Dust №23

In contemporary discourse, a concept like Victory has long become outdated. Or rather, it has turned into a tired rhetoric that falls short of addressing the power dynamics and narratives that shape our current landscape. As the line between Victory and Defeat has blurred, becoming increasingly subjective and contextual in our postmodern era, the traditional concept of Victory, with its connotations of dominance and superiority, has faced scrutiny, deconstruction, and ultimately been discarded as obsolete—a relic from a bygone era. However, we are not there anymore. The Russian military invasion of Ukraine, in flagrant violation of international law, has shattered our illusions and brought us back to a harsh reality, one in which the war in Europe remains a haunting possibility; the line between aggressors and victims is again unequivocal, and the word Victory has once again taken centre stage—becoming a heartfelt aspiration that we deeply hold for Ukraine, for Europe, and for the very idea of democracy itself. What appears evident today is that Ukraine’s resistance is reshaping the very notion of Victory before our eyes. In light of these circumstances, we would like to reflect on this term and embrace it while redefining what this concept could mean today. What position do we want it to have in contemporary discourse? Can Victory represent a personal and generational perspective that extends to every aspect of our lives? From the broad to the specific, we’d like to think that today, Victory takes the form of a profound conviction, a driving force that propels us to strive and reach forward. A commitment that goes beyond mere external achievements and transcends into a journey defined by self-discovery and empowering breakthroughs. Victory is what happens after we knock down the barriers that limit us and stop acting out of a sense of inadequacy. Victory means thinking the unthinkable and reaching the unreachable—an attitude that belongs to those who stop trying to conform because, within Victory, they have already found their own perspective.