On identity gaps, the Ukrainian elite, and standards of competition

HISTORY AND POLITICS

Larysa IVSHYNA:

“All the modern history of Ukraine is the history of this country’s stubborn attempts to gain a better life. Yet, this stubbornness also illustrates an extremely high level of inertia, and young journalists must apply their skill, brains, temperament, and energy to overcome this. The more so that there still is ample scope for cooperation. For example, this year our newspaper held its fifth photo contest, which promoted, without exaggeration, cooperation among people of different outlooks. For photography attracts even those people who do not read. And, while it may be impossible to convince one with words (words have greatly devalued over the past few years and aroused mistrust even in the most romantically minded), photography can be convincing because it employs a somewhat different kind of action. In any case, our newspaper makes extensive use of photography, and we could hold our exhibitions with the sole aid of our photo editors. Still, we would very much like other willing Ukrainian photo amateurs and professionals to join the contests because it is also important for our photo correspondents to be in a competitive environment. As I have often said, it is the best, not necessarily ours, who win our contests. And it would be a good idea to instill this principle in public life, the economy, and politics. “The best” means a high competitive standard. If politics is short of intellectual potential, this hampers social development. For example, during a first-past-the-post election some worse-off people tend to vote for whomever promises to solve a certain narrow problem (like building a road because he/she is in the construction business, etc.). And when politicians of this kind come to power, they are often unable to competently address some legal issue. Moreover, they are by no means good public speakers. Later on all this comes out in a grotesque way, and some begin to think that Ukrainian society is just unable to produce people who could get the upper hand even in such simple things as a public debate (which was confirmed by NTV’s “Freedom of Speech” program devoted to the Tuzla problem, where our politicians were beaten hollow, to put it roughly). This is why one must recruit others so that ours move on instead of sleeping. In our case, photos should be effective and show the existing tendencies.

“The other direction — publishing books — is an example of work absolutely untypical for newspaper journalism. Why do we do this in addition to publishing a bilingual daily and an English-language weekly? I do not think Ukrainian society can be modernized unless clear answers are given to the questions many Ukrainians are still asking: who are they, what nation do they belong to, what history do they have, what must they defend, who are their friends and rivals, what is good and what is bad?

“The first book we did, Ukrayina Incognita, came out a year ago and became sort of a bestseller (the first edition sold out very fast). It was intended for people who would like to close the yawning gaps in their sense of identity: several generations of Ukrainians were never taught and are unaware of their own history. Incidentally, I am convinced that those who take up administrative offices or go to the parliament must pass an exam in Ukrainian history and have a good command of the Ukrainian language (I mean Ukrainian should be an obligatory requirement, not an exception, the knowledge of other languages also being welcome). Knowing Ukrainian history is of special importance precisely today. In my view, twelve years is an adequate period for only so-called turnkey construction of a young state. Our house is still unfinished: the winds that blow through the wall and roof holes make us bend one way or another. Obviously, what we need is not only the political will but also first of all an educational effort. This is inexcusable, from the viewpoint of national security, when we can hear said in Donetsk in the twelfth year of our young country’s existence, ‘The Russian leader is our president.’ This does not mean that there can be no cooperation with these people or that they failed to understand the difficulties of growth in their own country. This means nobody cared for their education. This is a very pressing problem now that Russia has been swept by a wave of nationalistic sentiments caused by the new image of the Russian state. For us, this is not just a formidable challenge; it is a dire warning. The oncoming year is the year of the 350th anniversary of the Pereyaslav Rada. The Treaty of Pereyaslav was not a phantom but a process that caused Ukraine to lose its sovereignty and in many respects its spiritual space, which entailed severe deformations for centuries to come. The point is that politics should use historical instruments to finally find out whether it is history or we that are still going round in circles. Why are we unable to assume a different quality? We sometimes hear a superficial statement: Ukraine has no elite of its own. But I believe Ukraine does have a broad elite. The trouble is our elite has not yet been able to realize its potential and there are no conditions for it to be involved in all the spheres of life.

