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Mykola Kondrashev "Choosing Ukraine"
146 Plays1 year ago
Mykola Kondrashev is an award-winning cinematographer and photographer based in Kiyv who also holds a master's degree in psychology.
With his experience on a wide array of projects including commercial music videos, feature films, and television series, Mykola has honed his skills to create captivating and powerful visuals.
Mykola’s impressive portfolio of projects spans the globe and he has worked with huge names like Coca-Cola, Radisson and Nescafé.
Mykola’s dedication to his craft is evident in all of his work, and we are excited to welcome him on board the Yellow Van to learn more about his journey as a cinematographer, how his daily routine has changed during the war and how the deep divide of war can split right through the middle of a family.
And, as always, a lot more.
Welcome to the Yellow Van, Mykola!
Shortly after the recording of our episode, Mykola received mail from the army to be registered with them. As I am recording this, Mykola, like countless other Ukrainians is waiting for his marching order. It could come any moment of any day. Alex Kraev from Odessa, who you might remember from one of the previous episodes, has already been at the front for almost two months now. In one of his latest Facebook-Posts, he wrote: "I am not dead, I am learning." War becomes something else entirely when you know the people who are thrown into it.
SHOW NOTES
Nyvky - a suburb of Kyiv
V2 Rockets
Bucha
Irpin
Cossacks
Khokhol
Oseledets
Khmelnytsky Uprising
Takflix, Ukrainian film streaming service
Wladiwostok
Sergei Loznitsa, Ukrainian director
My Joy, film directed by Sergei Loznitsa
Link to the episode with Alex Kraev
Mykola Online
Mykola’s Personal website
Mykola’s Facebook
Mykola’s Instagram
Donations
Civilian: Psychological Association of Ukraine
Military: Eyes On Ukraine, Support for Drones
Love In The Face Of Fear, Jim Kroft
Yellow Van Stories is a Mind the Bump Production.
Recommended
Transcript
Emotional Impact of European Support
00:00:07
Speaker
Many people in Ukrainian love you because you take our family in safety. You take my mama in Europe in safety. Many people feel love to you because I think 8 million live in Europe.
00:00:25
Speaker
Please don't be guilty what you can do. You do a very big deal because if you don't support us, we go to the depression mentally and we stay alone. Now if you support us, we feel it.
Focus on Ukrainian Stories: Cultural Identity and Narratives
00:00:49
Speaker
Hello and welcome to a new episode of the Yellow Band Stories. I'm your host and driver Bastian. We are so happy and grateful that you have made the time to come on board with us today.
00:01:00
Speaker
We have been waiting just for you and kept your usual seat by the window sign. After Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the topic of the second season of this podcast became very clear to us. We decided to invite Ukrainians into the van to share their stories with us and to learn more about Ukraine's cultural identity. Because it has too often been appropriated by a chauvinistic Russian narrative. And the same narrative now serves as a pretense to the war.
European Support: Essential for Democracy
00:01:29
Speaker
I open up today's episode with Mikola's expression of gratitude towards his fellow Europeans because it is a reminder that what we do in the rest of Europe, and the rest of the world of course, really matters to Ukraine. Showing our support 16 months after the invasion is not an abstract empty gesture, it makes all the difference in the Ukrainian fight for democracy and freedom. Let's not forget that however long this fight will take.
00:01:58
Speaker
On season first gear ready and we are good to
Introduction to Mikola Kondrashev
00:02:01
Speaker
go. So buckle up and sit back because today we're going to meet Mikola in Kyiv. Hello and welcome to a new episode of the Yellow Band Stories. Here with us today is Mikola Kondrashev. He is a cameraman and photographer from Kyiv and I'm looking very much forward to talking to him today. Hi Mikola, pleasure to have you on board with us.
00:02:28
Speaker
Hello, hello, everybody. I'm very glad to see you, to listen to you, to speak with you. I thank you for what you write this podcast with me. Thank you.
00:02:40
Speaker
It's a great pleasure to have you, Mikola. And just before we start, I just want to point out you had a lot of reservations about whether your English will be good enough for this. And I said, yes, it is, first of all. And if there are any troubles, we will just do it together and we will get through together. I will support a little bit sometimes if necessary. But I think your English is great and your presence here outweighs everything else.
00:03:07
Speaker
and the stories you have to tell. So that's why we said we'll just go ahead with it just for the listeners so they have a bit of a background there as well. So I will just read out a little bio of yours so that people know a little more about you and then we'll just dive right into our conversation.
00:03:28
Speaker
Here goes. Mikola Kondrashev is an award-winning cinematographer and photographer based in Kiev, who also holds a master's degree in psychology, actually. With his experience on a wide array of projects, including commercial music videos, feature films, and television series, Mikola has honed his skills to create captivating and powerful visuals. Mikola's impressive portfolio of projects spans the globe, and he has worked with huge names like Coca-Cola, Radisson, and Nescafe.
00:03:56
Speaker
Mykola's dedication to his craft is evident in all of his work, and I'm very excited to welcome him on board the Yellow Van today to learn more about his journey as a cinematographer, how his daily routine has changed now due to the war, and how the deep divide of a war can split right through the middle of the family, and as always, a lot more. So welcome to the Yellow Van, Mykola. Thank you. Thank you. It's 100% right. Yes.
00:04:27
Speaker
I want to speak, don't show this podcast to Tatiana Cernis, it's my English teacher, and let's start. Well, after you said that, I am sure she will come across it sooner or later. Do you want to say anything before we start? No.
Mikola's Personal Struggles and Adaptation
00:04:56
Speaker
I many times spent with myself to wait this podcast and I want to say about how the field cameraman, photographers and other people who create, who work in this production. Now after Russian invasion,
00:05:22
Speaker
big Russian invasion. And what changed? And for be honest, I just speak about my life, like maybe it's so heuristic, but I need something who listen to me about this year, what's happening, because many changes, lives, all lives, not me, another life, are quickly changed.
00:05:51
Speaker
And I want to speak maybe some like the therapy for me, but I really want to do this.
00:06:03
Speaker
That is wonderful. It's always great to have people who really want to be on the show. I've never had it any other way, obviously, because I'm not forcing anyone. But not that I am a psychotherapist. My word, I have no education in that field whatsoever. But it's always good to talk about things, and I'm glad that we have this opportunity to talk about a few things.
00:06:26
Speaker
because you have a very good overview also of the film industry in Ukraine at the moment. This is what I would like to talk to you about, how this has developed for you and also for others to have a bit of an overview there. But before we go deeply into it, I would first like to know from you, where are you at the moment, actually? I'm in my room in Kiev. It's a knifkit and Kiev.
