IS HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF?

An update on Katarina’s Dark Secret and mapping the war in Ukraine.

Jan 18, 2026

Thanks for joining me. I was hoping to have good news about the launch of Katarina’s Dark Secret by now. Unfortunately, everything is at standstill because my editor suffered a health setback. In the world of self-publishing, life happens. When it does, we must shift accordingly.

Are you interested in a sneak peek? I am currently looking for beta-readers and editors for Katarina’s Dark Secret. If you enjoy reading and providing constructive critiques, I’d love your feedback. Click here to apply.

A War Without End

My book isn’t the only thing taking longer than it should. The war in Ukraine is now stretching into its fourth year, with no clear sign of peace on the horizon.

Last week, I overlaid my genealogical data on top of the latest war maps to see how much of my ancestral homeland is currently under Russian occupation. (This area also serves as the setting for my series, Russian Mennonite Chronicles). While researching, I found this following map (see below).

Disclaimer: I previously downloaded this from https://www.trailsofthepast.com. I wanted to provide a proper link to the download but this week I kept getting a 403 error message. I don’t know to resolve that from my end. I tried sending them a message but the message bounces back. Hopefully, they’ll read this blog and contact me.

Based on the other identifying infomation, I’m assuming the underlying war map came from the online site: https://twitter.com/DefenceHQ . However because of the issue mentioned above, I’m not able to confirm the source at this time.

Nonetheless, it’s a fantastic map from 2022 as it showcases many of the former Mennonite lands on the warfront. It’s like a replay of the 1920s when the Bolsheviks and rebels destroyed the Land of the Mennonites.

History does seem to be repeating itself here.

Since this map was produced, the warfront has crept inward, with Russia capturing many of the former southern Mennonite villages including those of my maternal ancestral line.

I wish I could find a more recent mapping of this content. If you have access to a relevant source, please let me know.

For up-to-date information on the war in Ukraine, check out this site: https://understandingwar.org/research/russia-ukraine/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-december-30-2025/

Mapping the Conflict

The parameters of my ancestral region stretch from Mariupol in the southeast, along the Black Sea coastline past Berdyansk towards Melitopol, north to Zaporizhzhia along the Dnieper River, and up to Dnipro. (However, there are more Mennonite villages outside of this triangle. )

My maternal line came from the area between Mariupol and Melitopol and also from Chortitza (near Zaporizhzhia). My father’s family hails from the Jewish villages near Dnipro. (They were part of a group of Mennonites who integrated with the Jews.) (That’s another story to be told at another time.)

Today, these former Mennonite lands are the front line of the war between Russia and Ukraine. Over the past four years, thousands of soldiers and civilians have been killed or wounded in the fight for this territory. (Unfortunately, war stats are rarely accurate.)

To put the geography into perspective:

Mariupol: In 2022, the 86-day siege of the Azovstal steel plant became a global symbol of defiance. Today, this city is completely occupied by Russia.
Molochansk (formerly Molotschna): Founded by Mennonites in 1804, this town sits only a two-hour drive from Mariupol. It is currently under Russian control.
Zaporizhzhia: This city, known as Alexandrovsk until 1921, features prominently in my book Katarina’s Dark Shadow. In March 2022, the nearby Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant—the largest in Europe—was seized by Russian forces. It remains in a state of “cold shutdown” under their occupation.
Chortitza: Across the Dnieper River from Zaporizhzhia lies the site of the first Mennonite colony. Nearby, on Khortytsia Island, sits the Cossack museum—a tribute to the people Catherine the Great drove out in 1775. (Sadly, many stories of conquest contain stories of indigenous displacement. My ancestors were unwitting participants who settled on those first nation lands.)

As a sidenote, I should mention history records other Mennonite villages elsewhere in the Russian Empire, including in Crimea, Kazakhstan and Siberia. I haven’t researched them to any detail, but I assume communism also destroyed these communities.

Last week, I discovered my maternal grandfather spent time in Siberia. The more I dig, the more I find. Gotta love geneology.

As I prepare to publish the third book in the series Russian Mennonite Chronicles: Katarina’s Dark Secret, I’ll explore more of this history.

On a Brighter Note

Next week, I’m off to a writing retreat with historical fiction author Julie Hartley! This is my first time studying under her tutelage, and I am beyond excited to brainstorm new stories while enjoying the ocean breezes in Costa Rica.

I’ll tell you all about the experience next month. While you wait for Katarina’s Dark Secret, please check out this month’s book promos below!