Sunday, 2/2/2025
at 3:00 PM



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Bestselling author Stephan Orth ("Couchsurfing im Iran") has intensely experienced the war of Russia against Ukraine from the very beginning. His special bond with the country is through his Ukrainian girlfriend Julija. How are the people who have stayed doing? What does their everyday life look like, and what gives them hope? And what does all of this have to do with us? With these questions, he travels thousands of kilometers between Kyiv and Kramatorsk, between Kharkiv and the Carpathians. He stays with locals, shares their daily lives – and is deeply impressed by their courage and will to live.

In a multimedia presentation about his new book, Stephan talks about the people he met along the way. About the lawyer Polina, who risks her life daily during medical evacuations. About Alexandr from Kostiantynivka, who was a successful real estate investor before hostile soldiers invaded his country, and now owns only one house. And about Lidija from Lyman, 85, who has been living in her own basement since a rocket destroyed her apartment, and still says: “Everything will be fine!” Stephan experiences firsthand the brutality of Russian rocket attacks and the resilience of those they target. "Couchsurfing in der Ukraine” is an engaging account of life in a state of emergency.

STEPHAN ORTH worked as an editor at SPIEGEL from 2008 to 2016 before becoming self-employed as an author and speaker. His “Couchsurfing” books about Iran, Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, and Ukraine have all become bestsellers and have been translated into ten languages. He lives in Hamburg and Kyiv.

Photo: Mychajlo Palintschak

Open from 2:00 PM

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Couchsurfing in der Ukraine - Live-Reportage von und mit Stephan Orth