00:06:54
Speaker
I'm at my home at my home. All right. And and how are you doing? This is like I always try to check in with people before we get into other topics like how are you doing? We know we are at a moment just to give a bit of a background as well. We are now at a moment where there are constant raids, night raids on Kiv by the Russian army like missiles.
00:07:21
Speaker
Yes, yes, it's always happened because it's near the border of the Kiev. It's releasing explosion many times today, maybe two hours before we have Syrian, maybe you listen to them if they start again and I show you how it feels. Just open the window.
00:07:50
Speaker
But it's very interesting life now. In the night, come to Russian rockets, come to Shahid drone and... The Iranian drones, you mean, right? Yes, yes, yes, yes. Iranian drones. They call it Shahid. Russian call it Gyran-2.
00:08:17
Speaker
but we call it Mepet. Mepet is little scooter because she sounds like little scooter. Like this. And they call it, we call it Mepet. So at night, come Mepet and come rocket, many people don't sleep, go to the telegram news, just sitting on the
00:08:45
Speaker
on the corridor bedroom with walls and on sleep. And after, in the morning, go to the work and life again like before. I don't know how it's like. It's very interesting. It's very interesting to,
00:09:06
Speaker
to see this because coffee works, office works, people work like normal life, but in the night they come again. It's like terrible story about dragon, you know, like fairy tales, yes, like fairy tales.
00:09:29
Speaker
But it's in give in very big plus for us because I think you have a most stronger anti
00:09:39
Speaker
air system because I think many embosses in Kiev and so we safe to know if you look in other town like Kharkiv damage in Lugansk area, Donetsk area, Herzog. It's a lot more, a lot more damage through the nitrates you mean? Yes, yes.
00:10:01
Speaker
But that also means that you don't really sleep at night, right? I mean, this is the most haunting about it, I suppose, that I see images of people sitting on the escalators, the stairs of the subway stations, the metro stations, because at night they have to very often leave their apartments and then spend the nights there and then go to work the following day. Is that how it is?
00:10:25
Speaker
No, no, it's first day, it was be when people go to the, I don't know. The metro or the bunkers? No, no. The bunkers, yes. Because we have old, yes, yes, because many homes in Kiev was built in the U.S. at the time. And you used to start always ready to the war with NATO,
00:10:55
Speaker
like this. And we have many bunkers in old buildings. But now, not more people go to these bunkers. Now, I think, for my opinion, many people just stay at home. Because you can, for really, you don't have to change anything with these rockets. It's like lottery, you know.
00:11:25
Speaker
It's like just you just wait and all. And maybe this psychology work like this. You don't think about this, okay? They come and they go. They come and they go. They come and they go. And because we're always afraid, it's...
00:11:49
Speaker
Ah, you will retire if you're afraid of all these rockets. There's a routine that develops with it. Is that what you're trying to say? Yes, yes, yes. I think more people have more dangers than people who live in Kyiv. How do you spend your nights then at the moment? How is it for you?
Denial and Acceptance of War Realities
00:12:17
Speaker
I sleep every night, good sleep, I don't have panic attack now. In the first day, when they were to the start, this sound of the siren made me scary, because I listened to the siren only
00:12:36
Speaker
only and old footage from Second World War II when Gidler sent a photo in London in this film, when you film this in the street, first time it scared me. But now
00:12:55
Speaker
I'm just sleeping. I need to work. Maybe I do editing when it's been my next inviter years ago, I do editing and near my house, our
00:13:15
Speaker
our soldiers put rockets and I do editing of Zanzibar beaches with the sun and make editing and then near my home with it's writings.
00:13:33
Speaker
Yep, the fence, like the soldiers defending the city. That was in the beginning, in winter last year, when Kiev was still in danger of being invaded by Russian forces. Was that when? Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. I just come from Zanzibar. I'm shooting IRL footage of the ocean.
00:13:54
Speaker
Yeah, it's like, which is very beautiful, by the way, I saw that I saw the video is very, very beautiful on your website. Thank you. Yes. Thank you. And it's like another another planet and come to here with the sun in my shoes and come to here and and what to start and first time in the morning. If you don't mind, I speak about this. OK, yes, of course. OK.
00:14:24
Speaker
how the mind is work at this night when a full-scale invasion it start I be in my bed and look telegram news and always news about they start now they start after one house they start maybe 50 minutes they start close start this close close close
00:14:50
Speaker
And after one telegram news channel, right? Some Russian planes who played first, they come, they play first and shoot down our system, Ukrainian, our defense system. The war is now, it's happened. So I write here,
00:15:17
Speaker
and put down, close the telephone, going to sleep. I know what is coming, but my brain, it's closed this information. I don't know how it works. And when I, after four hours, the star bombing hit with the rain everywhere, I wake up in a new reality. But first my
00:15:43
Speaker
First my reaction, it's not. It's not happened with me, not happened with my country, not happened with Kyiv. It's not possible. Why? I'm... I'll try to deny it. Yes, yes, yes. Yesterday, I was filming Zanzibar with drinking Coca-Cola. No, no, you're not looking like refloosing on the water. Why? What is happening here?
00:16:11
Speaker
So then after everything changed, changed faster, faster, faster, faster. And so I go to the one day, half a day I just sit in my room. Another day I take a water, thinking, ah, go to the shop, buy it.
00:16:33
Speaker
the big, big, I don't know, pocket with pocket with potato, you know, it's not big bags, like a huge, huge bag. Yes, big. Yeah. Yeah, huge bag to potato. And after do what do again, try to go to the one place in a balloon, it's near my, it's part of TF
00:16:57
Speaker
They give Kalashnikov to people who can shoot him. If you come with passport, they give you Kalashnikov. But I don't be in army. I go to this.
00:17:13
Speaker
place and just say, go away. We don't have Kalashnikov for you. Kalashnikov is ended. And go away. And many other people say, go away. And after I go to the place where a Ukrainian military, it's because, why in Kamat? I don't know how you take name of this place.
00:17:43
Speaker
people go to army first i don't know how like a dispensary like a dispensary maybe a recruiting center yes a recruiting center yeah okay i'm go to this and they i asked i am need they say you be an army i said no he say go to home i said but i have drone and he said oh you have drone so come in
00:18:13
Speaker
So I spent next month with drone in this place and shooting for this Ukrainian army for drones. It's this part of Kyiv who close to Bucher. Bucher, it came, you know? Yes. Maybe you think you see Bucher, Mascar. Yes, yes. The massacres that were all over the news, like basically a year ago, over more than a year ago now. Yes. Terrible. Terrible. Yes.
