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The Free Press Foundation has long backed projects that bring underreported stories to wider audiences, and few efforts feel as urgent as turning the private words of Ukrainians living through war into something the world can hear. Since 2022, a steady stream of diaries and short essays has emerged from cities like Kharkiv, Mariupol, and Kyiv, written by civilians and journalists who want their experiences recorded honestly. Translating those entries into English requires funding, editorial care, and steady distribution that independent outlets often struggle to provide alone.
That is why the foundation chose to back a podcast dedicated to these firsthand accounts. The project takes original Ukrainian submissions, works with translators who understand the cultural weight of each phrase, and releases episodes in clear English for global listeners. Australian audiences, who consume more podcasts per capita than almost any other country, are a natural fit for this kind of intimate, long-form audio. In Sydney and Melbourne, where Ukrainian heritage communities are well established, the podcast has found listeners who appreciate hearing directly from people on the ground.
The foundation's role extends beyond a simple grant. It helps the team secure transcription services, audio equipment, and distribution across major platforms so the show can reach Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and the ABC listen app. Producers also receive training on trauma-aware interviewing, a topic covered in the foundation's guidance on covering war trauma. This combination of resources lets the small editorial team focus on preserving the voice and intent of every contributor whose diary is read aloud.
Listeners in Australia often tell the foundation that the podcast reminds them of the unhurried, reflective radio once heard on ABC Radio National. The pacing, careful narration, and willingness to sit with difficult material echo a tradition many Australians associate with quality public broadcasting. That alignment is not accidental; the foundation deliberately sought to back work that values depth over noise.
The idea grew from conversations between Ukrainian diaspora journalists in Warsaw and editors in Lviv who had been collecting diary fragments since the early months of the full-scale invasion. Many of those writers had never published before; some had only typed into the notes app on their phone, recording what they saw from a window or heard from a neighbour's kitchen. The foundation recognised these fragments held historical weight and that without translation they would remain invisible to English-speaking audiences.
Early episodes were simple: a translator read an entry aloud, followed by a brief contextual note. The format evolved as listeners asked for more background on the regions and events referenced in the diaries. The podcast now blends personal narrative with short explainers, helping audiences in Brisbane or Perth understand the difference between Donbas and the Dnipro region without losing the emotional thread of the original writer.
| Episode Format | Length | Content Focus | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solo diary reading | 8–12 min | One translated entry, lightly edited | New listeners, short commutes |
| Author conversation | 25–35 min | Interview with the diary writer | Readers who want context |
| Contextual essay | 15–20 min | Background on a place or event | Listeners seeking depth |
| Field recording | 5–10 min | Ambient sound and a short reflection | Fans of immersive audio |
This range keeps the show flexible and invites different listening habits, from a quick tram commute to a longer evening session.
Translating a war diary is not the same as translating a press release. A diary entry often uses colloquial language, regional idioms, and sometimes deliberate awkwardness that conveys trauma. The foundation funds translators briefed on these nuances who work closely with the original authors. When a contributor in Kherson writes that the air tasted like metal, the translation team considers several English options before choosing the phrasing closest to the original sensation.
Editors also receive guidance on trauma-aware practice, drawing on the foundation's resources on authoritarian government traits and related reporting ethics. The goal is to ensure nothing in the production process inadvertently re-traumatises contributors or listeners, and that finished episodes remain faithful to the lived reality they describe.
Distribution is a quiet but essential piece of the foundation's support. The podcast is uploaded with detailed show notes, transcripts, and language tags so algorithm-driven platforms can recommend it to the right audiences. Partnerships with Australian community radio stations in suburbs like Fairfield in Sydney or Brunswick in Melbourne have helped the show reach Ukrainian-Australian families who pass episodes along to relatives in Ukraine.
Australian podcast listeners tend to be curious and willing to sit with international stories, particularly when those stories arrive in a format that respects their intelligence. The foundation tracks listenership by region and has noticed steady growth across New South Wales and Victoria, where Ukrainian community organisations often share new episodes through newsletters and WhatsApp groups.
Every episode goes through a clear editorial pipeline before publication. Submissions are read by a Ukrainian-language editor, then passed to a translator, then to a sensitivity reader familiar with trauma-informed practice. Producers add a short introduction and clean up the audio, but they do not rewrite the original author's voice. This discipline protects the integrity of the diary and ensures listeners hear the writer, not a journalist's interpretation.
The foundation also encourages the team to credit translators and editors on every episode, a practice that has become a hallmark of the show. Listeners in Adelaide and Hobart have written to say that knowing who worked on an episode helps them trust the content, particularly when the subject matter is as heavy as civilian life under bombardment.
Donations to the Free Press Foundation directly fund translation work, audio editing, and platform fees for this and similar projects. Readers who want to help can subscribe to the podcast on their preferred app, share specific episodes with friends, or back the foundation's wider mission.
Ways to get involved:
The diaries being translated today will be read for decades, and the foundation's support ensures the people behind them are heard clearly and with care.
