A viral TikTok compares an Ukraine office before the war to how it looks during the war to show the impact of the destruction being caused.
The TikTok was posted on Wednesday by EnjoyTheWood (@enjoythewood), a Ukrainian company that makes custom maps as “meaningful decoration,” according to its Kickstarter page. The TikTok juxtaposes shots from what looks like the holiday season showing employees being cheerful around the office with the same locations of the office after it’s been destroyed by the war imposed by Russia.
The after-the-war shots show rubble, broken glass, a few pieces of furniture, and walls completely torn down. The clip is set to Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky.”
As of Monday, the TikTok has over 12.4 million views.
According to the company’s Kickstarter, it is fundraising to “restart manufacturing in Ukraine” and is dedicated to restarting and rebuilding “everything that was destroyed.” So far, the company has raised $94,868 out of its $5,000 goal—that’s nearly 19 times its goal.
In the comments, people called the TikTok clip “heartbreaking” and “SO powerful.”
“I really hope all that people from this video are safe… this is beyond sad,” one wrote.
“The indisputable, power of imagery. Anyone who denies this and tries to distort the narrative, is just messed up,” another commented.
“This is so hard to take in. I wish and pray that those days will return soon,” another wrote.
Other TikTokers compared the damage done by other military wars, like in Afghanistan and Iraq. “So sad that in the middle east they have been going trough the same thing and even worse for years,” a TikToker wrote.
According to an article in Newsweek, EnjoyTheWood co-founder Maryna Fostenko said the war made her and her team flee their home city of Irpin, which has been invaded and bombarded by Russia. “It’s a real challenge for us and heartbreaking to see how damaged and destroyed our office,” Fostenko told Newsweek. “We already know about the death of two colleagues and we still haven’t got in touch with some others. We’re the lucky ones.”
This TikTok is a peek into the lived experiences by those being affected by the war in Ukraine, without the censorship or bias of any media. Other TikTok accounts posting similar content of normal Ukrainians sharing their own personal experience since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February include Ukraine Voice Notes and Project Brazen.
According to the United Nations, as of April 11, there have been 1,842 people killed and 2,493 people injured from the invasion.
The Daily Dot has reached out to EnjoyTheWood via email and Instagram direct message.
Source: https://www.dailydot.com/irl/destruction-ukraine-office-war-tiktok/