00:18:42
Speaker
so so we wait here that they come for this side of this and and but sometimes the army men gave they may go to the home washing washing yourself wash your clothes go to home
00:19:01
Speaker
and I come to home, can sleep, so editing, editing Zanzibar footage, I just, I remember this all of my life. It's surreal, yes, absolutely surreal. Also, it's great that, you know, first of all,
00:19:23
Speaker
So when you actually, because you said you were first in denial of actually a war, an invasion taking place, I think then you talk about the moment when you go out to get a Kalashnikov. I suppose that was a moment where you realized this is a reality and you want to become active about it. So it was this decisive action that you talk on your side. I would like to know, because in preparation for this conversation,
Family Divide and Propaganda's Influence
00:19:52
Speaker
You told me that your parents, your dad is living in Russia. You said he's an orc, something we will still get into, what that actually means. And your mom is a fervent supporter of Ukrainian independence. Can you tell me how does this make you feel and how has this
00:20:17
Speaker
you know, like influenced your family life in that sense. Okay, my father lived in Sochi, not in Sochi, it's a small village in Caucasian mountains near the Sochi, in the Russia Federation. My father is 100% fascist, 100% Russian, putting funds
00:20:46
Speaker
He always be putting funds like 20 years go to the void for Putin like every speak about Putin. And he supports this war, supports this invasion. It's very interesting conversation with him with the war is start.
00:21:13
Speaker
I wait, he called because I think that I'm her son, it's much more necessary than another thing. And I think he called me, he sent me like, go to the shelter, be careful, please take care,
00:21:40
Speaker
maybe you want to speak with speak, I think about this. But then they were start, invasion start, because war start before. Yes, 2014, yes. When the invasion start, they first don't call me and after they call me and he not afraid about me, he just be like a four year,
00:22:09
Speaker
Like Ephoria, like Ephoria of fighters in boxing around, he speak with me like drug users. He speak, okay. He speak about Odessa, Odessa town in the sea or in the south. Close to the Black Sea, by the Black Sea. Today is 50-50.
00:22:34
Speaker
Yes, yes. And first day, it's like 50-50, they have taken this or not. Yes, yes. And first day, 50-50, maybe he take this or not. And he called to me and don't ask what happened with me. He said,
00:22:57
Speaker
It means Odessa is city of the Russian Tsar. Russian Tsar creates this town, we take it. So I tell him in this conversation, I said,
00:23:23
Speaker
I take a shit on your grave. So, if I say to him about Odessa. Okay, another point of this view is my mother. He lives in Kyiv, Redion. And when they take a butcher, they take a pin, the village is close to this place, the village of my mother. And Russian troops,
00:23:59
Speaker
It's like one kilometer before her village. They shoot by artillery, but they don't come in the village. But some shooting destroyed many small buildings.
00:24:19
Speaker
in her village, and she escaped to Poland. And civilian buildings, right, as well, just to be clear. So there were a lot of casualties, a lot of atrocities also in Yipin, which we saw afterwards. Yes, yes. When artillery fight, it's not very close, not very good,
00:24:46
Speaker
I don't know, point of weapon. Yes, yes, artillery, one kilometer left, one right, okay. 20 meters left, 20 meters right, and destroy everything. So she go to the Poland, and I stay here.
00:25:09
Speaker
It's not changed. One year after I speak with my father again, and his opinion don't change because it's only one way. He can't say, okay, I'm wrong. He said, no. Is it true about your,
00:25:34
Speaker
ubiological experiment it's true about you you want the atomic bomb it's like this propaganda who russian make it thursday he at his brain and and he don't change him your mind
00:25:55
Speaker
But it shows the power of the Russian propaganda because it is the one, it is the only opinion and the only narrative of events that exist in Russia at the moment. It is the propaganda machine at its fullest, right? There are no other media. There's nothing else that influences public opinion. And your dad basically says it 100% as he sees it on television, right?
00:26:21
Speaker
Yes, yes, propaganda are 100% more powerful than atomic bomb, because people like my father don't change his mind till the end. He start seeing this in maybe 10, 15 years ago in TV, and his mind don't change. He be a zombie at the end.
00:26:49
Speaker
And it's a tragedy, but I won't speak one thing. For me, actually, I don't want to explain what maniacs do before they start to be a maniac. Okay, let's explain.
00:27:14
Speaker
When some people kill it and other people, mascara or something, always, always think, people think, what happened with him in the childhood? Okay, maybe he looked TV and propaganda brain, destroy your brain. Another thing, stop do this. Stop, I want my opinion. I don't want think about
00:27:45
Speaker
how Russian people is, it's not guilty. He's guilty, okay? And it's not, I don't want to be a advocate, a lawyer of these people, okay? If my father's fascist, I say my father's fascist, and he die fascist, and I son of the fascist. Fascism, racism, racism, Putinism, it's don't care.
00:28:15
Speaker
like level of fame for a season. What I'm hearing in what you are saying is that basically to just blame it on socialization and the own upbringing is not enough to excuse
00:28:36
Speaker
everyone's thinking because he also has a socialization which you are a part of and you are giving him another perspective on the world which he decides to ignore willfully, right? Yes. So you're calling Basie to say there is such a thing as personal responsibility for these things and the opinions that you hold and I agree with you entirely.
00:29:03
Speaker
Thank you. When the occupation of Crimea is start, I try to speak with him. I try to, and I think in what I can explain what's happening in Ukrainian, who we are, who, what's happening in Kiev, what's happening in this land, which Ukrainian land, which Russia land,
00:29:30
Speaker
what's happening, and he don't want to listen to me. He just speak about news. Novosti Perovacanala, first channel news in Russia. Translate, translate, and translate Russian news. And it's closed now. It's bad, but I can't change this.
00:29:56
Speaker
No, I think at some point you also have to realize that this is something that you have no influence over and you have to make your peace with that. I think it's very important to do that. I know that with situations in my life as well, you will never
00:30:12
Speaker
change somebody else, the only thing that you have the power to change is your own behavior. So you will just have to reflect your behavior towards your dad, and this is something you can't change. Everything else is not in your power. And once you realize that, I think there lies a lot of power in that. So yes, I hear exactly what you're saying, and I can relate to that.
00:30:33
Speaker
Um, but you have just been speaking about this check. There's actually something, uh, interesting that comes to it. First of all, actually, before I go into that, I would like to ask you as well. So your mom is, is, is on the other side of that actually, right? She's an urban supporter of Ukrainian independence has always been a supporter is that has there been
00:30:54
Speaker
a divergence of the two, your mom and your dad, or has there always been a rift after their divorce? What has been the development ever since the invasion? Okay, my father working for us, my mother go to this mountain like a tourist, like a student tourist, young woman who go to the vacation of the Kafka's mountain. It's used a certain
00:31:23
Speaker
So they meet together, make me and my brother. We want one year between us. And after divorce, my mother leave sometime in Skakos mountains. And after I come back to Ukraine with that.
