Presentation of the book "When War Becomes Personal" by Juris Ulmanis

On November 1st, a presentation of the book "When War Becomes Personal" by Juris Ulmanis, a Latvian writer, public figure, and volunteer, took place at Karazin University.

The book is dedicated to five Ukrainian soldiers who were friends of the author. It consists of 26 episodes that describe the experiences and observations during a year of full-scale russian aggression. For Juris Ulmanis, the war truly became a personal matter. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, he has been involved in volunteering, and collecting equipment and funds for the military, including vehicles, clothing, drones, and night vision devices.

The event was attended by:

• Ambassador of Latvia to Ukraine (2011-2015) Argita Daudze.
• Former Latvian Seimas (parliament) deputy, volunteer, political scientist, and lecturer at Latvian University, Veiko Spolitis.
• War journalist and volunteer Atis Klimovich.

The solemn event was opened by the Rector of Karazin University, Tetyana Kaganovska, who stated: "It is very difficult to comprehend how to live during a war for more than a year. We are infinitely grateful to all our partners from Latvia who help, support, and embrace our people. We understand that people are tired of war. We constantly receive news about our loved ones being lost. This book is very important and symbolic. It is evidence that this is not just our war; it is the world's war. We are very grateful to you for making such a contribution and sharing information with the world. We must not forget this war. If we do not stop the aggressor, if we do not defeat this ideology, the war can knock on other doors at any time."

Iryna Zhuravlova, the director of the central scientific library of the university, also welcomed Juris Ulmanis. Words of support for Ukrainians were expressed by Argita Daudze and Veiko Spolitis.

At the end of the meeting, Juris Ulmanis showed the community of the University the Ukrainian flag that he raised on Mount Everest in the spring.

The Karazin University community and the city's library staff were the first to hear excerpts from the book, interacted with the Latvian participants, and received autographed copies from the author.

Sincere thanks to everyone for their comprehensive support of Ukraine in this imposed war. Eternal memory and respect to those who sacrificed the highest value for the future of our state.