Izyum is now a city.

With deep scars.

In every direction there are.

Scorched and battered buildings.

The streets are largely lifeless.

It's as if residents.

Who survived the shelling and occupation.

Are still scared to come out.

A handful gather.

In a sunlit square in the city centre.

To collect some aid being handed out.

From the back of a van.

She is among them.

With a lively six-year-old boy.

She recounts the hardships of recent months.

As her boy chases around the bushes.

“We cooked outside.

The fire truck brought water.

From the river.

But we didn't have drinking water.”

“We went looking for wells.

So we would have water to drink.

My boy was scared to sleep alone.

He twitched and had nightmares.”

“The hardest thing was.

Not knowing what tomorrow would bring.”

“Military actions are still going on.

And there is no certain victory.”

“We are still scared.

We don't know.

If we will be safe.

Over the longer term.”

“We're hoping and praying.

For a peaceful sky.

And for a bright future.

For our children.”

‘Gandalf the Green’ says.

It's not a lull.

But the build-up.

To the battles to come.

“It's preparation.

For the next sequence.

Because Ukraine must be free.

All of it.”

She has a different phrase.

For the current situation.

“It's thin ice.”

Though ‘orcs’ may be gone.

This broken city is just beginning.

To tell its stories.

And reveal how many victims.

‘Orcs’ left behind.

 

Painting by Anton Logov. Izyum. russian genocide in Ukraine 2022.