Cheers Queers Release an Anthology of Lesbian Texts on Love, War, and Emigration
On the fourth anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the queer community Cheers Queers has published the zine After February — a collection of lesbian texts on love, war, and emigration.
The anthology is rooted in texts written by participants of a lesbian writing workshop led by journalist and writer Elena Kostyuchenko. Eight weekly sessions brought together lesbians who have continued to live, love, and resist since the start of the war — those who remained in Russia and those who were forced to leave. The workshop became a space to think and write about things that felt impossible to face alone.
The authors worked across a range of genres and forms: reportage, short prose, diaries, autofiction. They explored the boundaries between documentary and fictional, personal and political, queer and "normative." Their raw material was everything surrounding them in everyday reality — announcements, documents, messages.
The texts were written in 2024, but are only being published now, in 2026. Much has changed in the time since, and a distance has grown between the authors and their words. But as managing editor Auri reminds us, the war is still ongoing: "We are still living inside a continuing catastrophe. After February allows us to look at the catastrophe from some remove."
The zine features texts by Alina, Anna B., Anna Urman, Auri, Valeria Orlova, Varya Fait, Jo, Dina Nadi, Elena Kostyuchenko, Lena L., Liza Ch., Masha G., Stasya Belenko, Tonya Lvova, Yana Kuchina, Julie PARAMOON, and Mariia O. Art direction by Stasya Belenko; illustrations by Lena L., Anastasya Tikho, Stasya Belenko, Yelena Holmova, and the visual creators' collective Ruki-Nozhnitsy.
Cheers Queers is the largest lesbian community uniting 550+ Russian-speaking women and persons through validation and support via meetups, a private chat, and free psychological assistance. [Instagram]
After February is available to download for free here.
The anthology is rooted in texts written by participants of a lesbian writing workshop led by journalist and writer Elena Kostyuchenko. Eight weekly sessions brought together lesbians who have continued to live, love, and resist since the start of the war — those who remained in Russia and those who were forced to leave. The workshop became a space to think and write about things that felt impossible to face alone.
The authors worked across a range of genres and forms: reportage, short prose, diaries, autofiction. They explored the boundaries between documentary and fictional, personal and political, queer and "normative." Their raw material was everything surrounding them in everyday reality — announcements, documents, messages.
The texts were written in 2024, but are only being published now, in 2026. Much has changed in the time since, and a distance has grown between the authors and their words. But as managing editor Auri reminds us, the war is still ongoing: "We are still living inside a continuing catastrophe. After February allows us to look at the catastrophe from some remove."
The zine features texts by Alina, Anna B., Anna Urman, Auri, Valeria Orlova, Varya Fait, Jo, Dina Nadi, Elena Kostyuchenko, Lena L., Liza Ch., Masha G., Stasya Belenko, Tonya Lvova, Yana Kuchina, Julie PARAMOON, and Mariia O. Art direction by Stasya Belenko; illustrations by Lena L., Anastasya Tikho, Stasya Belenko, Yelena Holmova, and the visual creators' collective Ruki-Nozhnitsy.
Cheers Queers is the largest lesbian community uniting 550+ Russian-speaking women and persons through validation and support via meetups, a private chat, and free psychological assistance. [Instagram]
After February is available to download for free here.