Valerii Pekar, Taras Prokhasko, Mychailo Wynnyckyj — March 1-5, 2022

“Wars. Ukrainians. Humanity” is a collection of flash essays that sheds light on Ukrainian insights, experiences, and beliefs ignited by the full-scale russian invasion.

The Cultural Hub community and curators have carefully collected, translated, and illustrated these texts in order to capture Ukrainian values — Freedom, Bravery, Dignity, Responsibility, and Humour. 

We’ve created a series of publications in partnership with Chytomo to introduce this collection to English-speaking audiences. Volume 2 continues to present the series. You can get acquainted with the previous collection here.

Valerii Pekar: vodka, sputnik, pogrom. March 1

There is some irony of fate in the fact that the great russian culture the Western world had been admiring has now compressed to two statements in russian that are popular in the West (known to millions of non-russian-speaking people):

“putin is a Dickhead!” and “russian warship! Go fuck yourself!”

We see once again that “the beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” that culture is just a social arrangement – concerning what exactly should be viewed as culture. Reassessment of the role of russia in the world is happening not just in terms of its military power, but also (obviously) its economic role, and then (not obviously, but consistently) concerning its cultural role. And then it appears that only two phrases are left.

Here I recall my university teacher of English who used to say: English is taking the words from every language that reflect the contribution of the respective culture into the world culture. And just three words come from russia: vodka, sputnik, pogrom.

Valerii Pekar: Since history is now being created, extraordinary things are worth noticing. March 1

Since history is now being created, extraordinary things are worth noticing.

Not a single war in the history of mankind seems to have generated so much humor on the side of the defending party.  

Normally, the victim of the aggression feels pain, anger, hatred, fear. That is also the case with us. But there is also something else. The wave of humor rose already on the first day, when nothing was clear, and it did not subside even when there was more bad news than good news.

This has never been the case.

Some say that humor is particularly inherent in the Ukrainian people (one may argue here, if one knows other cultures well enough). Psychologists will find some replacement effect, and social scientists will find something else in it. But it seems to me that it’s all about a different thing.

War is multi-dimensional in the modern world: military, economic, diplomatic, information, etc. Semantic (conceptual) war, according to the definition provided by the head of the presidential administration of the rf, anton vayno, this is “the war for the right to give names to phenomena and events — and this is the highest level of war.” The aggressor is trying to impose its senses and narratives, re-shape the global picture (do reframing). That is nothing new, Sun Tzu described this two and a half thousand years ago.

But we live in the post-modern epoch, though we are waging a war for modernity with the archaic empire (this overlapping of three waves is something absolutely unique in the history of wars and social transformations). And post-modernity is giving us a powerful tool of defense in the semantic war — deconstruction. It is no less powerful than Javelin. The aggressor is sending its senses and narratives to us, but they just burn as a convoy of russian fuel tankers, in the flame of deconstruction.

And what does laughter have to do with this? Well, it is the best deconstruction device. The one that burns in flames.

— I am a russian warship!

— russian warship, go fuck yourself!

In this way young modern, armed with modern Javelin and post-modern device for deconstructing alien senses is winning over the archaic with its old tanks, dead eyes of the kremlin old men and other awkward senses, with the hands of dead imperial men, from ivan the terrible up to joseph stalin, sticking up.

Mychailo Wynnyckyj: Thoughts from Kyiv. Evening of March 2

In the russian language and culture, one of the worst things one can experience is “pozor.”

This word translates as “shame” but its connotation is much deeper. russian culture is what organizational theorists call “vertically collectivist” — extremely hierarchical with pronounced tendency to group-think. Leadership in such a culture is all about machismo and metaphysical charisma.

The legitimacy of the “vozhd” (chief, boss, principal) is derived from the belief of followers in his “supernatural” (or at least visionary) qualities. These must be reinforced regularly through successful use of force and/or publicly acclaimed achievements.

When the vozhd fails, the effect is pozor — the worst possible loss of face. A leader who experiences pozor must self-ostricize, so as not to be publicly ridiculed. To do any less is equivalent to delegitimizing the entire group (company, organization, nation).

