LAST NIGHT ON EARTH. WAR THROUGH WOMEN’S GAZE. STORIES FROM ARMENIA, GEORGIA AND UKRAINE

Three different stories from three different countries — Armenia, Georgia, and Ukraine — reflect on the complex past and present of wars through the perspective of women and offer a unique insider’s view. The book examines the female experience during and after war, exploring its consequences and impact on women. Through this project, we seek to pay tribute to all the women who are on the front lines — whether as witnesses, or as director indirect participants in armed conflicts. This project examines wars and conflicts that have deeply affected the Caucasus and Eastern Europe, emphasising the universal need for peace and security. The wars represented in this book are: the War in Abkhazia, Georgia (1992–1993), the Russian-Georgian War (2008), the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) Wars (1988–2023), and the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian War (2014–present). This book was created as part of the project “Visual stories from Armenia, Georgia and Ukraine” , which was co-funded by the European Union. The stories in this book give me insight into the difficult environments of the protagonists, scarred by war or oppression. They also let me experience what is going on inside them while their world falls to pieces. Perhaps this experience, more than all the facts and news, will help us all draw our own conclusions and stand up for what makes us human. As banal as it sounds: peace, justice, solidarity with those without a voice. Love. ─ Reinhard Kleist These stories let us experience the consequences of war from a female perspective. The drawings bring their stories to life and convey emotion: they make us feel profound empathy for the unknown other. Such is the power of comics. ─ Eva Hilhorst