原文链接：https://medium.com/@giorgioprovinciali/to-those-beside-us-in-the-mud-and-blood-1da4c09ceaa8?sk=21563f2071dab1664231be2cdb7a5a60
To Those Beside Us in the Mud and Blood
By: Giorgio Provinciali
Live from Ukraine
The text and images that follow were produced directly from the field, made possible by a daily presence supported by those who stand by us.
Continuing to speak freely comes at a cost — measured not only in the dangers we face but also in the times we have turned down tempting offers that would have required editorial subservience.
If we can keep doing this, it is solely thanks to your support. We do a great deal of what it takes to stay alive and keep moving forward, but it is right that you know we sustain ourselves entirely through you.
Zoloti Prudy, Donetsk — On the day Ukraine celebrates its defenders — the hundreds of thousands of men and women who contribute to the country’s security —we want to thank all the true examples of courage we have met over these years. Defenders are not only soldiers at the front, but also ordinary people. Among those who do not always wear a uniform but who, faced with extraordinary situations, managed to find courage, strength, and energy more extraordinary still.
On our long journey, that is where we came to know the heroes.
When we devoted ourselves to what is, for us, a mission, we understood right away that the only way to truly grasp the war’s impact on the lives of soldiers and civilians was to travel across Ukraine, pushing all the way to the front, to gather testimonies, images, emotions, smells, and sounds: in short, the war in its most visceral form.
We moved constantly between bombed cities and trenches packed with soldiers, along a front that by then stretched for thousands of kilometers. There, we met Ukraine’s defenders, among soldiers as much as among civilians. We smelled blood, urine, and gunpowder; we saw fear in the eyes of soldiers and resilience in those of children receiving medical care, often for the amputation of severely damaged limbs. We watched nurses and doctors operate, relying solely on the light of their smartphones. We lived alongside soldiers holed up in bunkers, aware that any moment could be the last, for them as for us. We saw volunteers who were blind or missing fingers weaving camouflage nets for the defenders at the front. Even at thirty degrees below zero we felt the warmth of embraces unlike any we had known before, including those of children evacuated from the rubble of the Donbas, some of whom had suffered permanent brain damage and other terrible wounds. We witnessed the courage of Ukrainians who tried to stop tanks with their own bodies. Their hands were defending not only this country but a free and democratic world that too often forgets them in return or pretends not to hear their cry of pain.
All our stories are born in the field because we ourselves were among the people who are their protagonists, not outside narrators sitting thousands of kilometers away in London, Milan, or New York. We wore the same uniforms as those who resisted, swapped our chevròn with theirs, and talked through entire nights with people whose lives had been upended by the war in different ways: among those defenders of Ukraine and of the free worldthere were recruits, infantrymen, drone operators, generals, engineers, politicians, journalists but, above all, ordinary people from every walk of life, many of them displaced.
We are talking about everyday people who accepted no compromises, who did not sell out their neighbors to the enemy, and who stayed at their posts, as well as those who left comfortable lives abroad to come back and fight to defend their homeland. Our presence in many of these stories lends the narrative a personal touch, but we are not, so to speak, its undisputed protagonists.
That is why we were astonished to be summoned, this past September 15, to the Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine’s parliament) to receive diplomas and medals that the Ukrainian people were conferring on us through their representatives. In that setting, we had the opportunity to address the parliament directly through its deputies, Heorhii Mazurashu, Valerii Zub, and Anatolii Ostapenko, who listened attentively to our suggestions, giving us their time and welcoming us warmly. From their hands we received diplomas and cross-shaped medals «за сприяння та п?дтримку», as a tangible sign of gratitude for the assistance and support we have given so far.
It was an extremely moving moment that we had never spoken about until now but that, amid the thunder of bombs that shake even the soul, we feel duty-bound to recount from the Donbas, to express all our gratitude for that gesture. We also sincerely thank a Ukrainian as extraordinarily kind as Ms. Nataliya, who, coordinating with the Ukrainian parliament, even came from Italy to present us with a certificate of merit on behalf of the LILEA APS association (maybe the longest-standing and most renowned of those operating in Italy to support Ukraine). Among the defenders of those values that Ukraine shares with the free world, we cannot forget those who fight every day from abroad to reject the idea that regimes can prevail.
The value of gratitude toward those who are here, trudging through mud and blood, transcends words. To tell them only «thank you» for every life protected, ours included, for every wounded person rescued and every hand held out even when strength seems to have run out, would be to repay them with a coin out of circulation.