As early as next year (it was still 2003 when this table was delivered. — Ed.) Ukraine will have to elect its president and, hence, its vector of development: either to boost the standard of relations with NATO or to bog down on this road. Speaking of development vectors, our second book, Dvi Rusi, devoted to the history relations between Ukraine-Rus’ and the Muscovite Tsardom, came out just in time. For a part of history had been privatized, which poses acute problems for us. For example, a good friend of mine told me that he had once heard a Petersburg guide commenting on Repin’s painting, Zaporozhzhian Cossacks Writing a Letter to the Turkish Sultan, without mentioning at all the word Ukraine... We live in a competitive world and still let ourselves lie untroubled instead of showing vigor: this applies, above all, to all those working in the informational and ideological spheres. The old system lasted for seventy years owing not only to the fear it instilled but first of all to its exceptional ability to brainwash. Even now — fantastic as it is — people still believe in what is propaganda, not real facts. Another example: a Ukrainian TV channel shows a soap opera, in which an affectionate grandfather asks, ‘Is it true that Yalta is now a Ukrainian city? Why?’ What is surprising amnesia is not the fact that a Ukrainian channel showed this film but that there were no cutouts or comments either before or after the showing. This is gross irresponsibility. So we often asked in our polls: if we refuse to build our own socially responsible television, does this mean we are also refusing to build a state of our own? In my opinion, Ukrainian society is, unfortunately, not prepared for such thing as ‘refusal to shake hands...’ — in all kinds of situations. I am sure society must be prepared to do so. If a brutal thing occurs in your presence and you do not get up and walk away, this means you agree to it and fail to respect yourself. And when, for instance, a Ukrainian channel continues to beam the “Hunger” reality show in a year when all Ukrainians would like to tell the world about the unspeakable tragedy of the 1933 manmade famine, I think this is an amoral step. Channel owners, journalists and so-called managers must know this. This is what we should talk with our audiences about. Our entire informational capacity should be utilized to cleanse the social atmosphere. For there are too many lies, too much hypocrisy and cynicism. How can a new thing break though and survive? I am convinced that the newspaper business is not confined to what the newspapers have printed today. It is something that can live for a long time, be of use, and help crystallize the environment.”

ON THE NEED FOR HERCULEAN EFFORTS

Volodymyr ZDOROVEHA, Professor, Doctor of Philology, Ivan Franko National University, Lviv:

“You spoke about failure to realize our potential. Indeed, there are very many people around who do not want, to use a Western Ukrainian idiom, to gatecrash into dirty politics. What do you think should be done to utilize this intellect, to attract the right people to politics, and to make politicians at least take advice of wise, experienced, and knowledgeable people? This is my first question. And the next one is from a purely journalistic perspective. It seems to me Den is one of the few, if not the only, bilingual publications that are doing a good job in raising Ukraine’s intellectual level. Why is the newspaper’s circulation so small? Is it because there is inadequate demand or is it, to put it crudely, a purely commercial thing because I am well aware that publishing a bilingual newspaper (plus the English-language digest) costs a great deal and increasing the print-run does not yield direct profits (as many think). I can say it is practically impossible to buy a Friday issue of Den in Lviv. Other, even well- established and respected newspapers sometimes lie on newsstand shelves for weeks on, while Den is not there. Could anything be done?”

“Both factors you mentioned are at play. Small circulation shows that far from all, even clever, people can consume a newspaper that takes quite an effort to be read. The point is not only in that this knowledge must be in demand. Many think, ‘If I come to know and understand all this, where will I apply it? So why should I torment myself to build up my potential?’ After all, this is a newspaper that requires a certain impulse of inner development. But nobody encourages anything in our society — in principle. I could say that the extermination of a narrow circle of people able to think independently was the severest trauma that Ukrainian society ever suffered. And independent thinking and ability to produce ideas is precisely what our new conditions require. I have already said before that one must have firm principles in order to change flexibly. Both firm principles and independent thinking are in acute shortage in our post-totalitarian society. If society and governmental institutions encourage people to do so, this may broaden the circle of the individuals who need this. If not (and very few sprouts have been raised over all these years because competition is dangerous), this could lead to the situation we have today: while we chose the lesser of the two evils in the previous elections, we will perhaps have to choose the lesser of the two nightmares in the coming ones. At the same time, an entirely new trend is gradually coming to the fore. So I greatly hope that the circle of the people who rely on their own capabilities, on their own development, on the understanding that Ukraine can be a highly competitive state, will expand. This is what Mikhail Saakashvili (president-elect of Georgia — Ed.) said: we can be a regional superpower. This not a mere compliment — we have, in principle, everything for this, for example, territory, capacity, etc. Yes, we have been squandering this heedlessly, without thinking about the consequences, but we still have this to a large extent. As to management, there are, of course, some problems here because it also takes a great talent to be able to sell a product like Den/The Day. Still, Ukraine has a vast majority of wise people who need all this. We are not wasting time either. Every time we travel across Ukraine and implement our projects, such as Ukraina Incognita and Dvi Rusi, we win over a part of the other audience. But, on the other hand, it sometimes turns out that, instead of supporting ‘their own’ publication, people write to us, ‘Please help me to subscribe. I am closely bound to the newspaper, I can’t do without it, but I can’t afford to subscribe to it either, because I have to choose between the milk and the newspaper.’ This also retards circulation. But, no matter how hard it may be, I have always believed that we should not downgrade our standards. You know, the ozone layer is also very thin but so indispensable...”