Now for an update on the situation in Ukraine:

— Crews of the russian armored vehicles supposedly advancing on Kyiv are surrendering en masse. Inside the vehicles Ukrainians are finding instruction manuals (the crews are poorly trained) and food rations with expiry dates older than the soldiers themselves.

— Tanks and APC’s are regularly abandoned by crews after running out of fuel or due to breakdown. Several have been towed away by local farmers’ tractors to become elaborate lawn ornaments.

— Prior to the start of invasion russian soldiers were issued rations for three days. On Day 7 they have run out of food and water, and have begun looting local stores and warehouses.

— Instead of being welcomed into Ukraine as liberators, russian soldiers have been stopped by unarmed civilians. The valiant and courageous Ukrainian people have now gained global acclaim while russians are being universally shunned.

For these and many other reasons, putin is experiencing pozor. And because of vertical collectivism, all of russia is beginning to feel shame.

We Ukrainians can rejoice in this, but it is also dangerous. In a vertically collectivist society, regicide (removal of the boss) is not only a mortal sin, it is never received positively by the group, even if successful. In other words, the perpetrators of any attempted coup in the kremlin will not be heroes under any circumstances and they know it.

Secondly, a vozhd experiencing pozor understands intuitively that unless a major successful and very public undertaking can be achieved, his days in power are numbered. The collective will destroy him for not self-ostracizing and thereby shaming the whole group (nation).

So putin has no choice but to escalate. Now the question: does he go for the nuclear option? And if he does, will we find that the command structure of russia’s nuclear forces to be as rotten as that of its ground forces?

In 2013–14 a major overhaul of America’s nuclear forces was undertaken after discovery of problems with morale in the silos. Because use of the nuclear option had become such a remote possibility, officers thought of service in these forces as the epitomy of a dead-end career. When discovered, this was fixed in the US.

There is no reason to believe that analogous morale problems don’t plague russia’s nuclear forces. And given the massive corruption that plagues the russian army there is reasonable confidence that the morale and command problems have not been not fixed.

So, russia is a paper tiger led by a failed leader who has shamed himself in an unprecedented way. To avoid pozor he must maintain his bluff.

putin is a terrorist who is holding the world hostage.

Western leaders are deathly afraid to get their forces directly involved in the war in Ukraine, despite repeated pleas for air support, because putin threatens them with nukes. Sadly, at the moment he is successful. The world is afraid of him. Score a win for the terrorist.

Again, putin is a terrorist. He is threatening the use of nukes because the West is afraid of them. And as long as you are afraid, the terrorist wins.

Eventually however, someone will call the bluff. And then pozor will be total, including also all the western leaders who fell for it.

In the meantime, Ukraine fights. And wins.

Slava Ukrayini!

#ThoughtsfromKyiv

Mychailo Wynnyckyj: Thoughts from Kyiv — After Biden’s State of the Union address. March 2

The SOTU address was not watched live in Ukraine. We spent the night huddled in bombshelters and basements while russian rockets destroyed our homes, our schools, our hospitals, our places of worship, our cities.

This morning we heard on television and on the internet President Biden say “We, the United States of America stand with the Ukrainian people.” We then waited with bated breath for some news of real action, real help that would be forthcoming in our very real war against an invading dictator’s army.

We saw wonderful symbolic gestures, standing ovations, quotes from President Zelensky’s speeches, hugs between FLOTUS and Ukraine’s ambassador to the US. We heard the President talk about western unity and American resolve. We heard about a worldwide coalition that is “inflicting pain on russia” and isolating putin.

Massive economic sanctions have been targeted at russia’s oligarchs, whose ill-begotten gains will now be investigated on a global scale (as if that shouldn’t have been standard procedure in rule of law states) …

Then came the key part: “Let me be clear. Our forces are not engaged and will not engage in the conflict with russian forces in Ukraine.” As Biden said this phrase, the camera was still focused on my dear friend Ambassador Oksana Markarova: the disappointment on her face mirrored that of this entire nation.

