Bulgarian writer Georgi Gospodinov warns that if society doesn’t wake up, wars and catastrophes will lead to destruction. After Ukraine declared war, Gospodinov was filled with despair, shame and fear for his daughter’s safety. This year-long war has led to the realisation that nuclear fear is real and that he needed to teach his daughter what he had learned in his military classes at school. Putin failed to take Kyiv as quickly as he expected in conventional warfare, leading most to believe that he may use nuclear warfare as a trump card. However, Europe and the author’s country, Bulgaria, have become more defensive and supportive of Ukraine. The strength of people like Manol Peikow, who donated power generators to Ukraine, shows that humans have great potential. However, the opposite is also true. There are trucks of living humans being smuggled across borders, exemplifying the corruption in our society. In a lethargic society, dictators, wars and disasters can arise. No society is immune from this, warns Gospodinov.
Georgi Gospodinov, an award-winning Bulgarian writer, has recently warned that wars and catastrophes could lead to the destruction of our society if we do not wake up. Since the beginning of the war against Ukraine, Gospodinov has felt nothing but despair, shame and fear for his daughter’s safety. His anguish extended beyond despair, however, when he began to recall the rules taught at military classes during school. Although the rules may have been “insane,” he realised that they were of utmost importance now that the threat of nuclear war had become a possibility.
Although Putin’s attempts to take Kyiv quickly failed, many believe that he may resort to nuclear warfare as a trump card, effectively destroying the entire world. Europe and Gospodinov’s country of origin, Bulgaria, have become more supportive of Ukraine, sending aid and assistance whenever possible to prevent nuclear war from breaking out.
In times like these, Gospodinov recognises that the strength of the people is essential. People like Manol Peikow, who pooled resources with thousands of citizens willing to donate, have shown that humans have great potential. However, it remains concerning that there are trucks filled with living humans being smuggled across borders, highlighting the institutional and human corruption in our society.
If a society remains lethargic, Gospodinov warns that dictators, wars and disasters can flourish. Thus, he stresses that it’s essential to wake up and address these issues before it’s too late. No society is entirely immune from destruction. In the end, the question remains: are we prepared to change ourselves and our institutions before it’s too late?
