Ukrainians recently marked 1000 days at full-scale war defending their country against Russian invasion. In that time, the nation has developed many positive habits that are improving society as a whole. Such lessons could prove to be relevant for others around the world.
November 26, 2024 – Valerii Pekar Yuliya Shtaltovna – Articles and Commentary
When Russia launched its full-scale invasion, international analysts gave Ukraine mere weeks before collapse. Yet, against the odds, Ukraine not only withstood the onslaught of one of the world’s largest armies but continues to fight back, demonstrating strength in ways many observers failed to foresee. Ukraine’s resilience reveals profound lessons for our turbulent era, offering insights that could benefit societies facing similarly severe, complex challenges. Now the world is increasingly facing large-scale challenges for which neither states nor societies are ready.
Beyond the “comfort zone” and beyond the “fear zone” lies a “zone of learning”. In a world increasingly wracked by crises, Ukraine’s fight for survival has yielded invaluable lessons on human endurance, adaptability and community-driven action. Through a blend of courage, self-organization, and a refusal to give up their identity, Ukrainians have become a powerful example of the human spirit. We have gathered and analysed more than 600 comments from our Ukrainian Network to showcase what are the valuable lessons we have learnt throughout the 1000 days fighting against the Russian full-scale invasion, as well as the last ten years of being under daily attacks.
From the onset of war, Ukrainians have shown that resilience is more than survival – it is transformation, converting hardship into fuel for creativity, unity and hope. Their journey, painful as it is full of lessons learned along the way – and those yet to be learned – powerfully demonstrates how societies can not only endure major disruption and losses but emerge even stronger. Here, we discuss the key elements of Ukrainian resilience. What did the observers and analysts not see by predicting a quick defeat for Ukraine?
1. Resilience and adaptability in action
Across Ukraine, resilience has become second nature. Society, government and businesses have adjusted to daily disruption, often independently. Communities, even in devastated regions, create makeshift kitchens, urban gardens and blackout-ready homes equipped with backup generators, candles and power banks. Small towns unite to rebuild homes damaged by drone attacks and provide shelter for the displaced, ensuring no one is left behind. This level of endurance speaks to a preparedness for hardship and a resolve to operate with minimal external aid , all while still being thankful and vocal about partners’ support.
Take, for instance, Ukraine’s response to Russian attacks on its energy system – a move calculated to force submission through widespread blackouts. Within hours of strikes, energy workers rushed to repair facilities, while citizens adapted to rolling blackouts, meticulously timing daily routines around limited power. Elevators were equipped with emergency items including chairs, water bottles, cookies, and napkins for those stranded during outages. When systems falter, Ukrainians rely on each other, facing disruption with pragmatism and trust in community.
A special word should be spoken about the new skill of business crisis management in conditions of staff shortages, movement restrictions, investment shortages, market contraction, energy supply interruptions and missile threats. At the same time, high standards have been maintained, especially in the service sector. Many businesses were relocated to cities further from the battlefield and quickly started production at the new place. Many other business people were forced to abandon their businesses but very soon started new ones at new locations from scratch without waiting for help. Ukrainians joke that when a town is being de-occupied, Nova Post offices (this parcel service became a symbol of business resilience during the war) open simultaneously with the appearance of the first units of the Ukrainian armed forces. This was also the first company to open offices in Europe, providing not only a symbolic but also a direct and most convenient connection with Ukraine. This has allowed people to send parcels of care, protections and donations back home. Resilience combines flexibility and strength, which are often considered to be incompatible. It looks like we have to learn how to combine them to improve resilience.
2. Leadership beyond hierarchies
As centralized systems are strained, Ukrainians have shown the power of horizontal, community-driven leadership. Volunteers across the country organize into value-based networks, from making camouflage nets and medical packs to delivering essentials to the front lines. Ukrainian musicians, poets and standup comics perform across cities and the front line, as well as leverage international tours to help fundraise. They have helped to distribute resources for tactical medical kits and transfer money for fundraising programmes like the Come Back Alive Foundation or Leleka Foundation, among hundreds of others. This grassroots resilience is a powerful reminder that hierarchical structures are not always the only way to mobilize effective action, especially in times of extreme challenges when states could become incapable of responding.
Ukrainians have demonstrated the rapid deployment of social support networks, which often consist of people who were not personally acquainted with the principle of self-organization. It now looks a bit like a “blockchain nation”, with your relationships based on trust in a limited circle of direct contacts then extending to further contacts. Horizontal networking culture could be an important feature as it looks to be a part of the next technological order. Emerging practices are rapidly scaled across the country. Female leadership in such networks is a topic which also deserves special attention.
