War Diaries

A Radio Amateur in Kyiv

By Volodymyr Gurtovy, US7IGN

How often can a ham radio amateur say, "All of a sudden it is rarer to meet an unarmed person than people with weapons and the corpses on the street cease to surprise you." or even "In the evening you think about whether you will still be alive in the morning"? For the well-known radio amateur Volodymyr Gurtovy, US7IGN these are amongst his thoughts as a Ukrainian living through the current war with the Russians.

Written in Volodymyr's own unedited words, War Diaries is a diary of the first six months of the conflict from the perspective of a radio ham trying to have a 'normal' life in extraordinary times. You will find him listening to ham radio around the world and not being limited to local TV or internet for information. Despite losing his job as an attorney because of the war his amateur radio life goes on, as he for example repairs the filters in a friend's Yaesu FT-857 and notes a local repeater being turned over to local defence. There are rockets falling and the losses of power and water, but Volodymyr still comments about his Icom IC-706MK2G and his amateur radio passions. There is of course much here about how the war is impacting not only himself but both Kyiv and the wider Ukraine. His personal troubles are also here, including his feelings at not celebrating his wife's birthday with her for the first time in 22 years because she has fled to Poland for her and their children's safety. He tells of how radio amateurs around the world are trying help, including a Polish radio amateur who has found work for a friend's daughter and is looking to help his wife. There is even the joy at the return of his wife and the simple pleasure of finding an old radio he can restore.

Featured on a BBC 'Short Cuts' podcast about radio during the conflict, Volodymyr continues to very much, identify himself as a radio amateur. War Diaries provides a unique insight into one radio amateur's life in war zone and is an inspiring read for everyone.

An Amateur Radio Insights book
Size 127x203mm, 144 pages
ISBN 9781 9139 9535 5
781526769404