“As to politicians... What is to be done to make them different is a very dramatic issue today. There were a lot of chances we have stupidly missed... This country could, in many respects, be ahead of Russia. I will say bluntly that, even with what may be called a Ukrainian Putin in power, it could easily be well ahead. But, first, we have some purely domestic problems. Secondly, our rivals would just love to see us siting under a cherry-tree, scratching the back of our heads, and losing ourselves in reverie. They already cooperate with the Twenty, can impose a veto on our advancement toward NATO, they maintain — even after the Russian elections — good relations with the US, and the US State Department said everything is OK in principle; the economy is developing... Neither the arrest of the oligarch Khodorkovsky nor any other things will cancel the interests that prevail over the lamentations of human rights champions. And I wanted so many times to pour a sobering shower on Ukrainians and ask if they have forgotten that millions of victims in Ukraine were hushed up and the Soviet Union was thus recognized. This is big-time politics, which can, despite new and sometimes liberal clothing, make so dangerous the somersaults that those who have long been napping can be punished for this. The new year, the year of the presidential elections and revision of the political system, provides extremely serious opportunities. I recently saw a publication that said it is the H-hour. It really is. And there is no alternative. If politics is to be done by the people who are competitive and able to set high standards for society, the society will in turn awaken and begin to heal. Otherwise... As the cliche goes, the system will be disintegrating indefinitely. Many people perhaps think this does not concern them, but they are wrong. This is, in principle, a demand for efforts on the part of every member of our society.”

Fedir DYBAN, first-year undergraduate,

“Do you think the newspaper Den’ influences the consciousness of Ukrainian citizens? Does it help the new generation to develop in the national spirit, i.e., fosters patriotism and love for the Fatherland (by offsetting the Russian propaganda on the national TV)?”

“We do this as much as we can, although far from always do I like the way we do it. In any case, the goal is to produce an interesting newspaper intended for thinking Ukrainians. And I assure you we are doing a good job for intelligent Ukrainians. Of course, we can offer any thing for those who don’t need this (because thought is hard work). If an individual does not want to think, he/she does not need a newspaper like this, for it irritates because it shows that there are some daydreamers who want to pull the hippopotamus out of the swamp, while the hippo feels good in the mire, and ‘we don’t need any pulling.’ Yet, we do have wonderful contributors and readers. For example, Vladyslav Komov, a former physician now aged over eighty. He is perhaps one of our oldest and wisest contributors. He once wrote: I know as a doctor that your newspaper has extended my productive life by ten years because, when I am writing to you, I look through dictionaries, other reference literature, etc. Such a response is by far the best compliment for us.”

Oleksandra DOTSENKO, second-year undergraduate,

“You call Russia our rival. Rivals usually compete for something. What are we competing for with Russia?”

“Our countries are new actors on the world stage. The existing world order has created some markets for which even the image of a country is the prime requirement. The countries that appeal better and show a higher potential will find a better attitude, investment, and cooperation from large modern companies. Some will be a garbage dump, others a market that receives high technologies. This is competition. Moreover, if this is a fair and law-abiding competition, the competitors can be in good relations with each other. But if a competitor, the stronger one, wants to bind the other hand and foot and, for example, make its lobbyists in Ukraine raise the slogan ‘To Europe together with Russia’ — although Russia is not going to join the European Union... And ours is a far smaller country, we don’t have the vast resources Russia does. Accordingly, our brains must work ten times better and faster. This is also competition.”