My dear Americans: We thank you for your words and for your sanctions. We thank you for the equipment, arms and diplomatic support that you have provided and continue to provide.

We also thank you for your clarity. We now understand (finally and clearly): this war is ours to fight alone.

Perhaps you will someday understand that putin does not care if he is isolated. North Korea and Iran have been isolated for many years and their regimes continue to exist.

putin does not care if sanctions destroy the russian economy, or the well-being of the russian people. If people were important to him, he would not be sending russian kids to die in a senseless war in Ukraine. If people mattered, the russians would not be including mobile crematoria as part of their advancing columns (burning bodies is less hassle than sending them home for burial).

putin is not afraid of russia’s oligarchs. He has isolated himself from their influence and will simply kill any that do not acquiesce to his will. He has provided them with ample warnings in the form of well publicized poisonings (skripal, navalny, lytvynenko) and “suicides.”

In these conditions, there are no “off ramps.” After last night, kremlin-friendly websites have begun spreading maps according to which Ukraine may be divided into four regions. Supposedly this is a “path to peace.” Ukrainian intelligence today reports that former President Yanukovych (ousted in 2014) has been brought to Minsk and will be proclaimed “legitimate” again. This is all bluster.

Ukrainians will resist. Ukrainians will continue to mobilize and fight. This country may well descend into a Syria-like quagmire with massive insurgency operations, endless destruction and death. But Ukraine will resist. Ukraine will prevail.

Sadly yesterday, the leadership of the United States abstracted itself from this war. President Biden made clear that America (and the alliances that it leads) has effectively agreed to be held hostage to a terrorist. The threat of nuclear war is the reason the US refuses to provide us with air cover. So be it. The terrorist has a victory. His target is afraid.

Yesterday the leadership of the United States demonstrated to the world that talk of values, words like “freedom” that are supposedly so fundamental to the American ideal, are just words. They are applicable only to Americans sitting safely in their comfortable homes.

The Anthem is hollow. Nevertheless, let me remind you of the words:

And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.

Our flag stands.

Meanwhile your President reassures you that gas prices will not be affected by US sanctions against putin.

Our war is with the terrorist in the kremlin who has terrorized the world with his nuclear weapons. Sooner of later that threat will have to be neutralized. If it happens sooner, fewer people will die. Later — more.

Until then, Ukrainians stand alone.

God help us!

#ThoughtsfromKyiv

Valerii Pekar: He is sending the evil on us, but it transforms into the good since that is the intention of Heaven. March 3

The Bible contains one place that is so interesting. Scared because of the Israeli heading for the Promised Land, a local king invites a powerful magician, a practitioner of divination called Balaam (Bil’am in the original) for him to curse the Jewish people (Numbers 22:24). That is the one with whom the donkey could speak. So, this magician comes to do his job, and God told him: you will tell only what I tell you. As a result, Balaam declares a blessing.

The king refuses to sign the handover certificate. And then they change the tactic to still make a curse, but a blessing comes again. They make a third attempt with a different approach, but again a blessing comes instead of a curse.

That is what is now happening with Ukraine and putin. He is sending the evil on us, while it, in spite of suffering, destruction and death, finally turns into the good since that is the intention of heaven. Over just a few days we have covered a long way towards unity, mass civil initiation, entering a new level of maturity, acquisition of political subjectivity, securing our future and changing our status in the world. The main thing now is not to go astray, not to make a mistake, not to deny ourselves, not to go into conflicts, not to give up.

Taras Prokhasko: Why always the war … March 3

I am looking at my old and sick mom with a new eye. I realize that no effort will help me take her down to the cellar, and not only because of the frequent air raid alerts but also in case of heavy shelling or bombardment. It would feel most peaceful to have her stay in her own bed, up the high floor, till the last. As a matter of fact, she was actually born on that same bed. It was well after the breakout of the World War. At that time, it was in the form of russian occupation, the “liberation” of western Ukrainian lands. She simply did not understand anything back then.