In the chaos of war, Ukrainians quickly had to realize that there is no other adult in the room amidst the chaos. Ukrainians have also embraced what could be termed “emergency adulting”. In the face of an existential threat they have taken an immediate, individual assumption of responsibility in the absence of conventional support from international law or other official institutions. This rapid maturity needs a mindset that asks questions such as “What resources do I have now?” and “What are my values to stand on when the world is falling apart?” This brand of crisis leadership paradoxically merged with strategic leadership becomes essential when traditional roles and supports crumble and the entire future is at stake for a whole nation of some 40 to 50 million Ukrainian lives and their culture, and mere existence.
3. Preserving normalcy as resistance
In war, normalcy becomes an act of defiance and self-defence. Despite constant danger, Ukrainians insist on preserving routine wherever possible. Even in cities most targeted by drones like Zaporizhzhia Kharkiv, Dnipro and Sumy, cafes, schools and businesses remain open, providing safe gathering spaces and a semblance of daily life. Services like Ukrainian Railways and Ukrenergo work tirelessly to restore operations hours after disruptions. Displaced farmers adapt by cultivating different crops and adjusting to new soils. This shows that even the land can symbolize resilience.
This commitment to normalcy means more than continuity; it is an assertion of control and community resilience. Ukrainians find strength in shared meals, minor celebrations, and appreciating small victories. In shelters during air strikes you can hear people singing in order to come together and deal with anxiety. People desire to beautify and improve their environment regardless of the high probability of destruction. And even war artefacts are now often transformed into interior decor. It is a way to confront hardships and preserve the fabric of daily life. Their resilience highlights that self-care is not just a personal matter; it is a collective effort.
This powerful insistence on maintaining normalcy serves as a reminder that sometimes, simply carrying on can be the strongest statement of all. Ukrainians have learnt how to integrate a survival instinct with deep meaning and joy of living the rest of their lives as truly as they can, literally.
4. Digital infrastructure for resilience
Even amid war, Ukraine’s government maintains its digital-first ethos. Through the Diia app, an award-winning app for governance transparency, Ukrainians can access over 70 essential services – passport renewals, ID cards and more – all from their mobile phones, whenever and wherever it is needed. The Prоzorro procurement system, a model of government transparency, lets citizens rigorously monitor public spending. Digital-first banking from Monobank and PrivatBank among others has simplified finances and provided accessible and trustworthy fundraising instruments, making swift transactions and donation options possible. This underscores the fact that efficiency can be as vital as innovation.
5. Emotional and mental resilience
In the face of relentless hardship, Ukrainians have found strength in emotional resilience, humour and community-based mental health support. The extreme challenges led to extreme emotions but Ukrainians have learnt how to constructively convert them (anger, fear, despair, etc.) into purposeful actions, functioning effectively in situations of long-term distress.
Humour and meme culture have become an invaluable coping tool, uniting people through shared laughter even in the darkest times. War-related memes, posters and jokes provide a brief reprieve from trauma and propaganda attacks. They serve to maintain morale, solidarity and emotional resilience. Humour lightens even the heaviest moments. And it helps to fight Russian narratives in the “semantic war”, which Kremlin strategists call the highest level of war.
Mental health resilience is offered by a network of volunteer-led support services offering trauma counselling for civilians and soldiers, to their families and communities. Peer-to-peer networks provide critical support, particularly for young people facing the psychological toll of growing up in conflict. Talking about loss, grief and trauma and voicing inhumane experiences like being taken hostage and countless but documented Russian war crimes is painful. However, this is absolutely vital for traumatized people, as it helps them move from a victim mentality to an outlook based on survival. Overwhelmed by environmental losses and tragedies, like the Kakhovka Dam blown up by Russians; the Black Sea poisoning; and the landscapes of the homeland being erased, mined and taken by force, we have developed another dimension of thinking about sustainability, thinking which became literally inseparable and embodied.
Emphasizing trauma-informed care, these informal, community-driven support structures fill safeguarding gaps in formal services, demonstrating how much healing is needed for a shared journey and that emotional resilience can become a collective strength. Loving and caring for others serves to reduce anxiety and feelings of helplessness for millions of people. “Contra spem spero” (I hope against hope), once said by the Ukrainian poetess Lesya Ukrainka, has now became a motto for the whole nation.