Maria KOMISAROVA, first-year undergraduate,

“Your newspaper often employs foreign journalists (for example, from Germany). What is the reason why you take them? Is Ukraine really short of good experts who can give unbiased coverage of events?”

“Foreign trainee journalists is really an interesting phenomenon still to be duly appreciated by our political science and journalism. For, as usual, we consider ourselves the worse, wretched, underdeveloped, uncivilized, savage, and all we can do is watch through the window the great people who live abroad. In reality, everything is far more complicated. Naturally, they also have something to learn from us. And they are open to this, they are much more dynamic and always willing to seize chances to learn. We have already received Britons for a month-long period and Germans from various publications. What is the purpose? First, since we want to live in a united Europe, we must be more daring in mixing and comparing styles — we must overcome our fear of competing with others. This is all the more important for us because we usually look better against this background. This eventually overpowers and cures our complexes. In general, our society badly needs highly skilled psychologists who could dispel our manias and complexes. But the press also can perform the mental health function. I think our newspaper is also going this to some extent. For when we show the best, show the way they compete and win, we instill confidence in many of those able to do something. One such example described by the ICTV “Facts” program’s special correspondent Mykhailo Maly is the Lviv-based Olesia Khromeichuk who demonstrated such high results at an Oxford college that Queen Elizabeth II invited her to tea. Examples like this show the way we must treat ourselves. When Europe was without us, it lost not less than we did without it. Besides, we can say that they solved some problems and said: this is better. But if they had seen still better things, they would have revised some of their standards. This is really the case: we surprise them, they surprise us. As to our history, we can say we already lived in a united Europe. That was the Europe of Magdeburg Law. It was the prototype of the European Union. While traveling over Ukraine, we suggested to many mayors that they call upon the magistrate of Magdeburg to hold a conference of the cities once ruled under Magdeburg Law. We must take psychological and emotional steps to resume ties with the world from which we were forcibly torn away. And we view the visits of foreign journalists as just a tiny manifestation of our extensive cooperation with worldwide journalism. Yes, our journalism has been afflicted with many ailments, but it is not so backward as to be embarrassed to receive foreign guests. I have been to editorial offices of many foreign (particularly German) media and can say that they too sometimes have less freedom than they would like to, owing to many — not necessarily political but, for example, commercial and advertising — problems. The point is that the lack of freedom is a crafty beast that emerges in more than one guise.”

Natalia POLIANCHUK, second-year undergraduate,

“You expressed an idea in your lecture that, as words are no longer trusted, photography assumes special importance. What recipe do you think could restore the power and truth of the word? I would also like to know the desired proportion between words and photos in a newspaper.”

“Usually, the proportion is set by the newspaper’s photo editor and sometimes by the editor-in-chief. A talented picture calls for space, it should be placed wisely, in full view. Of course, an arresting photo should not be placed next to some insipid and weak lines. This is, obviously, a desirable proportion. Yet, photography is a self-sufficient genre. I cannot say that a photo will help if words fail. No. The simple truth is we must try to use words as meaningfully as we can. All the words seem to have been written already. Great geniuses of literature have used all these words in the best possible way. But the point is not in shifting the words from left to right but in deriving new meanings from them, for what these words meant yesterday can be interpreted differently today. True, developing journalists and newspapers (as well as people in general) can always evince interest. For communication is the chief property of human beings. There are people who are always of interest to one another. What is the secret? In development, the ability to change, in the fact that man looks into the world, discards something, takes something new, and produces things. By the same token, sense can be returned to words. Philosopher Serhiy Krymsky once said, ‘Some newspapers are mirrors, while Den’ is a window.’ Hearing this from such a person is more important for me than any kind of award. So if we manage to help somebody discover a new sense, this is, in my opinion, an essential step toward restoring trust in words. You trust one individual and mistrust another. The same applies to newspapers.”

IMPRESSIONS

Volodymyr RIZUN, Director, Institute of Journalism, Kyiv Shevchenko National University,

“This is a phenomenal meeting. It was not just a lecture but a wise lesson for would-be journalists, a lesson of understanding the essence of Ukrainian journalism at its current stage of development of our state, a lesson of how one must not just use journalistic techniques but work in society as a system of global senses.”