Why Ukraine Matters

Part 1 — First Day of 9th Grade

“Welcome to World History,” Mr. Hershey said as the last bell finally stopped ringing. He capped his marker and turned toward the class. “I’m Mr. Hershey. This semester we’re going to spend a good chunk of time learning about Ukraine. Its origins, its geography, the rise of its independence, and why that independence is being challenged.”

A map of Europe glowed on the projector behind him.

“You’ve probably heard about the war on the news or online,” he said. “Some of you might feel like you already understand it. Some of you might feel completely lost. Either way is fine. We’re going to start from the beginning, so we actually know what we’re talking about. This first lesson will be an overview and then we will dissect it part by part for the rest of the semester.”

He rested a hand on the desk beside him, steadying himself before he entered this caveat, this political warning.

“By the way, this class isn’t about American party politics. You can calm your parents down and let them know that we’re not here to argue about Democrats or Republicans or which cable channel tells the truth. We’re going to learn why Ukraine is a nation in its own right and why another country is trying to take that away. We will stick to real history and real human lives. You can talk about why Putin really isn’t a bad guy or why Russia really isn’t wrong at your own house. Here, we will stick to the facts.”

“No b.s. in this class”.

“Sorry about that. I’m allowed to say that once per week in high school classes, that’s what I’ve been told by my bosses. It’s in my contract with the school district. No, Ukraine is not a Nazi state with communist intentions. That’s such a bizarre distraction from the Putin propaganda machine.”

He projected an image of a stamp titled “Russian warship, go f* yourself,”** a phrase made famous when Ukrainian border guard Roman Hrybov radioed it to the Russian cruiser Moskva on the first day of the 2022 invasion. It quickly became a national symbol of defiance—printed on stamps, chanted at protests, and remembered even more after the Moskva sank.

The class woke up and gave him their full attention. They kind of liked him so far. They knew of his reputation kind of a rebel with a heart. And his name was obviously disarming.

“We also have a new student this year. Her name is Anna. She’s from Donetsk, a city in eastern Ukraine that has been heavily affected by the war.”

He nodded toward the center rows. “Hi, Anna.”

Some students turned. A couple of them smiled. Most tried not to stare too long.

“Kids her age aren’t supposed to know the sound of artillery or what it feels like to leave home without a return ticket”, Mr. Hershey said.

“Her father is serving in the Ukrainian military,” Mr. Hershey continued. “He’s still there. I know we all hope for his safe return from war.”

The room stayed quiet. Not awkward. Just out of respect. These were ninth graders but they weren’t monsters.

“You might have seen a lot of loud opinions about Ukraine online,” he said. “Some supportive. Some hostile. Some that make it sound like people fleeing a war are a threat. Bias doesn’t come from nowhere. It comes from things we pick up before we know how to question them.”

He walked over to the projector and tapped the map.

“Here’s what we’ll do in this unit. We’ll learn where Ukraine came from. We’ll learn what makes it different from Russia, even though Russia has tried for centuries to claim the opposite. We’ll look at how countries decide who they are. What they fight for. What they refuse to give up.”

He clicked to the next slide. The title read:

Why Ukraine Matters

“This is a story about a place that keeps choosing to exist,” he said. “Even when someone powerful tells them they shouldn’t.”

He looked out at the class, a mix of curiosity and caution staring back.

“So. Welcome to 9th grade. I look forward to learning with you.”