6. Collective identity, volunteering and patriotism
Ukraine’s shared sense of national identity is preserved through volunteerism, cultural expression, and a fierce pride in heritage that is under the nation-based genocidal attack. Through rediscovering Ukrainian literature heritage under Russian imperial and Soviet oppression, as well as celebrating folk music and public cultural activities such as poetry readings or philosophy circles, Ukrainians keep alive the essence of their culture, sharing insights and strengthening bonds even amid crisis. Culture festivals like Arsenal, BookForumand Meridian unite intellectuals, opinion leaders and readers who even from bomb shelters offer continuity and connection, giving communities a way to find meaning and process collective trauma. Documentation efforts underscore the importance of safeguarding Ukraine’s heritage — culture is as much a part of resilience as it is a source of identity.
Volunteer movements and charity-based events are the core of Ukraine’s resilience. Crowdfunding and local initiatives fuel military and humanitarian efforts, uniting people across cities, towns and regions in a shared purpose. Events, from concerts to book presentations, become opportunities for fundraising, reinforcing a culture of generosity. Through their mutual support networks, Ukrainians show that gratitude, patriotism and community spirit are not just values – they are essential resources for survival.
Ukrainian readiness to fight for life and freedom could provide a good example for a world full of new challenges. However, in our case it is based on understanding the existential nature of the war: having a choice between the options of fighting or dying, it is better to die fighting than live under tortures or die without resistance.
It is worth mentioning that Ukrainians have formed a comfortable multi-ethnic and multi-religious political nation. Being an old country with a young political nation, Ukrainians combine their pursuit of modernity with reviving and rethinking traditions. They are also interpreting the past in a new light, creating a synergy of tradition and modernity.
7. Rapid problem-solving, flexible thinking and high standards despite hardships
In emergencies, Ukrainians favour flexible, agile and decisive action. Healthcare systems have adapted to streamline processes, prioritizing patients without bureaucratic delays. Schools have pivoted to remote or hybrid learning, keeping education accessible to children in conflict zones and to those classmates who had to relocate, often being the only place to keep the relations tight even if online. The tech sector heavily supports emergency coordination, developing software for real-time supply and logistics management. Software development companies fuel side projects such as DonorUA – an innovative blood donor recruitment and management system powered by AI. Here, the focus is on rapid, collaborative solutions – proving that adaptability is as much a cultural value as it is a survival skill.
Even in the most difficult times, Ukrainians hold high standards in hospitality and healthcare. Foreign visitors are amazed and commend the wholehearted care seen in restaurants, hotels and service sectors, while healthcare workers set a benchmark for patient-centred care even with limited resources. Ukrainians demonstrate that service quality does not depend on resources alone – it is a value that upholds their resilience.
Separately, it is necessary to note the extraordinary innovativeness of waging war against a much more resourceful opponent. During the two and a half years of full-scale war, the nature of warfare has changed more than during the previous 70 years. Decentralized military innovation (based on free competition and radical innovation rather than state strategy) has turned the entire country into a startup, where everything that can be effective is tested and then scaled. Similarly, military tactics, military medicine, cybersecurity (where we have faced unprecedented attacks), etc. are changing in an innovative way.
Ukrainians evolve by quickly gathering experience from around the world, learning fast, quickly testing and selecting working options. This startup approach scaled to the whole nation could be useful in any country in tough circumstances.
From Ukraine to the world
Ukraine’s journey stands as a testament to the strength of the human spirit, showing the world that resilience is not merely survival, but the courage to rebuild with unity, creativity and compassion. In facing relentless adversity, Ukrainians have lit each other’s path with acts of mutual aid and shared hope, turning hardship into a source of strength. Their story offers a blueprint for a world grappling with a “metacrisis” of its own, reminding us that true resilience is born of empathy, adaptability and collective purpose.
In a time when the global need for unity has never been greater, Ukraine’s example calls on us all to choose courage over fear, compassion over division, and innovation over resignation, illuminating a way forward for societies determined to grow stronger together in the face of any challenge. What Ukraine has learned through hardship offers invaluable lessons to a world in need of resilience to withstand the global metacrisis, restoring humanity over violence and autocratic colonial convulsions, and not any less urgently for sustainability and inner development goals.
Yuliya Shtaltovna, PhD, Professor of Intercultural and International Management at HS Fresenius, a visiting professor in several International Business Schools, Berlin. A co-founder of #UA_IDG_NETWORK, a Ukrainian community of practice within Inner Development Goals.
Valerii Pekar is a co-founder of the Nova Kraina Civic Platform, the author of four books, an adjunct professor at the Kyiv-Mohyla Business School and a former member of the National Reform Council.
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Source: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2024/11/26/what-the-world-could-learn-from-ukraine/