Her war came after her four years later. Paradoxically enough, but it also came in the form of russian occupation. The cellar, where I have no plans to carry her down, still has the scratched dates of soviet bombardments. Then, the soldiers came. They were rummaging for food and lodging. That is when my mom’s parents, who had already experienced Ukrainian defeat 20 years earlier, could do nothing to protect the little kid from trauma. It was so heavy that it seemed to retain her in that age forever, as I have always seen it. That is how she had lived therein. That is how I spent all of my childhood, in the shadow of the traumatized 4-year-old. It took me long to overcome that tradition trying not to pass the baton down to my kids. It is obvious that I did pass some things down. I hoped I could at least spare the youngest from that. I could not. The spiral coiled so that he had a chance to see the granny’s childhood fear and his dad’s reaction to it.

Meanwhile, looking at my fully dotage-lapsed mom, I am thinking that she is the one to carry the critical message, although hardly understanding anything. Because today we do not have another war. It is the same war that she came to this world to see, in that same place. And she froze in it so much as the war froze in her.

In fact, no war ended in 1945. It simply froze and stood transfixed. Indeed, of those who unleashed it, there was only one who stayed defeated and subdued. As a matter of fact, he was the one who finished the previous war in the same fashion. Back then, no strength was left, or confidence, or awareness to deal with the russian aggressor.  The Ukrainian resistance had false hopes to get the ultimate liberation. The matter was put to rest in a manner that the aggressor was a victim and a winner at the same time. They were left with the aftertaste of the unpunished evil, and the allies were given the flavour of the evil’s impunity.

From the world’s response to russia’s highly impudent atrocities, we could imagine how sick and tired we all are of it. How hard it is to stay for so long in a status of relations building with the originally aggressive global neighbour. How the feeling of repressed guilt and self-chastising does not allow us to escape the perpetual fear for nonsensical madness of the one who arrogated the world’s savior rights.

Our war is certainly ours, in the first place. It is for us. But the moment seems to have come to make use of Ukraine to the fullest. Truth to tell, not as a moving hoarstone but rather as a battle ground to properly re-conclude the Second World War. In any case, Ukraine demonstrated that they could serve the purpose. Our war will still remain ours. On the other hand, it is too risky to wait for finding the closure of 1939.

She seems to not care any longer but I would like to have the old mother realize that despite the horrendous long-lasting wound, it has been allowed to start growing up.

Mychailo Wynnyckyj: Thoughts from Kyiv. Afternoon of March 3

russia’s invasion started one week ago. During this week russia has lost over 9000 men and massive amounts of equipment. Their mobile crematoria are working at full capacity, and Ukrainian railways have organized 20 special refrigerated cars to ship bodies back to russia.

putin’s attempted Blitzkreig can now be officially declared a Blitzfail (thank you Валерій Пекар for this term).

The ground offensive around Kyiv has effectively ground to a halt. The situation in the south of the country is very difficult, and russian advances continue from the northeast, but the Ukrainian Army has launched successful counter-attacks in the Donbas moving forward into Horlivka near Donetsk.

Civilian mobilization is near total throughout the country. Some isolated incidents of collaboration between local village administrations and invading troops have been reported, but resistance in large urban centers is determined and well organized.

The Pentagon reports that additional ground troops are not being moved by russia into the Ukrainian theatre. Obviously, aircraft and rocket forces need not be moved forward.

The war has now shifted to a “Syria” style conflict: russian planes and rockets will continue bombing Ukraine’s cities on a nightly basis. Images of Syria’s Aleppo are now increasingly becoming our reality. russia’s tactical aim now seems to be to destroy infrastructure and civilian targets in Ukraine’s cities. This is now a war of attrition.

Although Ukraine has obtained massive amounts of military and economic assistance from our western friends, our key appeal for a no-fly zone over Ukraine remains unrealized. As a result, again tonight civilians will die.

