Mission: moral survival

In its previous issues The Day has already reported about the tragedy of Oksana Makar from the Mykolaiv oblast and Anastasia Saltanova from Simferopol. These terrible events the society has sensitively reacted to are not random. Without underestimating the tragedies that happened to the girls we should admit that both cases fit into the picture of the Ukrainian reality. That is why they made us reflect on their profound reasons and pay attention to the public processes we should understand to be able to explain these acts of cruel violence.

“Many think that the main reason of what has happened is that the criminals are golden youths. In fact, there is a number of reasons,” doctor of education, professor at the psychology department at Vasyl Sukhomlynsky Mykolaiv State University Illia STARYKOV commented Oksana Makar’s tragedy. “In my opinion, one of them is that the systematic work with youth is absent. Another one is the cultural level that has unfortunately degraded. Look at our libraries: they drag out a miserable existence and are not replenished with good books. Mykolaiv, for instance, does not have its literary magazine. That is why the cultural content is filled with low-quality pops and low-quality books; the television is ruled by the money and, as a result, it broadcasts erotic shows, programs and films. Now there is no good cultural preparation either at schools or universities. It is very dangerous that this tragedy is used for the political plug; however, this problem is much deeper. It is important to analyze the reasons that made people do that.”

On the Internet there are a lot commentaries stating that the tragedy happened because Oksana’s light-mindedness. However, considering that the government has been inert in the humanitarian area and the television has stimulated people’s degradation over the past 20 years, we should ask: did the girl have any other cultural possibilities? Is there a library in her town or sports or art groups? Has she been taught to read at school or at home, did she have any other window on the world, except the television?

Actually, Oksana’s life story is typical for any provincial town. Her mother has been working hard for years and the girl was educated by her grandparents. What alternative could have elderly people given to a kid? Such families can be found all over the country as well as small towns where there is a pub at the place of a book shop and the club where formerly there was a library and movies has been closed down for many years now. Where should the young go if they need to communicate? To bars. Besides, the lower strata are morally degrading on the background of the old bureaucracy’s permissiveness and the new permissiveness of the so-called golden youth.

This is why the enormous problem that exists in the country aggravates every year. The Ukrainian authorities, as well as the major part of the Ukrainian society, do not resolve or even comprehend it.

The Day asked its experts whether the Ukrainian children have a chance to survive in the current situation.

Ivan MALKOVYCH, poet, author and translator of books for children, director of the publishing house A-BA-BA-HA-LA-MA-HA:

“Although I am a pessimist, for some reason I would like to overcome my pessimism and express optimistic hopes. I have always had the only hope for family. Certainly, families have to take care of children’s cultural education and cultivate love for reading. I can only guess how an average provincial family at the east of Ukraine looks like. At the end of the last year I was going from Donetsk to Luhansk and could only suspect what was going on behind the windows of sooty houses. I do not know if books or school can help. Unfortunately, teachers do not enjoy authority with children since the latter know that teachers’ job is low-paid and not prestigious; only extremely talented teachers can enjoy real authority. Family, parents and grandparents, could teach their children something but they often have the Soviet views on education, history and culture. Our nation is split, our people are unable to identify themselves and watch the endless series about the Russian life which is not better offered by the Ukrainian TV channels. Thus, step by step, the Ukrainian spirit is vanishing into thin air: formerly it was more moral and families felt more responsible for their children’s education. I wish to believe that books and culture will help, but the state does not do anything to develop the cultural sphere, social advertisement and to cultivate children’s refinement. We do not have any cultural social advertisement. There has just been held a book fair in Leipzig. There children are involved in reading everywhere. However, the high-quality alternative cannot be offered only to children. Children live in the society, they see their parents’ concerns, the endless lie on the TV; they see uneducated and illiterate people among the highest authorities of the country. How can they be motivated to study if only power and impudence matter in our society? Children might get a chance only when our country gets a chance for self-actualization. I do not count on a kind governor, but we still need to have a person with values at power. Now I cannot see any people who could significantly influence the children. Certainly, there are enthusiasts. For example, I publish books. However, it is a drop in the bucket. Ironically, although many people in Ukraine and personally I do not like how much money was spent on stadiums, I noticed that a lot of young people come to see football matches. Stadium of the new generation is the place that we can associate with a cultural one, where children can go with their friends except for bars. Probably, children will be involved into culture through sports.”

Hlib HOLOVCHENKO, director of the Mykolaiv College of Press and Television, general producer of the television company TAK-TV, candidate in education:

“The media have contributed a lot. News about murders and violence prevails on the national TV-channels. Good news cannot struggle through the negative ones. That is why the media should not forget about their responsibility in front of the society.

“The Mykolaiv press club in cooperation with the television company TAK-TV has organized a telethon called ‘Lessons to learn from Oksana Makar’s tragedy.’ Its participants are not only the law machinery experts but also psychologists and psychiatrists, teachers and sociologists, doctors and guards. We suggest that the local media, television audience, and readers learn as many lessons as possible from this tragedy and, above all, cooperate to solve the problems that have led to the tragedy.

“Today children from province have more chances for moral survival than children from big cities. Children from raions have fewer temptations such as night clubs, a large number of TV-channels, etc. However, on the other hand, unfortunately, they have not only fewer temptations but fewer high-quality alternatives as well.

“Oksana Makar lives in the small town of Luch that has been artificially created to fulfill the needs of the large USSR. However, this town has quite a good library with good books and the Internet. However, the girl is not among its readers. In small towns families are the most responsible for their children and family values are very important.

“Metropolitan of Mykolaiv and Voznesensk Pytyrym suggested focusing on the program called ‘Campaign for Spiritual Literacy.’ It is a very timely suggestion for all churches that we are going to invite for the live broadcast to discuss how to overcome the spiritual impoverishment. Thus we want to demonstrate that the media, in particular in the Mykolaiv oblast, are able not only to passively report about the developments but to organize a discussion, look for a way out of difficulties and work for the good.”