Calling these people ‘heroes’ carries a responsibility for us as well. It means remembering that they are afraid, that they get tired, that they miss home, and that they long to think about their own future. They have the right to rest, to care, to help, and to say they are exhausted.
Instead, more and more often, the ones who call themselves tired of the war are those who — luckily for them — have never lived through it.
We find ourselves giving interviews to top-tier foreign media and then seeing the final cut altered, with questions inserted that differ from the ones we were asked. We find ourselves seeing our answers cut and then pasted together in a way that distorts their original meaning. We find ourselves explaining, more and more often, that the brutal attacks the russian federation launches against us are the product of a very precise strategy of terror aimed at provoking our desperation, and yet seeing those remarks headlined to the opposite effect with sensationalist phrases such as: «Putin is desperate».
On the day we celebrate the defenders of Ukraine and of the free world, it is our duty to recall that the very fact that slogans like that one have been repeated in the West for almost five years now proves that they are useless moral ablutions.
Continuing to claim that the desperate one is Putin amounts to telling one another that what is being done is enough and that sooner or later his regime will fall because the measures taken are sufficient.
Given that it is also the West that finances its war machine and serves as the megaphone for its propaganda means that this is not the case at all, and that all is far from well.
Every time we turn on the camera, gather testimony, or write a page, we try to give voice to those who defend the narrative of the facts, giving their experiences the time and attention they deserve. The people we meet entrust us with testimonies, memories, and painful parts of their own lives. They too are defenders of something being eroded not only by russian bombs but also by the attitude of those who claim to defend us and instead stifle the very narrative of events, replacing it with one that ennobles only those who write it.
Those who live far from the front can take on a concrete share of this responsibility, by paying attention to the testimonies and choosing with care the information they share.
Solidarity takes shape through these choices and gains strength when it becomes a lasting commitment, able to endure even when Ukraine disappears from the front pages. That is why we feel duty-bound to thank our readers who, by supporting us and sharing our reports, give voice to the voices of those who are with us and to those who are no longer with us, physically, but continue to walk in our footsteps.
To all of Ukraine’s defenders, we wish, above all, that they may once again be able to choose their own lives. To the soldiers, that they come home alive; to the doctors, that they may treat their patients with all the light and instruments they need; to the children, that they grow up in safety.
Under a sky ablaze day and night for almost thirteen years, our thanks from the Donbas include those who have lost their lives, those who are still prisoners or missing, and the families who go on waiting. Those who will also have to endure the years of treatment, rehabilitation, and reconstruction. We want their wishes, their plans, and the things they love that await them beyond this war to be known as well, because to those who are giving so much, we owe the concrete possibility of still having a future.
Every time we write «we», you are here too.
In 1.681 days of war, we recorded over 300 videos from ground zero and wrote more than 3,000 articles — at least 1,600 in English, and over 1,400 in Italian.
We’re doing our best to provide genuine, first-hand reports from zones where almost no press dares to go. This means living in a kill zone constantly. We take the risk, but without your invaluable support, our voices would remain unheard and silent.
Without brave people sharing our articles from afar, they would remain unread. Our reports would go unseen, and our efforts would be lost. There’s still a lot of work to do here, as the people around us are also in no better situation.
Thanks to everyone who joins us in helping to restore what Russia is destroying. Moving forward, not even with a small reimbursement for each article we write, is extremely challenging.
That’s why we are grateful to those who trust in our mission.
Even a small donation helps.
