Serhiy Prytula is convinced that people need to be constantly reminded that the movement into the European Union and NATO will not happen by itself. Ukraine is paying a higher price to remain as it is until February 24, 2022.
Serhiy Prytula is convinced that people need to be constantly reminded that the movement into the European Union and NATO will not happen by itself. Ukraine is paying a higher price to remain as it is until February 24, 2022.
Serhiy Prytula told online.ua about the changes in Ukrainians and why Ukrainian society has grown wounded over the past 30 years.
Do you share the thesis that war changes people?
It is obvious that the war changes circumstances. Who adapts to it and how is another question.
I am not ready to speak for everyone, although certain societal changes are apparent. In particular, the desire for unity, which has never been seen in our society on such a scale. And such a monolithic society has been striking for the last ten months. Actually, it's great.
Do I feel any changes inside me? Probably I do that I don't. I won't say that I like it because I still can't explain to myself how the humanitarian that lives inside me is so eager for someone's death.
But, again, this is probably my reaction to the circumstances I did not create for our country. And it would be good if our people had a similar response, such a reflection. It may give us strength in one way or another.
Have Ukrainians changed because of the [Russian-Ukrainian] war
When the full-scale invasion began, we all said: “That's it, we're all going to change; we're never going to be the same again”. And after a few more months passed, we saw that if a person was good before the war, it remained good. And if someone were not very good, it would remain the same.
I see various fabulous transformations. I saw how people to whom I was not ready to shake the hand before sincerely repented and began to work for Ukrainian victory. It applies more to the creative industry than to any other sphere.
I saw how people who seemed to me to be interesting, kind, and good, in fact, in such a critical situation, couldn’t find a place for themselves in the new coordinate system and lost many opportunities. Someone became “untouchable” as a result.
Therefore, when we say that a specific person was good, he remained so, and a particular person was bad — then the war became such a trigger and catalyst — that it became even worse. Probably when we say this, we imagine some public people from the field of politics, perhaps public administration and so on.
Serhiy Prytula with Kyiv City Council member and military servicewoman Alina Mykhaylova and Hero of Ukraine, commander of the 1st separated assault company of The Right Sector Volunteer Ukrainian Corps Dmytro Kotsyubailo with the call sign “Da Vinci”.
It is unlikely that we are talking about a paramedic from some dispensary or an electrician who twists the wires and nuts for us and does everything to keep the lights on after the hits [from Russian occupants].
If we look at some conditional map of public people that were relevant as of October-November 2021, then in December 2022, we would not find there numerous people who were relevant last year.
Because, for example, this bunch of “regional” [a nickname for members of the pro-Russian Party of Regions, who were in power in the time of former President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych – Ed.] underachievers has now evaporated. Anyway, someone is still trying to adapt – from the “Vienna” or the “Monaco” battalions [a sarcastic name for politicians and rich persons who have run away after the full-scale invasion of Russia on Ukraine – Ed.] — to put on the mask of a Ukrainian volunteer.
They manage to do it with a terrible creak. It is so unnatural that it simply does not come to mind. But even if, by their attempt to mimic ordinary people, they will drive some help into the army – well, thanks for that.
Ukraine did not always have enough leaders
How do you think — can we use the moment to evolve as a society?
I would really like that. It will depend on many components.
Firstly, I don't quite understand now in what way it is possible to force Ukrainian society to get rid of the level of paternalism that was inherent in it. Secondly, infantilism is not something that can be cured in one second or even in a month.
This is a long process that should be supported by the development of education as a whole in the state, the emergence of critical thinking in a larger number of people than a narrow passionate stratum, and so on and on.
That is, there should be societal changes that will go from two sides. Because the fish stinks from the head, and it also needs to be treated from time to time.
The Serhiy Prytula Foundation team at a meeting with representatives of the European Commission in Brussels
And the country did not always have enough of those leaders who, like Danko [the hero of the third part of soviet Russian writer Maxim Gorky's work “Old Isergil”, sacrificed himself and saved the people with the help of a “burning heart” — Ed.], were ready to tear out their hearts and lead society ahead. They [leaders] usually ripped out the heart of society. And it [society – Ed.] has grown so wounded over the past 30 years. Therefore, there is a lot of mistrust in it.
We notice this regularly because although the volunteer movement has one of the highest ratings of trust in Ukrainian society, there is still a category of people who think that this is all some sort of fake, that such a thing does not happen, that it is impossible to create a volunteer movement in Ukraine, who will altruistically do everything to support the army and not only the military. Because volunteerism sprouted in many different ways.
Therefore, I believe that if you regularly hit the same point and remind people that the movement to the European Union and NATO, which is laid down in the Constitution, which is talked about so much, and for which people are dying now, will not happen by itself.
We will not be told: come in because you had a war, and we will give you membership in the European Union out of pity. Before that, we must grow up, accept specific game rules, and then enter with equal rights but not as a poor relative.
For this, it is necessary to strain a little and constantly remind people that tens of thousands of people paid with their lives for the right to become a new country.
And this is the higher price to allow society to remain as it was before February 24, 2022.
And [after] if all people who are some opinion leaders for small or large communities have this common denominator and will not waste time on quarrels, but will help society to change, then everything will succeed.
Another question is whether Ukraine has a sufficient number of such road signs.
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