Who is a patriot? How does he look like? What is he thinking about? Such questions come to mind when we try to somehow assess the qualities possessed by a citizen.
When you look at a person in an embroidered shirt, you probably think: "This is definitely him ㅡ a patriot." Someone who has his appearance, his style, too emotional or not, tall or short; the one who is just learning to speak and the one who makes titanic efforts so that we greet each morning with a smile and spend the night peacefully.
Who is he? ㅡ a real patriot, ㅡ say the Ukrainian military.
A patriot is not someone who wears an embroidered shirt. For example, I don't have it, but that doesn't mean I'm not a patriot. I protect Ukraine - this is a measure of my patriotism, a fighter of the special unit "KRAKEN" with the call sign "Vepr" [means "Boar" in Ukrainian — Ed].
A patriot can look different ㅡ, be dressed in military or civilian clothes, follow Orthodox teachings or Buddhism, be crazy about jazz or be inspired by folk music.
Patriotism unites different characters, professions, life views and principles. Uncompromising and moderation, yielding and firmness are harmoniously woven into it.
When you look at a patriot, you want to stand tall and say: "Glory to the heroes!" We cannot imagine who this person is, who he was in a past life. Still, his facial expression speaks of the strong-willed character of our ancestors, and his eyes ㅡ of a sensitive heart, which, in the historical dimension, remained loyal and steadfast to its ideals in the face of enemies, regardless of time.
In any case, to be a patriot is to feel.
Pride, honour, love, devotion, and even self-sacrifice ㅡ are feelings that overwhelm us from our actions.
Recently, society has been trying to catch the hype on everything "Ukrainian", and, in a certain sense, patriotism is doomed to exist since part of the crowd does not accept rational arguments but, on the contrary, is full of destructive beliefs.
We confuse ourselves when defining such concepts, not understanding the proper interpretation of the given word in advance.
Patriotism through the eyes of defenders
Patriotism is a behaviour based on certain principles and beliefs; it is the ability to recognize a citizen's true purpose and role in one's state.
Patriotism aims to live in social harmony by generally accepted values. Only then will human actions become an axiom of peace.
Of course, it will sound somewhat utopian because the ideal society lies in the Yellow Pages, where there is no incitement of enmity and no escalations of social conflicts.
Base instincts will always exist. The question is, will their numbers prevail? A consciously mature person understands that a sense of pride and respect for oneself as a citizen of Ukraine will not allow separation, will not allow oneself to play manipulative games for the benefit of a limited circle of interested persons and will enable the decline of statehood.
"Patriotism is ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country", JFK once said, but through the prism of time, this interpretation does not lose its relevance.
It is difficult to argue with these words because patriotism is hidden in the soul. This concept is delicate; it loves silence, and only human actions prove it.
What is patriotism for our Ukrainian defenders? How he motivates them to tirelessly and purposefully do their work, comments one of the fighters of the special unit "KRAKEN" with the call sign Koch.
For me, this is my home, a sense of devotion to my family, to my work, to my parents and their homes.
Patriotism is something more significant. To be the face of Ukrainian sports and represent your country in different parts of the world, to be an entrepreneur and hold the economic front, to give knowledge or learn yourself, and, in a moment, stand in defence of your Fatherland, accept any scenario from fate, forever changing your personal life and the life of his family.
The nature of patriotism has the face of heroism, positively influencing mental activity and emotions. Our defenders are a vivid example of that.
Every minute, they demonstrate the ability to put first, not their sarcophagus of interests. Still, on the contrary, ㅡ they get lost among enemy shadows to "clear" the way to preserve and develop a more global history, culture, language, traditions, and mentality...
Patriotism means that I care about what is happening. And I try to participate in it. This is what I can do. Even if a person left the country, but does something for the sake of victory, he is undoubtedly a patriot. In other cases — no, the fighter of the special unit "KRAKEN" with the call sign "Izya" noted during the conversation.
KRAKEN unit chief with callsign "Zyma" about patriotism
The society engages in frank self-deception, tirelessly creating an attractive, bold image with the orphaned inscription "I am a patriot", convincing someone, but not yourself, of the value of bearing the name Ukrainian.
Practice shows that this frank gesture has negative consequences in the long run because a chasm separates the vectors of personal and general interest. Patriotism itself does not tolerate selfishness.