Thank you all, dear friends
致那些与我们一同在泥泞与鲜血中并肩作战的人
作者：Giorgio Provinciali
翻译：旺财球球
乌克兰前线报道
以下文字与图片均直接采自前线。这些报道得以持续进行，得益于那些始终支持我们、让我们能够每天坚守在前线这里的人们。
继续自由发声是有代价的。这种代价不仅包括在我们所面临的危险上，也包括我们曾多次拒绝过的那些诱人资助机会，因为接受它们就意味着必须放弃编辑独立性。
如果我们今天还能坚守在这里，完全是因为你们的支持。为了生存并继续前行，我们已经竭尽所能；但你们理应知道：我们的工作完全依赖于你们的帮助。
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顿涅茨克州，佐洛蒂普鲁迪——在乌克兰庆祝捍卫者的日子里，我们向为国家安全作出贡献的数十万男女致敬；同时，我们想向这些年来我们所遇见的每一个真正的勇者致谢。捍卫者不只有前线的士兵，也包括普通人：那些不总是身着军装，却在非凡处境中展现出更非凡的勇气、力量与坚韧的人。
正是在漫长的旅途中，我们认识了这些英雄。
（图：我们的堡垒。我们的家 ）
当我们投身于这项对我们而言堪称使命的工作时，很快便明白：要真正理解战争对军人和平民生活造成的影响，唯一的办法就是走遍乌克兰，深入前线，收集证言、影像、情绪、气味与声音；简言之，亲身感受战争最真实切肤的一面。
我们不断穿梭于遭轰炸的城市和挤满士兵的战壕之间，沿着当时绵延数千公里的战线前行。在那里，我们遇见了乌克兰的捍卫者，既有军人，也有平民。我们闻到血腥味、尿臊味和火药味；我们在士兵眼中看见恐惧，也在接受治疗的孩子眼中看到坚韧；他们中的许多人因为严重损伤不得不接受截肢手术。我们目睹护士和医生仅凭手机的灯光进行手术。我们与困守在掩体里的士兵生活在一起，明白下一刻就可能成为他们、也可能成为我们的最后一刻。我们看见失明或缺了手指的志愿者，仍在为前线守军编织伪装网。即使气温降至零下三十度，我们依然感受到前所未有的拥抱所带来的温暖，其中有些拥抱来自被从顿巴斯废墟中撤离的孩子，他们有的遭受了永久性脑损伤，也有的身负其他难以言说的创伤。我们见证过乌克兰人试图血肉之躯阻挡坦克。他们双手守护的不只是这个国家，也是在守护一个自由、民主的世界；而这个世界却常常忘记他们，或假装听不见他们痛苦的呼喊。
（图：从这些顿巴斯战壕修建之初直至今日，我们一直亲眼见证着它们如同生命体一般演变、改变）
我们所有的故事都诞生于前线，因为我们自己也身处其中，是故事主角的一员，而不是远在数千公里之外的伦敦、米兰或纽约坐着讲述的旁观者。我们穿着和抵抗者相同的制服，与他们交换臂章；我们与那些生活因战争而以不同方式被彻底改变的人彻夜长谈。在这些乌克兰和自由世界的捍卫者中，有新兵、步兵、无人机操作员、将军、工程师、政治人物、记者，但最重要的，是来自各行各业的普通人，其中许多人已流离失所。
我们说的是那些平凡的人：他们不肯妥协，不曾出卖邻人给敌人，坚守自己的岗位；也包括那些离开海外舒适生活、返回故土为保卫祖国而战的人。我们亲身参与许多故事，为叙述增添了个人色彩，但可以说，我们绝不是这些故事当之无愧的主角。
因此，今年9月15日，当我们受邀前往最高拉达（乌克兰议会），接受乌克兰人民通过其代表授予我们的证书和奖章时，我们感到十分惊讶。在那里，我们有机会通过议员 Heorhii Mazurashu、Valerii Zub 和 Anatolii Ostapenko，直接向议会表达意见。他们认真听取我们的建议，拨出时间与我们交流，并热情接待了我们。我们从他们手中接过证书和十字形奖章，上面刻着「за сприяння та п?дтримку」（感谢协助与支持），这是对我们迄今提供的帮助与支持的一份实实在在的谢意。
（图：感谢所有勇敢的乌克兰人民 ）
那是一个极其令人动容的时刻。直到现在，我们都未曾公开谈起；但此刻，在灵魂都被炸弹震颤的轰鸣声中，我们觉得有责任从顿巴斯讲述这件事，表达我们对这份荣誉的深深感激。我们也由衷感谢一位格外善良的乌克兰女士纳塔莉娅。她与乌克兰议会协调，甚至从意大利赶来，代表 LILEA APS 协会向我们颁发荣誉证书——该协会或许是意大利历史最悠久、声望最高的援乌组织之一。在捍卫乌克兰与自由世界共同价值观的人们之中，我们也不能忘记那些身在海外、每天都在奋战，坚决阻止让独裁政权得逞的人。
