This TikToker Has Gone Viral for Documenting Life in Ukraine During the Russian Invasion
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On Thursday, February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his military forces launched a large-scale invasion on Ukraine, assailing the nation from three sides in an attempt to seize control. In the 11 days since the attack began, Ukrainian cities such as Kharkiv and the capital, Kyiv, have been devastated by missile strikes and bombings. Over 1.7 million Ukrainian citizens have fled, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency, seeking refuge in neighboring Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and other European countries. Meanwhile, NPR reports that more than 40 million remain in Ukraine, sheltering from air raids in subway stations and underground spaces.
One of these individuals is 20-year-old Valeria Shashenok, who is known on TikTok as @valerisssh. While Russia has banned Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok, Valeria, who is a photographer in northern Ukraine, has used TikTok over the past week and a half to document what life looks like in her country during the invasion. Many of her videos have gone viral, accumulating up to 21.1 million views.
In a number of her videos, Valeria shares her typical day living in a bomb shelter, what she and her parents are able to purchase at the supermarket, the destruction caused by Russian attacks, and the air raid sirens sounding throughout her city.
“Pictures I’ve taken where life felt unreal,” she wrote in one video. The following images showed buildings turned into rubble, shattered glass scattered over pavement, and individuals lined up outside stores.
In her most popular video — the one that’s gained over 21.1 million views — Valeria documents a day in her life in a bunker, including shots of her using a heat gun as a hairdryer, her mother cooking, and her venturing back home to her family's apartment to grab more items. All the while, she shares videos of decimated buildings and storefronts, writing, “Check what Putin do with my city.”
In the comments, users applaud Valeria for her strength and sense of humor during such a fraught time. “Gen Z is built different! You made me smile ❤️ stay safe!,” one person wrote.
Valeria has now been featured on outlets such as CNN and BBC Breakfast, where she explained why she’s taken to social media to document her experience. “To be honest, the situation in my country everyday [gets] worse,” she told CNN. “I feel it is my mission to show people how it looks in real life. It is real life and I am here.”
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