00:31:45
Speaker
I tried to go to my father and all this time I come to Russia, no, come in Russia again, again, again, again when I grow up. Maybe I think one time in the two, three years I come to Russia. So I grew up and I feel by myself how changing
00:32:15
Speaker
simple people here in Russia and in the village, in the little town, how works maybe propaganda. And I feel like start grow up, it's what they call, what we call it Russiaism. Russiaism. Yes. And I feel by myself because when my father or another people
00:32:43
Speaker
I know I am coming from Ukrainian. He speak with me like a little stupid guy, okay? A little, a little dirty, a little funny, a little not quiet, maybe some joking, maybe some, okay, okay, they say, okay, say something on Russian language. I sent some, some, some.
00:33:13
Speaker
in the final language like this. Sorry, just quickly, just quickly, because Little Russia, just quickly, then you can continue, sorry, but Little Russia, because you said that, is what Russia calls Ukraine, right? It is this diminishing name that they have for Ukraine, which on the one hand,
00:33:34
Speaker
which on the one hand says it belongs to Russia that's what it implies and on the other hand little as in it looks up to big Russia who knows what's best for itself and this this
Exploration of Ukrainian Identity
00:33:45
Speaker
view and perspective on Ukraine is basically what's carried through to your behavior of your of the behavior of your debt towards you right yes they call it us if they call it us one word its name it's look like
00:34:02
Speaker
Yes. Actually, it means when Kozak, Ukrainian Kozak in the past, here, like this higher address, his name Kohol, it's like on the head, like a higher style, like with hair.
00:34:26
Speaker
Allow me to shed a little light onto this, because I think what I manage more than anything else is cause a lot of confusion here. So, on Wikipedia it says, Kohol, a Russian name for Oceledets, Kohol is commonly used as an ethnic slur for Ukrainians. And if we then go to the entry for Oceledets, it says the following.
00:34:49
Speaker
Also the dets or chop is a traditional Ukrainian style of haircut that features a long lock of hair left on the otherwise completely shaved head, commonly sprouting from the top or the front of an otherwise closely shaven head, similar to a modern undercut. Most commonly it is associated with the Ukrainian Cossacks, although first mentions of the haircut go back to Seattle's Love the First and it has recently become a common surname.
00:35:19
Speaker
So, I hope now you get a better picture of what Kohol actually is referring to. And with that, back to Mikol. So, Russian Kohol asked her for sleep. And my father, when he was angry, he had many times been angry about things. And he called me, you stick to Kohol.
00:35:45
Speaker
you stupid ho-ho for for for stunt because uh uh this is the part of i don't know how this speak about
00:36:00
Speaker
Can I add to it quickly? Because just while you're thinking, interesting in that context as well, and correct me if I'm wrong, is also that the Cossacks were actually on the forefront of Ukrainian independence, right? So calling Ukrainians Khochol is on the one hand, is it like diminishing now as it is, but it is also something that diminishes the Ukrainian independence on top of that as well, because the Cossacks did a lot for Ukrainian independence. Would you say that that's correct?
00:36:30
Speaker
Yes, yes, yes, the whole it's mean like, if you want, it's very simple. It's like construction process because
00:36:42
Speaker
For me, it's cause like this powerful man who fighting, who live life like a man. But then the Russians see another power. He always want this power, like joke about this power, okay? Like you're not 100% of man. You're, of course, you're not a man like this. This was from the Russian. Yes, yes.
00:37:12
Speaker
And I think it's not for Ukrainian. Now they speak about Ukrainian, maybe in future.
00:37:21
Speaker
times he's changed. They call him like this for maybe Kazdaq people, maybe Georgian people. He, they call Georgian Grizuni. Grizuni, it means a little mouse. Georgian, Grizun, little mouse, he's talking about. Maybe then they start work with Kazakhstan, they say like ASEAN, like small eyes like this.
00:37:52
Speaker
It's in your brain, it's not, we can change it. We still resist. Yes, but this also shows how important language is, right? Because we see how the Russians create a language
00:38:12
Speaker
of discrimination against all the other ethnicities outside of the centerpiece of Russian Federation territory, basically.
00:38:28
Speaker
And so language is so important in that, because it basically corroborates all of that. And it will give it a lasting, long-lasting effect, which is why I wanted to ask you, because there's something that I picked up on, like in some of the credit rolls of the videos that you worked on. I see that you stand there as Nikolai.
00:38:48
Speaker
sometimes. And now you call yourself Mykola, which is when we said that in our preliminary call for this conversation is the Ukrainian version of the Russian name Nikolai. Why did you change that Mykola?
00:39:07
Speaker
I want to live without conflict in myself, okay? I many times, I think who I am, Russian or Ukrainian, rather Ukrainian for the Russian, who I am in nationality, who I am inside me. But now I, Mykola Condership is my work name like this.
00:39:36
Speaker
I want to be a cameraman, photographer, do what I have to do and stop fight inside me, okay? My colleague under shift is my passport name in my passport for another country. I don't know how it's named outside passport.
00:39:56
Speaker
And so, when I come in as a country, I said, Michaela Kondershev, it's me. It's more name, it's not nationality, it's name of working man, of cameraman, of photographer, Michaela Kondershev. And I tried, don't comes this war inside me, okay, because it's very hard.
00:40:26
Speaker
If you ask me who is your nationality, I said I am a citizen of Ukraine. I live in Ukraine and I love Ukraine. I'm dying in Ukraine. Ukrainian. No. It's for me important because in both languages, Russians make a simple,
Language and Culture: Tools of Imperialism
00:40:52
Speaker
map of the of the world I I want to tell to you maybe you think it's funny but they it's in mind of people like my dad he said okay Ukrainian ugly Poland people lucky okay it was Latvia Estonia Lithuanian Estonia Latvia it
00:41:20
Speaker
It's not country, it's like Russian villages. We have one friend. We Germans, it's fascist. One friend, it's Serbia. Serbia is bratushki, they call bratushki. Bratushki is bratia, brothers.
00:41:44
Speaker
And this map of the world, Moldova people, it's alcoholic, Romanian people, it's gypsy, and Turkish people, it's who work in the hotel only, like this. And this map of the world,
00:42:10
Speaker
Mark of the world is 100% good, good coming in the brain. People how my, like my dad, he do need to decide. He do need thinking about, he just, just knows this and also, and you need, you need thinking more.
00:42:31
Speaker
I can't understand how it works in this century, okay? My brain is explosion because maybe we see like people go to the mouth, maybe in the like 25 years, 40 years, maybe we live in time how people go to the mouth. How it works now with country who have internet, I don't know, because my father, if he want
00:43:00
Speaker
He speaks, he reads this, he speaks this, but people don't want this information, okay, no.