对于那些身处此地、在泥泞与鲜血中艰难跋涉的人们，感激之情难以言表。面对他们保护的每一个生命，包括我们的生命，面对他们救起的每一位伤者、以及他们在力气似乎耗尽时仍伸出的每一只手，仅仅说一句「谢谢」，就像拿一枚早已停用的硬币偿还巨额债务。
（图：这位筋疲力尽的士兵在流浪拥抱我们之后，亲吻了他刚刚守护过的土地）
称这些人为「英雄」，对我们而言同样意味着一份责任。这意味着要记住：他们也会害怕，会疲惫，会想家，也渴望思考自己的未来。他们有权休息、得到关怀和帮助，也有权坦承自己已经筋疲力尽。
然而，越来越多自称厌倦战争的人，恰恰是那些幸运地从未亲历过战争的人。
我们接受国际一流媒体的采访，却发现最终播出的版本被改动，还插入了与采访时所问不同的问题。我们看到自己的回答被删减，再拼接到一起，扭曲了原意。我们越来越常解释，俄罗斯联邦对我们发动的残酷袭击，是一套极其明确的恐怖战略，目的是让我们陷入绝望；可这些话却被冠以截然相反的标题，用「普京绝望了」之类耸人听闻的说法加以呈现。
在庆祝乌克兰及自由世界捍卫者的日子里，我们有责任提醒大家：近五年来，西方反复使用这类口号，本身就证明它们不过是徒劳的道德自我洗白。
不断宣称绝望的是普京，无异于彼此安慰说，我们已经做得够多了，他的政权迟早会垮台，因为现有措施已经足够。
然而，当西方的资金仍在支撑俄战争机器，并充当其宣传的扩音器时，事实就绝非如此，一切也远未好转。
（图：和顿涅茨克地区的其他地方一样，包括如今已处于俄罗斯无人机的直接攻击范围内的亚历山德里夫卡，这片顿巴斯地区，那座纪念乌克兰阵亡捍卫者的纪念碑，每天都有人悉心照料）
每一次打开摄像机、采集证言或写下一页文字，我们都试图让那些捍卫事实叙事的人发出声音，给予他们的经历应有的时间与关注。那些与我们相遇的人把自己的证言、记忆和人生中痛苦的片段托付给我们。他们同样在捍卫某种东西。而这种东西正在被侵蚀：侵蚀它的不只有俄罗斯的炸弹，也有那些声称保护我们、实则扼杀真实叙事；他们用一种只让叙述者自己显得高尚的说法，取代了真实发生的一切。
远离前线的人，也可以通过认真倾听这些证言、谨慎选择自己分享的信息，承担起一份切实的责任。
团结互助，正是在这些选择中成形；当它成为一种持久的承诺，即使乌克兰不再占据头条，也能继续坚持下去时，它便会愈发有力。因此，我们觉得有责任感谢读者：你们通过支持我们、分享我们的报道，让与我们并肩前行者的声音，以及那些虽已离开人世、却仍伴着我们的前行的人的声音，继续被世界听见。
（图：每天清晨，我们从试图栖身的掩体废墟中醒来，都会感谢乌克兰的捍卫者，正是因为他们，我们才能继续活着）
对于所有乌克兰的捍卫者，我们最真诚的祝愿是：愿他们能有一天重新掌握自己的命运。愿士兵们平安回家；愿医生们拥有充足的照明和所需设备，救治患者；愿孩子们在安全中成长。
在这片近十三年来日夜被烈焰映红的天空下，我们从顿巴斯发出的致谢，也献给那些已经牺牲的人，那些仍在囚禁中或下落不明的人，也向始终等待他们归来的家人致谢。也向那些还将经历漫长治疗、康复与重建的人致谢。我们希望世人也能看见他们的梦想、计划，以及这场战争结束后仍在等待他们的美好事物，因为对于付出如此巨大代价的人，我们有责任让他们拥有一个仍可期待的真实的未来。
每当我们写下“我们”，这个词也包括了你。
（图：荣耀归于乌克兰 荣耀归于英雄们????）
***
在1609天的战争中，我们从前线录制了300多段视频，并撰写了3000多篇文章——其中至少1600篇 为英文，1400篇为意大利文。
我们尽最大努力从几乎没有媒体敢进入的地带进行真实的一手报道，这意味着我们长期生活在“杀伤区”。我们承担风险，但若没有你们宝贵的支持，我们的声音将无从传出。若没有远方的勇敢的人们转发分享我们的文章，它们将无人问津。我们的报道会被忽视，我们的努力将付诸流水。这里还有大量工作要做，周围的人们境况同样艰难。
我们正在更新筹款活动，感谢每一位加入我们、帮助修复俄罗斯破坏的人们。仅靠一家勇敢的报纸为我们每篇文章支付微薄稿酬以维持前线报道极为困难。因此，我们感激所有支持并信任我们使命的善良人们。
哪怕是小小的捐助也有助益。
我们会持续为你们更新事态进展。
谢谢大家，亲爱的朋友们
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