If the collective sacrifice during the Second World War cemented Russian identity in the absence of consensus, then the attack on Ukraine does the same but to a different end. The new ‘we’ feels inescapable, whether one supports Putin or opposes him. A leading Russian poet reflects on guilt and responsibility. Almost all the check-in desks at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport were closed by mid-March last year – but there was a long queue at the one working desk, where passengers were being checked in for Istanbul. While I waited I counted the many pet carriers: dogs, cats, even a few birds – their owners were clearly planning lengthy trips. I passed through border control and went in search of a