00:43:14
Speaker
No, no, no, this is so interesting because the thing is we discuss language. This is one form of it. I mean, language is being discussed all over the world and the power that it holds and not just in Russia and in Ukraine, but also we have, for instance, in Germany, there's a big debate about gendered language and how to do that. And so there's a lot of controversy around it.
00:43:37
Speaker
not so much for me, because I do believe that language is power and language is also being used to express certain power structures. And I think this is exactly what you are saying now in developing these derogatory terms for everything that is outside the Russian heartland of like the old Muscovy, if you will, so to speak. You know, that's obviously something that's very anachronistic
00:44:05
Speaker
But it also works in keeping all these people separate and apart from each other according to the old political and an imperial truth that divide and conquer. Keep them separate from each other so they can't unite. And that's how you can rule. And I think to some degree that is still being done and it is found in language and the way that it is being used to sum it up a little bit. Would you agree with what I just said?
00:44:35
Speaker
Yes, yes, yes. Language is like another rocket. Language is another shahid, another mapid. They come slowly, okay? Politikov imperialistic Russians, it's not happened now. They have more years before, okay? They, many people from Estonia that were a little
00:45:01
Speaker
people go to the Siberia go to the dye and another Russian people come to this place leaving a spirit Russian or Russian language and and now they say we are we are Russian too it's a Russian place here so they come in Donbass coming to Moldova coming coming coming and speak Russian again again again again it's not
00:45:29
Speaker
I think what's happened, I think in the future, what's happened? First time some village come to Europe and speak. We're just playing in Berlin. We're just playing music. No word, just music. And you say, okay, okay. After some
00:45:49
Speaker
some Russian poets coming and speak, okay, just poems, just poems. We don't care what, we don't need after go to the writer, after go some rap singer in the German like this. And they invite this, invite slowly. I understand, I can't explain this. It's not paranoia, but he always do like this. Invited by,
00:46:19
Speaker
by language first after like contura second after money after war they just won't they just won't spread russia everywhere but if you see the if you seek the hope of my father you you your brain was explosion it's the home georgia poor
00:46:46
Speaker
home who this pocket, this garbage, this no electricity, he put electricity not in the put on here. Electricity by I don't know how it works. Okay, he don't have normal electricity. Yes, he don't have water, water, normal water in your home.
00:47:13
Speaker
He have not two leads. If you need two leads, he come outside and go to the one two lead block and another if you go to the forest. And he say Odessa is the town of Russian side because it's many people like him. I said, please.
00:47:38
Speaker
go you have your garbage in your home just clean up no you think about in the past we get good country everybody afraid us everybody respect us okay it's
00:47:53
Speaker
I can change this. I think it's the narrative that you can see of either the individual serving the collective or society as a whole, or society, the collective serving the individual. These are two very different ideas. The one is more socialist and the other one is a lot more
00:48:16
Speaker
autocratic, I would say. And because you mentioned Hitler early on as well, at the time before Hitler was elected, because he was actually elected, that's the terrible history of it as well. This is exactly the game that he played. He said he created a narrative that was basically
00:48:38
Speaker
you know, so sublime that it transcended the single individual and the single individual had to just find its place to serve the big idea that he was developing. And I think something similar in that sense is also happening in Russia. There's this narrative of, you know, the great patriotic war, like all the values connected to that, how the single individual gave their life to manifest this great idea of a free Russia that to this day is being used
00:49:05
Speaker
to get people or to get people to rally behind this idea and this Russia that is featured in this narrative. So I think if you look at history, you will very often find these parallels. Unfortunately, history in that sense very often doesn't repeat itself, but, you know,
00:49:26
Speaker
at least uses some of the same tactics and power mechanics. But I think that's a very interesting point that you made with that. Why is it that your dad still supports
00:49:42
Speaker
you know, Putin and Russia, even though he lacks the basic amenities of water and electricity, why doesn't he see his own situation and go, we need to change something? And I think this is exactly why your dad is like that, because he buys into that narrative that's being presented to him. What do you think about that after what I just, my analysis of that?
00:50:08
Speaker
I tried to speak one time with my father. I said to you, you go to the job in one month, you work for $20, $100, $2,300 for one month. Your country is the biggest rich country in the world, oil, forest, our room, always. You're the biggest richest country in the world. You go to the work
00:50:36
Speaker
two hundred dollars not thousand hundred and why you still go to the election and write Putin Putin Putin Putin why why and he say I just a simple man I just a simple they decide uh they know what they do I I know um I know decide everything my uh opinion it's like this
00:51:06
Speaker
Okay. Maybe you're joking, but I think about this. Okay. In the, when we be primary, you know, like, in the last, last future, when, when people live with mama. So maybe fascism come from this time, because if you live in forest,
00:51:36
Speaker
a little group, you need stroke discipline, you need to listen about what I say to your leader, you need to do faster, you need to do faster that the leader come and you, what the leader say and you, you leave, you leave the state, let's change the position, go on as a forest and you do, you don't speak. And after they say another forest, it's your enemy, you go and fight with this enemy and you leave.
00:52:05
Speaker
maybe in South us, like human being, lives this fascism, like living in South us, when Embryon, it starts developing in the stomach of mother, we have a fish, this for fish, I don't know, a hill, yes, here, and after Embryon, change it, change it, change it, change it, but we have a little hill.
00:52:31
Speaker
okay maybe this first reason live in us inside and and people like Putin like powerful and Putin use this he he said people like my father don't think about it okay in the butcher coming troops from Vladivostok you know Vladivostok is
00:52:57
Speaker
It's near Japan, it's people come around the world, around one, I don't know how kilometers, I'm go to the China, it's like eight, nine hours in the plane. Okay, he come by the train and die here in the butcher. What motivation of these people?
00:53:17
Speaker
to do motivation, to go to Ukraine and die in the butcher, only turn on this primary instinct. You don't think just do, just kill, just going, just killing our Putin, it's our leader. Okay, let's go.
00:53:39
Speaker
And I don't know how many things this, what we have to do to change this. I don't know. All people, people always told, never again, never again. Okay. Only each May of each year, the day of remember of World War II. And people said, never again, never again, again, again.
00:54:09
Speaker
No, this is a very interesting conversation, and obviously this is a very philosophical question. Whether we all have a little fascist inside of us, that's a very philosophical question. I personally don't want to believe that. I believe that we could... I actually believe in the goodness of people, and I want to believe in the goodness of people.
00:54:34
Speaker
But I do believe that we have put structures in place that manifest the opposite of that by creating strong hierarchies, by creating greed, by design, I believe, and create envy because the shortage of things is something that's also made of design, I believe. And existing power structures are manifested.
