“Volunteers’ movement is like a manifestation of our DNA”

Last week Mykolaiv was the center of Ukrainian rock music for charity. For the first time Ukrainian bands, Shablia, TaRuta, Kozak System, and S.K.A.Y., gathered in the local Oblast Palace of Culture to give a joint charity concert in support of our servicemen. The organizers decided that the money raised will go for the needs of Mykolaiv 79th Airmobile Brigade. In particular, a mobile bathhouse with a washhouse will be arranged for them. The front man of Kozak System band Ivan Lenio said that this is neither the first, nor the last charity concert concerned Ukrainian artists are taking part in. He said that when the country is at war, everyone must get mobilized and not be covering the lack of civic stand with empty words like “art is beyond politics,” “sport is beyond politics,” “journalism is beyond politics.”

“I am outraged that some Ukrainian artists debate on whether they should support the Ukrainian army. They say that art must be beyond politics. Dear friends, an armed enemy is at our threshold. And this enemy won’t choose what house to hit, whether it is a house of an artist, doctor, teacher, or student. For them we are just rubbish and slaves. The enemy will do its best to seize this land and these people and continue to impose its ‘policy of slavery’ on us. Actually, it has been doing this for over 300 years,” Ivan LENIO says, “I know from ATO servicemen that every one of them is incredibly glad when musicians give concerts to raise money for them. This is very important for the warriors. For them it is important to know that they are supported by the entire country. They show incredible courage, patriotism. They are not just taking a test as men, but are doing this consciously, understanding that millions of compatriots are standing behind. So far we have an opportunity to help the servicemen with our music instruments. But if we all don’t stand in a music front, we will soon have to help them with weapons in the real front, take automatic guns instead of music instruments.”

Are you going to give new charity concerts to raise funds for the Ukrainian servicemen?

“We always respond to adequate proposals to support our soldiers in some or other way. This concert in Mykolaiv was not the first one, and, believe me, it is not the last one. The question is about proper organization. The concert should not be held just for show, it should be organized in a clear and proper way, so that people came to it. So, we invite people and do our best to charge them with our energy, the people pay money for this, and the money goes directly to the ATO servicemen. This is a kind of volunteer music movement. You know I have recently had a guest from Georgia who is a high-ranking official. He knows the information I don’t know. And in a private talk he said quite seriously that be it not for our volunteers, Ukraine would have been defeated long ago. The volunteer movement is the effect of our DNA. For we are descendants of Cossack Sich. And a special feature of this culture is that when it becomes really hard, we gather to maidans, to councils, and solve our problems there. Then we control whether the decisions approved by the community are fulfilled. You know, the expression that ‘my house is at the farthest border, [which is why this is none of my concern]’ is a myth, imposed on us by the Russian propaganda. We are not indifferent. The war has proved this once again. We can use this expression only in the interpretation that because my house is at the farthest border, I’m the first to meet the enemy.”

This year Den’s Golden Award of the 16th International Photo Competition of our newspaper went to Serhii Kharchenko for his work Callsign Sokil (Artur Stepanenko). The photo shows a Ukrainian military serviceman with an open and bright look. On his arm there is a tattoo: the coat of arms of Ukraine and the words “freedom of death.” What is your vision of the new Ukrainian hero?

“It’s very good that you have awarded the photo depicting this person. These are new Cossacks. After communication with the servicemen I can say that in my understanding the image of the new hero is just like that. It is simple, not talkative, intelligent, and fearless. It looks like an etching from the 17th century. You know, this is a typical Cossack image of a warrior. Talking to the servicemen from the ATO, I see that the war hasn’t broken them. They have a man’s realistic, concrete approach to life. They have taken wisdom and philosophical understanding of life from the war. They continue to be kind. You know, in the hell of the war they haven’t become embittered with the world. They know very well that those who are shooting at them are marionettes brainwashed with propaganda, and some of them are just scum, ‘cosmic rubbish.’ And it is no surprise that many of them are contractors from Russia. Today it is clear to everyone that in Ukraine the good is fighting the evil of the world level. The world sees and understands this. And for other countries to support us more actively, Ukrainian public persons, in particular, artists, must regularly pay attention to this.

“I wasn’t surprised, but pleasantly impressed that all heroes of our music video Saber are serving at the frontline in the ATO area. The only thing that has changed compared to the picture in the video is that they are wearing camouflage instead of T-shirts. And they are really ready to defend Ukraine till the end. I mean Valerii Chobotar, the head of Ternopil Oblast Center of Nationwide Federation of Free-Fight and Contact Combat Sport; Serhii Hutsak, who is an ordinary businessman, and Dmytro Korchynsky. The joint image of these people in my understanding embodies the new Ukrainian hero.”