The world’s Number 1 Terrorist has successfully frightened western leaders with his nuclear capability. Despite claims that the West refuses to be held hostage to terrorists, this is exactly what has happened. putin’s threat (likely a bluff) has worked. Western leaders are reluctant to engage militarily because they are afraid. The terrorist has won. Hopefully, temporarily.

At this point the war in Ukraine has grown well beyond its regional confines. The world has mobilized economic and diplomatic sanctions, and we are grateful for that support, but putin’s threat is not going away soon.

russia’s isolation will cause hardship to its population, but it is unlikely to dislodge putin from power. putin is no democrat. The wellbeing of his citizens does not concern him. russians who protest are jailed. Oligarchs who protest are killed.

No negotiated “off ramp” exists in war with russia. putin wants to control Ukraine. Ukrainians want the russians to get out of their country. That does not leave much room for negotiation.

The only way to achieve peace (in Ukraine and beyond) is to remove putin from power. putin started this war without provocation. He is holding the world hostage. He is a terrorist.

That’s the message that needs to be spread to western leaders:

1) Don’t be hostage to the terrorist: #Ukrainians deserve #noflyzoneoverUkraine

2) There will be no peace in the world until putin is removed: #regimechangeinRussia

God help us all!

#ThoughtsfromKyiv

Mychailo Wynnycky: Thoughts from Kyiv. Morning of March 4

Lately I’ve been feeling like Leonardo DiCaprio’s character in the Netflix movie “Don’t Look Up.” People read what I have to say, they agree, and yet the world continues to descend into disaster.

A poignant meme is now circulating Ukraine’s social media:

“World War Three has already started. On one side we have russia against the civilized world, and on the other Ukraine, defending the civilized world.”

The civilized world has aided Ukraine militarily, economically, diplomatically… We are grateful.

But the civilized world refuses to engage russia directly because its leaders fear catastrophe. Apparently, a no-fly zone over Ukraine might provoke putin into thermonuclear war.

This is the logic of succumbing to terrorism. The world fears nuclear war. This fear justifies inaction. Inaction allows the terrorist in the kremlin to gain more hostages, to spread more fear.

The longer one tolerates a terrorist, the more harm he does. Inevitably, he must be confronted.

Indeed, the confrontation is imminent. As former Ukrainian ambassador to the US Valeriy Chaly pointed out yesterday, throughout the conflict in Ukraine (since 2014) putin has consistently engaged in “escalation commitment:”

He offset the negative consequences of his annexation of Crimea (sanctions) by escalating in the Donbas. Failure to bring Ukraine to its knees through attrition in a local war in the Donbas was compensated by invasion of all of Ukraine. Failure in Ukraine will inevitably be followed by escalation on a global scale: by testing NATO’s resolve in the Baltic countries or elsewhere. Then what?

Machiavelli famously wrote: “There is no avoiding war, it can only be postponed to the advantage of your enemy.”

Sadly, although losing on the ground in Ukraine (tragically for russian soldiers), putin seems to be winning in his war with the civilized world (for the moment, holding it hostage).

Last night russian tanks and aircraft launched an attack on the largest nuclear power facility in Europe in the southern Ukrainian town of Enerhodar (Zaporizhzhia oblast). One of the reactors suffered a direct hit, but so far remains unpenetrated.

Meanwhile Western leaders continue to believe: If we ignore impending disaster maybe it won’t happen…

“Don’t look up!”

#ThoughtsfromKyiv

Mychailo Wynnyckyj: Thoughts from Kyiv. Afternoon of March 4

russia is suffering from massive economic sanctions. We can rejoice in their hardship, but have we not made the situation worse?

The vast majority of russians have never traveled beyond russia. They receive their information from state television, and from kremlin-controlled websites. These media are now telling them that the world has turned against russia. The “evil West” is responsible for inflicting hardship on ordinary (innocent) russians.

The idea underpinning the West’s strategy of instituting massive economic sanctions seems to have been based on two false premises: that putin cares about the wellbeing of his people (he doesn’t) and that the russian people (or the oligarchs around him) will rise up against putin if their wellbeing suffers significantly.