00:55:00
Speaker
by language, by societal structures, by capitalism itself, I believe. But this is a whole long conversation that would probably fill not just a podcast episode, but an entire podcast in itself. So I don't want to get into that. And that's philosophical. And there's also obviously a part of it is a very strong degree of personal opinion. So I hear you
00:55:23
Speaker
that's obviously also a possibility that we have those strong those little fascists and we have the gills uh behind our ears we never lost it i to be honest with you i don't want to believe that but that's that's that's a personal preference as well i'm very much aware of that
00:55:40
Speaker
Let me ask you now, because this has been a great excursion already, by the way, a lot of very interesting topics there. I would now like to shift our attention a little more towards how you are working at the moment and how you are living and how the difference has been ever since the invasion, because I think it's very good that you've said the war started in 2014.
Impact on Ukrainian Film Industry
00:56:03
Speaker
We've always made a point of it on this podcast.
00:56:05
Speaker
And sometimes I fall short of making that, though, because I sometimes talk of the war when it started in 2022, which is not correct. Exactly. So when the invasion started, like, how did things change for you? Can you give us a bit of a summary of that time from then until now? When the Russians come to Crimea and take Crimea,
00:56:31
Speaker
I, my brain look for this like my brain make in the night when the invasion start. I denied. I don't want to think about it. I don't think, I don't, when people start dying in Donbass eight years ago,
00:56:58
Speaker
I want, I make the build before me and this situation. A wall, I build a wall. A wall, you build a wall, yes. Yes, yes, it's my fault. It's maybe I think many people do like this because I do some work in this commercial and when, and in Kyiv, it's many, many shooting
00:57:27
Speaker
a video commercial for many brands because it's cheapest to rent a staff, cheapest to rent a camera, equipment, cheapest to pay to the workers. So many brands from Europe, from Kazakhstan and from Russia too come and film it ad versa in Kiev. And when this war is started,
00:57:53
Speaker
Many people close their eyes what's happening. He goes and films with Russian brands. Russian brands come to Kiev. At this time, Russian troops come to the Donbas. Russian money comes to film an industry. They filmed a little film shooting for the station in Kiev.
00:58:20
Speaker
This is 2014, right? Just to be clear. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.
00:58:48
Speaker
And when now then the innovation start, this industry are collapsed because nobody come to film it in Ukraine now. Because it's like go to the Syria, they people, people see Ukrainian is no, no, it's not possible because no, I reconnection, it's not possible. Only the- No flights, no flights, yes. Yes, no flights, no.
00:59:18
Speaker
No, I think many times we need this industry to come back to us. How has it changed also from the invasion? Because you said from 2014 there was still
00:59:35
Speaker
a lot going on, but you used Russian brands and also Russian products, production assets, I suppose, to make your films, right? How has this changed ever since the invasion? What was this change for you?
00:59:53
Speaker
changed many people do not just listen, just speak with Russian, okay? I see many fine screenshot in groups, like where I stand, like camera man, photographer, and some, I feel late with the Russian news, right? We need a camera man, we need a camera man tomorrow.
01:00:25
Speaker
and respond, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you. Like, okay, if you want your cut, my word, okay? But- So, no, no, but there has been a clear cut, right? Ever since the invasion, there was no, like, you know, but okay, but we still work with Russians like this. There was a very clear cut from one day to the next, basically. Yes, yes, yes, cut, cut, cut, not speak, or speak maybe
01:00:53
Speaker
speak only Ukrainian and some people write a motion with Peruski, maybe in Russian. Cut. It's not, it's not not formalism here. It's defense here. Okay. We, many people in this industry don't want this dirty money come back again. Okay. Better for me. I still, I still in this room.
01:01:23
Speaker
It's the cheapest food. What is it? What is it? I'd like to know. Can you say again? What is it? It's a pocket. Yes, it's a pocket. Inside a lobster. I don't know. Is it pockets of potato?
01:01:50
Speaker
Potato? No, no, no, it's pocket. Pocket, you take your water, hot water, inside this pocket and...
01:02:00
Speaker
three, four minutes, if you have eaten like Chinese soup, you know, like, like, like Vietnam soup, Vietnam soup, Chinese soup. Okay. Ah, okay. So it's, so it's like, it's like, it's like an instant soup, basically, isn't it? Yes. It comes in a little bag and you put it in and you, okay, okay. I thought it was something Ukrainian, you know, because I always want to know about some Ukrainian food, which one might've not known. I wanted to ask. Okay. So it's an instant soup, basically. Yes.
01:02:30
Speaker
Yes, it's better for me. I won one year eating Mevina than I worked with Russian when I speak with Russian. I'm just calm at eating Mevina. But for good for me, I have money.
01:02:47
Speaker
from stock footage. I make stock footage before the war, and it's drone footage, it's another footage, and I sold this footage.
Personal Loss and War's Pervasive Impact
01:02:57
Speaker
I have the money. I'm not in pureness now. But another my friend... You still have resources through that? Yes, yes, yes. Another my friend, another my friend is very not good situation because
01:03:15
Speaker
If you work, your work may be in use. In use, not good payment. Always change everything. No, you need like many people go in other works. Food delivery, go to the taxi driver, Uber driver. Go to the building. Someone, my friend, do something not legal.
01:03:42
Speaker
but it's not legal, but it's for money, okay? But it's nothing if you think about what happened now near the Bachman, okay? It's nothing. I'm just to come and last week to the crematory, you know, when people do it. Yes, the crematorium, yes.
01:04:09
Speaker
Yes, yes, and look like my friend was born here. He go to the medical work, medical and died near the Bakhmut. He young just like me for 10 years. I'm 10 years more. And I look for his mother and know what we have, it's no problem.
01:04:32
Speaker
problem is life of mother of this guy it's not it's no problem this shahid is not problem rockets not problem because um yes i because i mean obviously by now i think probably everybody in ukraine knows someone who has
01:04:57
Speaker
died in this during this invasion, right? I mean, this is something that is hardly imaginable for most people also. And I want to make this even an example that I have just recently had. You know, I had a podcast episode with Alex Kreyev, who is a punk musician, a great episode, a great guy.
01:05:16
Speaker
I really had such a great talk with him. And the other day I saw a picture of him on Facebook where he wears the Ukrainian uniform and says, and now he's going to kick their asses for real. And I saw that and I didn't even know what to write. I didn't even know if I should like the post because what's that? What kind of reaction? I like it that you are at the
01:05:38
Speaker
front of the war and you are basically involved in fighting and you're running the danger of being killed. I didn't even know how to respond to it, what to say. So I'm just saying, even with my very limited overview of Ukrainian society, with the few people that I know, it is also catching up
01:06:01
Speaker
with me and catching up with me. I don't know if that sounds terrible because it's not catching up with me. I'm not fighting. Well, I'm not in danger of having to go to the front. But what I'm trying to say with that is that it's the consequences for actual people that I know are observable by me. That's what I'm trying to say by that. So how do you think that actually changes Ukrainian society? Has there been a change? How do you deal with that?
