Kyiv Goethe Institute director on Ukrainians, The Day of Europe, and benefits of democracy

There are a host of institutions in Ukraine which mainly aim to promote one country or another, i.e., propagate its cultural values, project its image, etc. One such institution is the Goethe Institute German cultural center in Kyiv. In truth, the word institution is a misnomer. The Goethe Institute calls to mind some less formal things: owing to its activities, many Ukrainians could visit interesting exhibitions and concerts, meet the people who without exaggeration represent the flower of modern German academe and culture. The Goethe Institute also takes an active part in the public functions that help our two countries know each other better (for example, the contest, Germany-Ukraine: What Was There? What Is There? What Will There Be? conducted last year in collaboration with our newspaper).

The Day’s current interlocutor is Ms. Barbara KAULBACH who has recently replaced our friend Johannes Ebert as Goethe Institute director.

“Have you been to or heard of Ukraine before?”

“Even before our Munich headquarters decided to appoint me director of the Goethe Institute in Kyiv, I consulted some acquaintances who had already been here. Among them were, for example, Countess Ute Baudissin, the founder and first director of the Goethe Institute Kyiv, and film expert Hans Joachim Schlegel. These people spoke very warmly about Kyiv, trying to persuade me that this is a nice city populated by nice people and that I would love this place.

“I first visited Kyiv in January and was fascinated with the city, its architecture, and residents. I gained an impression that the latter have many difficulties with everyday life, especially of a material nature. Yet, despite this, they remain goodhearted and friendly. I would like the foreigners who come to Germany to be welcomed the way I was here. What I also admired is your people’s thirst for education, including learning the German language and everything relating to Germany.”

“Every nation is associated with a certain trait of character. And, although this may be a stereotype, Germans are still traditionally associated with such things as pedantry, punctuality, and love of order. And what associations do Ukrainians have for you?”

“I was pleasantly surprised by the way Kyiv maintains order: the city is clean, tidy, and well cared for. As to what is typical of the Ukrainians, I think they take a bit simpler attitude to some things that we, Germans, take literally and close to heart (for example, our proverbial punctuality). I don’t mean that all Ukrainians are inaccurate: they just don’t attach such great importance to this feature of character as we do (although Germans can also be less than punctual at times). But what matters is the final result, not these details.

“The Ukrainians are also very good at making merry, and we, Germans, like this very much.

“Of course, these are all mere stereotypes, which do not always correspond to reality because, for example, today’s youth greatly differs from the older generation. Likewise, the next generation will differ from the youth of today.”

“Do you agree that European integration to some extent leads to the loss of national identity?”

“This is so, but I do not think cultural standardization is a fully positive thing. The national character should be preserved at least to some degree. It would be very boring if we were all the same.”

“What do you think our two nations could borrow from each other?”

“First of all, our countries should enrich one another in terms of culture. We do not know about Ukraine as much as one should about this big and important European country.

“Thus my task and that of the Goethe Institute as a whole is not just, so to speak, to export German culture to Ukraine but to promote cultural exchanges between our two countries. We offer support to the Ukrainian creative intellectual figures involved in this process.

“Among the Goethe Institute’s many functions are seminars and workshops, including those on history, that deal with assessing and overcoming the legacy of the past in both Ukraine and Germany.”

“Incidentally, about the past. Our nations have quite different memories. As far as I know, Europe has been celebrating May 9 as Day of Europe for two years on end. For us, it is still Victory Day. Has the new name changed the attitude of Germans?”

“In general, earlier Germany considered May 8, not 9, as the day when the war was over. Earlier, too, this day was not much of a celebration, although it always reminded the Germans that such things should not happen again. Now this date is observed as Day of Europe and is treated as a certain symbol of European unity. This day also symbolizes our hopes for a united Europe. In this case individuals will be able to travel without visas, know each other better, and nations will find it easier to reach mutual understanding. This will in turn guarantee that Europe will always remain stable and prosperous.”

“Another question about the war and the lessons drawn from it. In a sense, Germany’s military defeat was a victory over totalitarianism inside the country. As to Ukraine, the totalitarian legacy still lingers in the human mindset. What do you think the Ukrainians could derive from the German experience in order to overcome the legacy of totalitarianism?”

“This is a lengthy process that will take more than one day or month. It is, by all accounts, the coming generations that will overcome the old pattern of thinking. The main problem of post-Soviet states is that, after the fall of the Iron Curtain, they are in virtual opposition to the whole capitalist world because many people still retain this old mentality. Now that they live somewhat worse than before, the conservatives cry out: look, it was better before. Only time can reverse the trend. The journalists who mold public opinion could also greatly promote the process of democratization. After 1945, Germany did not turn into a democratic state overnight. This was a long process. In general, democracy is quite an unstable system that needs constant support. What matters is that every individual should embody this democracy and be aware of the advantages it has for each and all.”

THE DAY’S REFERENCE

Dr. Barbara KAULBACH took over as Goethe Institute director in early April 2002. A Sinologist by profession, she was director of the Goethe Institute Bratislava before being transferred to Kyiv.