Geopol, Wolfe et al. 2023

The Intimate and Everyday Geopolitics of the Russian War Against Ukraine

What date became a symbolic border in Ukraine?

24/02/22, marking life before and after the full-scale invasion.

When did the Russia-Ukraine war originally begin?

2014, before escalating in 2022.

What does feminist geography emphasise in geopolitics?

Situated, embodied, everyday experiences of war.

How are bodies connected to territorial conflict?

Individual lives become sites where geopolitical battles are fought.

How are media representations of war criticised?

They flatten nuance and often serve state interests.

What are geopolitical fault lines in Ukraine?

Divisions over identity, politics, and orientation toward Russia or Europe.

What is a “fault line”?

A deep social, political, or emotional division between groups.

What slogan justified Russian occupation policies?

“Denazification.”

Which Ukrainian regions were occupied under “denazification”?

Kherson and southern Zaporizhia.

How did Russia reinforce occupation in Ukrainian territories?

Through checkpoints, front lines, filtration camps, and changing language/media systems.

What was Russia trying to create in occupied territories?

New emotional and social borders within Ukraine.

How do occupied and displaced Ukrainians experience borders differently?

Occupied people face physical barriers; refugees experience emotional borders.

What are social fault lines caused by war?

Divisions between families, communities, and friendships.

What does “borderscape” mean?

Borders as dynamic, emotional, socially produced spaces.

How are Ukrainian refugees connected to borderscapes in Spain?

Physically in Spain but emotionally tied to Ukraine.

What is “compassion fatigue”?

Reduced empathy toward suffering after prolonged exposure to trauma.

What happened in Vilanova i la Geltrú in summer 2022?

Volunteers collected 32 trucks of aid for Ukraine.

What four forms of support were initially offered in Vilanova i la Geltrú?

Food/clothes, language training, translation, and childcare.

What changed by autumn 2022 in Vilanova i la Geltrú?

Support declined and volunteers struggled to fill even one truck.

What is vicarious trauma?

Negative emotional change from helping traumatised people.

What does the “border world” concept describe?

People living together physically but divided emotionally and socially.

Who is Olga Rebro?

A Ukrainian refugee reflecting on ideas of home during war.

What happened to Ajidzor, Armenia after 2022?

Forced migration and creatives revived the town.

What caused Armenian “nothingness” in the 1990s?

Blockades and shortages caused by conflict with Azerbaijan and Turkey.

What does Gunko argue about borders?

Micro-level human experiences can transcend borders.

What does Denysenko argue about borders?

Perception and experience help create borders.

What does Krichker argue about borders?

Borders are reinforced through everyday spatial practices.

Why is the Ukraine case important for feminist geopolitics?

It shows borders are emotional, embodied, and lived, not just territorial.

What does the Ajidzor Armenia case study show?

Migration can revive declining border towns.

What does feminist geopolitics reveal about war?

War reshapes homes, emotions, identities, and everyday life.