Anna Reich :: annareich.com

 

The grass outside my home 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 No One Asked Us inspired further research on posttraumatic stress disorder and the reassimilation of force-conscripted Soviet Afghan War Veterans in a project titled The grass outside my home. For three months, I interacted with 22 veterans in their homes, meeting halls across the country, and throughout their daily routines to create images that provide an intimate and unvarnished portrayal of their reality. The work generated by this investigation, which includes transcripts of interviews with each veteran, addresses the often overlooked lasting realities of war, opens a dialogue about coping with PTSD, and increases awareness of the psychological effects of war violence and trauma. This work is a rarely seen perspective of life 20 years after combat serving the Soviet Army and provides insight into the experiences of not only the Lithuanian veterans from the Soviet war in Afghanistan, but also veterans from all countries formerly occupied by the Soviet Union who face the same struggles and challenges. The completed project is a forthcoming publication by Cornell University Press.

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