Recently, I have a feeling that a patriot is unlikely to wear an embroidered shirt, because this very concept has an extremely sacred and spiritual meaning. Each color, each pattern has its own symbolism. This is a personal charm for the body and soul. And to put on colorful ribbons, go out into the street with the call "I am a patriot!" — there are too many of them. I also have vyshyvanka: both combat and ordinary, but I don't wear them yet. Vyshyvanka is waiting for Victory, the commander of the special unit group "KRAKEN" with the call sign Zyma [means "Winter" in Ukrainian].
It is impossible to measure the level of patriotism in practice. He is not a commodity, and it isn't easy for him because he is genuine and responsible ㅡ he does not like publicity.
This is work in the light, which is permeated with interest in the future fate of the state and society, and it cannot be abused because it can turn into a dangerous monster where the concepts of good and evil are mixed, where there is no difference between them, and where the noblest thoughts are devoured.
Everyone has to do everything to win
Healthy patriotism must be present. I will not say that I am directly a patriotic patriot, but when my country is insulted, I feel angry. I think this is patriotism. I chose to protect Ukraine. Everyone can do everything on their own. And no matter what, it should apply to everyone, especially those who are now running away from responsibility, the subgroup commander of the special unit "KRAKEN" with the call sign "Chern".
The modern world requires patriotic education: responsible citizens who can effectively interact in unity in performing socioeconomic and cultural-historical tasks.
Patriotism in itself cannot be a characteristic of a person. Still, it should become a norm encompassing knowledge, abilities, skills, experience and, undoubtedly, fulfilling one's social role. This is a cultural key.
At first glance, the answer is simple: patriotism is love for the Motherland, for the nation. But during the full-scale invasion, many left Ukraine. Therefore, in a broader sense, these are caring people who went to war and those who use any methods to help fight and win. These people deserve to be called patriots, a fighter of the special unit "KRAKEN" with the call sign "Vepr".
Patriotism as a propaganda tool
Currently, patriotism has turned into a weapon. This concept is often used to manipulate the masses' consciousness in the information field.
Since the Soviet Union, the authorities resorted to planting their ideology to implement and control society.
Nowadays, Russian propagandists have a whole arsenal of fakes, which change and become more widespread every day, resorting to "zombification" tactics.
The problem is that it is difficult for the "unaided eye" to separate them from the identical ascending narrative. As an example, it can be noted that we can observe the aggressive spread of "myths" of Russian propaganda during the coverage of the following theses:
"catastrophic losses of the Ukrainian army";
"There is no one left to fight on Ukrainian territory; weapons are given to pensioners and the wounded";
"Surrender of Ukraine";
"panic moods among Ukrainian defenders and voluntary surrender of weapons";
"Ukrainian bio laboratories" etc.
A lie is a tool of interaction with the surrounding world. Under its influence, the human brain emotionally adapts to misinformation, making its consciousness more prone to self-deception.
The mix of informational truth and lies leads to a clash of opinions in society, creates distrust in the current government, and sows doubts about the Ukrainian mass media.
As a result, the formation of the ability to analyze is dulled, and the understanding of values, norms and ideals is transformed because the more absurd the news content, the more it is perceived as truth.
It is difficult to fight the enemy because he skillfully blurs reality to justify his actions and intentions, artificially impregnating the human brain with informational "garbage".
For many years, the way back against the current reality can also be observed among Ukrainian citizens.
By expanding the geographical area, the intensity of Russian propaganda leads to the weakening of patriotism. There are exceptions when society continues to be exposed to artificially invented provocations and does not want to keep a calm mind.
Labelling, creating the image of the enemy, dehumanizing, and inciting hatred of specific population groups, their history and culture are alarming signals of the politics of genocide, terror and murder. Strictly speaking, it was embodied in the terror of the Ukrainian people even today.
In the complex, patriotism covers all colours of life: from a drawing by Chichild, which reflects pride for the military, to courage and courage on the hellish front.
This is the value of a civil, humanely correct position ㅡ to support even where the fierce foot of the enemy has passed.
Protecting our family, as a small part of society, we cover the whole country, even countries, in a planetary sense.
The author of the article is Eva Glikman, an employee of the media department of the special unit "KR” KEN"
