On Opposite Sides of a Conflict

In Russian Specialties, we meet a Ukrainian family in Germany running a shop with vodka, pelmeni, and the desire to belong. But after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a deep rift runs through the family: the mother allows herself to be convinced by Russian propaganda, while the son despairs at losing both her and the language he loves. With both humor and gravity, Ukrainian‑German author Dmitrij Kapitelman writes about war, identity, and the love between a mother and son who find themselves on opposite sides of a conflict. A conversation about what propaganda and war do to people, families, and the feeling of belonging.