01:06:27
Speaker
I think many people need to seek a therapy because if I speak about me, I think how I am react for another people with conflict. Now it's no pause before conflict. If you have conflict in the street, in the bus, in some buildings, in the market,
01:06:56
Speaker
So you think it's enemy, okay? It's before the war. You think maybe I speak with these people, maybe we have some connection, maybe I'm wrong, maybe he wrong. Now I said, no, you're my enemy, okay? It's like white on, white on black thinking, I think. Maybe, and
01:07:20
Speaker
I think we are afraid. We're joking, we're smoking, we're listening music, but we're afraid. Afraid live in us. And when I was shooting drones for army, one time I'd be close near explosion. Some people explosion near the building where I stay.
01:07:45
Speaker
I remember all my time, it's fear. You want to live like, I don't know how they say. I think I don't want to die. Maybe another people die, but not me. Maybe another day I die. Maybe not now. Please, I want to live. And it's stress.
01:08:11
Speaker
I think we all need some therapy in future. The war is not stopping and they don't stop in the past future. The war is running many years because when I live, I remember when I childhood, I remember how Russian
01:08:34
Speaker
uh war with teaching Oregon with How they kill it teach not people and what simple people think and say about these people We have uh, they have to to work teaching our work. They come they lost first war Come back and after I think four years came back again and destroy everything this story grows my city by zero and I think
01:09:04
Speaker
They come back. They come back now, I think five years ago, 10, 15. You mean it's like going to be an ongoing conflict that will have no soon, no resolve anytime soon? I think, I think if, okay, let's go, let's think good thinking, positive good thinking. Ukrainian army now counter-attack.
01:09:29
Speaker
take Crimea, take part of Zaporozhia, Herr Son, Redion, Donetsk, come back. But Russians say, you, yes, Donetsk, Lugansk, and Russians say, you, you, you, you, come back now, and stop it. And after they come back, Russian, Russian always come back, and they come back again. So it's very pleasure for me what I
01:09:55
Speaker
What I, maybe I go to the army, maybe. Maybe I, now I think and speak this, this my feelings like this. Maybe after two weeks, I go to the army and after I just think about how to live, how I shooting Kalashnikov. I don't know what happened tomorrow and nobody know what happened tomorrow.
01:10:24
Speaker
I think thank you for you that you make what you make, what you make, what you do. It's like we feel we're not alone, okay? If you have opportunity to speak to us, we feel we're not alone. We listen to other people. Because the border now is closed, but we know what another country
01:10:53
Speaker
There'll be people who feel what's happening. Thank you, by the way. Thank you. Thank you, Michaela. I want to thank you.
01:11:08
Speaker
It touches me very much because I'm not really doing anything. I mean really all I do is I occasionally sit in front of a microphone and I speak to people like you from Ukraine just because I just don't want that this is forgotten. I want this to be
01:11:24
Speaker
you know that that people are aware what is happening that's all but i'm not doing much what what is happening is you are speaking you're taking the time you're trying to relate something that is so difficult actually to to comprehend for someone who is not living in a country that is torn up by a wall and and and it's good to to always remember this because also i believe
01:11:48
Speaker
If I look at Germany also in comparison, we have so many right-wing tendencies here in Germany. The right-wing party AFD is at an all-time high of almost 20% in our society. And you said earlier, you know, never forget, never again. And I think we're already in some parts of our society is coming to a point where we are forgetting already.
01:12:13
Speaker
where we are taking all of this for granted, democracy and freedom. And in Ukraine, you know that you should never take it for granted because it is so precious and so valuable that you are fighting for it every single day. And this is something, this is the only contribution that I can make from far away from the safety of my own home in front of my computer. So I don't really deserve any gratitude. You guys deserve all the gratitude if I can, if I may say so.
01:12:42
Speaker
And also you deserve all the gratitude from a European point of view perspective. And this podcast is actually nothing else but an expression of gratitude towards all of you in Ukraine who are fighting this war and this conflict every single day. So thank you. That's what I'm trying to say.
Mikola's Filmmaking Journey
01:13:05
Speaker
Look, I would like to, because this is also about culture and I feel we haven't spoken so much about your filming and everything. So if you still have a little bit of time, do you still have a little bit of time? I would like to go a little into your filmmaking as well, so that people also know that you are available for hire. You are selling a lot of stock footage at the moment. This is how you make your living, but there has been a tremendous loss of work opportunities ever since the invasion.
01:13:35
Speaker
Can you tell me, turning this, you know, making quite a sidestep now, do you remember when you first picked up a camera? I know. I know. It's a big sidestep. I understand. I totally understand. Take your time. Take your time. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I remember. Okay.
01:14:00
Speaker
If I study in university, study psychology, it's, I have, it's last year of study psychology. When my study is ending, and I think, do I really want to be a psychologist, to be a one work with people? And I think to myself, no, I don't want. And after I
01:14:31
Speaker
So one guy who I live in Kharkov in this moment and I saw one guy who work in the news who go to the work in the Kharkov in the red jacket. It's Ukrainian news channel. Yes, yes, yes.
01:14:54
Speaker
And he looked like slow motion guy like this, with three port, with camera. And I look for him and I take 100, I remember like yesterday, 150, it's big money for this time to the depth. I buy the camera.
01:15:16
Speaker
and go to the working building by worker and the construction building like cheapest work and work to the this depth is no yeah stop this depth i don't know how it works okay yeah it's my first camera and i go to the what do everything students go to the
01:15:37
Speaker
I hate the wedding. I hate this beautiful white dresses I hate because I film it all month, three, four, wedding.
01:15:57
Speaker
with people who, old people, when he little drunk, your cameraman come to me, drink with us, forget, put on the camera, let's drink. Okay, it's enough to go step by step. I don't learn anything. I'm filming just by myself. So maybe,
01:16:23
Speaker
maybe who in Germany maybe who listens this podcast and and little afraid what I know have education but if you want film it just start the film yes if you want uh telephones just stop filming and telephone yes just uh if you're just editing by yourself step by step just fucking do it right youtube and then
01:16:49
Speaker
Yes, yes, yes. Just do it and forget. Just do it, do it, do it. And you make it. And do it and do it a lot because repetition is something that makes you better at stuff. Right. So this is this is so forget about any formal education. I totally agree with you. You can if you want to if you want to know more about film history. Also, you know, go study, whatever. But just just fucking do it and do it a lot. And then, you know, you will get there somehow.
