Walking through a Lived Waterscape: Hydrosocial Relations, Infrastructures, and Other-than-Humans in the Irpin Valley, Ukraine

Francesc Rodríguez, Brandenburg University of Technology (Germany)

During the first week of the of the illegal full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine, defenders made a hole in the Kozarovychi Dam to slow the advance of the Russian army toward Kyiv. The Irpin River has since been celebrated as a hero for contributing to the defense of the capital. And yet, the overflow, exacerbated by over a month of intense warfare in the area, brought a series of transformations that still resonate today. Guided by the notion of lived waterscapes, this paper develops an ethnographic study of the flooded areas of the Irpin Valley. Drawing on “water walks” carried out along the river, its swampy riverbanks, and its adjacent residential areas, the study is presented in three parts. First, the paper unpacks the notion of lived waterscape, using it heuristically to blend together an analysis of hydrosocial relations, water infrastructures, and other-than-human lives in the aftermath of the flooding. Second, the paper examines each of the three dimensions in turn, showing how they mutually shape the lived waterscape of the Irpin Valley. Offered as a humble contribution, the paper finally explores the implications of a series of identified local challenges and small-scale responses in relation to ongoing and planned environmental restoration efforts in riverine areas reshaped by war.