The opposite may well be happening. In russian popular discourse putin embodies russia. There can be no russia without putin (his press secretary even said so several years ago). By sanctioning the russian economy, the West has attacked putin-russia. And the natural reaction is patriotic consolidation.

In other words, instead of weakening putin, sanctions may well have increased his popular support. russians are reacting like sports fans who have witnessed what they perceive as an “unfair” ruling by a referee against their team: cheering for their coach (putin) has grown louder.

Eventually (we hope) the coach will be replaced. But that won’t happen because of the ref’s ruling, but rather because their team loses. That is why putin cannot ford to lose in Ukraine, and will escalate until he can get a “win.”

I apologize for the sports analogy, but given how the war in Ukraine is being portrayed in the global media, this seems fitting. The West has its favorite team — the underdogs with Zelensky as the star captain.

russians root for their own, ignoring both their team’s errors and any costs associated with supporting the home side.

Meanwhile, this is not a game. Nuclear power plants are being shelled. Civilian infrastructure is being destroyed. People are dying in very large numbers.

Sanctions are not sufficient answer.

#Ukrainians deserve a #noflyzoneoverUkraine

#ThoughtsfromKyiv

Mychailo Wynnyckyj: Thoughts from Kyiv. Morning of March 5

Yesterday was one of the most disappointing days in the past 10. We stand alone.

Despite pleading for days to NATO to cover our skies, our “friends” said no.

President Zelensky said it right: the blood of Ukrainian civilians is now on the hands of the West’s weak leaders. He expressed hope that these same leaders would be capable of defending their own countries when (not if) the russian invader comes knocking. In the meantime Ukrainians will defend “our common European home,” and will forever remember that in our hour of greatest need, our “friends” choked.

NATO leaders fear that their planes will be forced to engage russian aircraft in the skies over Ukraine. Supposedly this might cause nuclear war.

I have some news for you: your countries are already at war. Yesterday, you could have won this war without risking your armies or populations. You chose the path of greater death.

putin will lose in Ukraine. Occupying a country where civilians stop invading tanks with their bodies, and hundreds gather in town centers to face armed invaders with flags (and refuse to move even when shot at) cannot be occupied.

When losses in Ukraine become obvious even to russians, putin will escalate. And then NATO will be engaged not of its own initiative, but of his. Then the casualties will be yours.

In the meantime, Ukrainian cities will continue to be destroyed by russian rockets falling from the sky.

We stand alone.

#ThoughtsfromKyiv

* The editorial “rule of small letters” or the “rule of disrespect for criminals” applies to all the words related to evil, like names and surnames of terrorists, war criminals, rapists, murderers, and torturers. They do not deserve to be capitalized but shall be written in italics to stay in the focus of the readers’ attention.

The program “Wars. Ukrainians. Humanity” has been created through joint effort and financial support of the institution’s members of the Cultural Business Education Hub, the European Cultural Foundation, and BBK — the Regensburg Art and Culture Support Group from the Professional Association of Artists of Lower Bavaria/Upper Palatinate.

Authors: Valerii Pekar, Taras Prokhasko, Mychailo Wynnyckyj 

Translators (from Ukrainian): Halyna Pekhnyk (Valerii Pekar’s essays), Svitlana Bregman (Taras Prokhasko’s essay)

Illustrators: Max Palenko (Valerii Pekar’s essays), Yuliya Tabenska (Taras Prokhasko’s essay), Victoria Boyko (Mychailo Wynnyckyj’s essays on March 2, Evening of March 2, Afternoon of March 3, Afternoon of March 4, Morning March 5),  Christina Katrakis (Mychailo Wynnyckyj’s essay on Morning of March 4),  plasticine panel by Olha Protasova

Copyeditors: Yuliia Moroz, Terra Friedman King

Proofreaders: Iryna Andrieieva, Terra Friedman King

Content Editors: Maryna Korchaka, Natalia Babalyk

Program Directors: Julia Ovcharenko and Demyan Om Dyakiv-Slavitski