I Try Not to Think of Afghanistan

I Try Not to Think of Afghanistan includes photographs and commentaries from Lithuanian veterans of the Soviet War in Afghanistan (1979–89), addressing the lasting realities of war and its effects on those conscripted to fight. Unflinching first-person accounts give details of training, combat, and the often difficult return to society for military conscripts within the Soviet system. Anna Reich gives insight into the experiences of not only the Lithuanian veterans from the Soviet War in Afghanistan but also veterans from all countries who face similar struggles and challenges.

For three months, Reich interacted with twenty-two veterans in their homes and meeting halls and throughout their daily routines to produce portraits that provide intimate and unvarnished portrayals of their lives and the lasting effects of forced military service in the Soviet army. Often ostracized socially because of their involvement with the Soviet army, the veterans frequently feel invisible: there are no social programs to assist them in their attempts to address post-traumatic stress disorder and assimilate into society, their cause is largely unknown, and the government responsible for their conscriptions no longer exists.

I Try Not to Think of Afghanistan is the culmination of eight years of investigation into the psychological toll of war and trauma. In providing a rarely seen perspective of life after combat, the book intersects with contemporary discourse, specifically the way the US experience in Afghanistan closely mirrors that of the Soviets and the Russian Federation's forced conscription of young men to fight in Ukraine.

Anna Reich is a visual artist who investigates memory, identity, and landscape, and her work has been exhibited throughout the United States and abroad. She has received numerous grants, including support from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts, the US Fulbright Program, the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, and the Council for Independent Colleges.

Paul Robinson is Professor of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa. He is the author of Russian Conservatism and the coauthor of Aiding Afghanistan.

Adrian Bonenberger, a two-time combat veteran of Afghanistan, is the author of Afghan Post. He coedits a blog, The Wrath-Bearing Tree.

This is a beautiful collection of photographs that helps bring to life the people who fought in the Soviet War in Afghanistan. It will appeal to those who are interested in the war and its legacies as well as general readers interested in the post-Soviet Baltics and academic historians studying the war.