01:17:16
Speaker
And that's how you did it, I assume, right? You did it and you did it a lot. And that's how you got great at cinematography. Thank you. Thank you very much. And in Connective, if you work in some group of film and good groups, if all the people need people who
01:17:44
Speaker
Okay, first people always think how you like people, how you spoke, how you don't lose the time, how you don't be, how you connect it. Don't be afraid, be with contact with other people. I want to speak to, don't be afraid.
01:18:08
Speaker
good, rich, famous brand. Okay, because it's people too. You can always speak. You can always rework again. You lose your rework again.
01:18:24
Speaker
I make many hours speak about this, because when I speak about this, I'm alive, you know? If I film it now, if maybe I'm shooting day after tomorrow, all this day, before, day after tomorrow, all this time, it's happy time for me. In this month, I have one booking shooting.
01:18:50
Speaker
20 days before and I'm leaving for thinking about this shooting because it's the most from your thumb you create you with energy and after you
01:19:07
Speaker
I'm
01:19:27
Speaker
And so I can totally relate. It's also wonderful to see how passionate you are when you talk about this and the whole journey and how you are basically saying, everyone can just do it, just fucking do it, get out there, get a camera, use your phone, whatever you have, the tools don't matter. What matters is your own inner drive and your motivation to do it and the fun that you feel.
01:19:49
Speaker
when you're doing it as well and this will go a long way and be patient as well you know nothing's going to happen over time repetition takes some time but just hang in there and and and then you can become as great as mikola because really i can just uh tell you go to his website check out his reel it's fantastic i love it very much and um and it's great to see your work um
01:20:14
Speaker
Can I, because, you know, I also want to always use the opportunity to think about, or to go into a part of Ukrainian culture that might not be too familiar for people. This is also what this podcast is about a little bit. And seeing that you are in film, is there a particular Ukrainian film, first of all, that's your favorite? Like a Ukrainian film that comes to mind, we're like, well, I love that film. I would watch it over and over again.
01:20:43
Speaker
No, Lesnica, I don't think I have heard.
01:21:00
Speaker
I don't know how in English it's like my happiness. I sent a link. Oh, that would be great. Yes. I'll link to it in the show notes, of course. Yes.
01:21:18
Speaker
Lesnitsa always film it, it's natural lighting. And he very, it's like he film it on board between, oh, my opinion, between acting and documentary story. It's like,
01:21:39
Speaker
between this part of film. And I think he nominated for Oscar maybe two years before. I think he think some film about Donbass, I think four years before. If you look at this film director, you're very like,
01:22:08
Speaker
All right. What do you like particularly about the film? I mean, his style is I think that's very interesting about like a narrative and documentary to find a mixture and something that plays off each other like that. What about the film? My happiness is something that you love.
01:22:29
Speaker
What I like to do... Note about the film, My Happiness, that the film you just named? Yes, what do you love about it? What touches you the most? Because first, it's the light. And second, it's the story of what happened before. It's why we now, why Ukrainian now?
01:22:58
Speaker
like Ukrainian now, what's the story begin? What's the story beginning? And he like very, very good philosopher man shows us why we, how we are. Just see this film here with people inside the film do not speak
01:23:28
Speaker
uh more he's speaking less but but film like very very interesting please look i will link to it it might it will probably be on takfilm usually that's where i find all the ukrainian films it's a great platform for ukrainian films i'll link to it and there might be a charge for it but it's you know free four bucks for a film i mean that's definitely worth it so i will link to that um
Cultural Comforts: Music and Film
01:23:52
Speaker
Also, I would always I always ask this question like, do you have you know because culture also gives solace it solace meaning it gives you comfort right when times are difficult when you struggle in life culture is something that can give you.
01:24:08
Speaker
comfort and solace like a good song a good film a good meal something good to eat like i always say maybe borscht you know um what what what is it for you um can you tell me something that comes to mind right away and really it can be anything from food to music anything where you're like well when i hear this when i eat this i feel i feel better um i feel um
01:24:33
Speaker
I feel safety if I listen Ukrainian music, Ukrainian song, I feel like at my bedroom and safety. Because Ukrainian, if you listen Ukrainian song, woman song, it's like it's poetry. Ukrainian words, it's like, I don't know, lullaby.
01:25:08
Speaker
You, you like, uh, that's beautiful. Yes, you'll be like, kind, kind spoken. And, uh, when I listen to this, I'm not nervous. Okay. Uh, I, uh, maybe, uh, uh,
01:25:30
Speaker
I think I feel like home when I listen to this. And I feel shame and guilty because I can use Ukrainian words but 100% because it's hard because I'm born in Russian village.
01:25:56
Speaker
and I feel in Ukrainian like it's not my home first time. It's very interesting to understand how I more and more go to the Ukrainian culture, how I far away, Russia, I'm far away, this made those days, jail at me, podium,
01:26:26
Speaker
No, I stay away inside me, okay? It's very interesting for me to understand how I'm changed. I feel a little strange when I try to speak Ukrainian because I always say something funny, always jacking with me. Ukrainian, it's good people, okay? It's normal people.
01:26:55
Speaker
It's lovely people. It's not aggressive people, not expression people. It's just need to feel it. Okay. When you go to another country, you just feel, you're not commenting everything. You no need change everything. It's country, it's people. You just put your shoes away and listen and eat.
01:27:23
Speaker
and laugh and speak. I won't be with these people, okay? I want to die with people, live with people. I not want to be Russian inside, okay? So maybe this happens, this podcast listens some Russian.
01:27:49
Speaker
I don't want with you, okay? I won't live without your identity, your words, your poet, your story about Second World II, okay? Your geraism. Not touch me. I won't be independent of this.
01:28:13
Speaker
So you are embracing your Ukrainian heritage, your Ukrainian origin. And I think the way you express that, I can only guess, obviously, and I can imagine that that must also be very difficult.
01:28:32
Speaker
um because you know because of this this conflict you must feel torn and and and and and all of that i think it's it's very difficult but just from my from my from my perspective you know i don't think i don't know if it's my place to say that i will say it anyway right there's there's no reason to feel shame like don't don't ever feel shame because there's nothing
01:28:57
Speaker
you could have done differently. This is your heritage. There's also who you are. And I think it's always good to embrace that and then move forward with that positive affirmation and move forward with that. Now that you're choosing the Ukrainian in you, that's a choice that you're making, but that doesn't mean that you have to be ashamed of anything.
01:29:17
Speaker
And you have just expressed so much passion, so much love for Ukraine. This is where the focus should lie. Your love for Ukrainian culture and your Ukrainian origin. And that's wonderful. And it's great to see it, to witness it here. And with this, basically, I think we are already
01:29:43
Speaker
coming to the closure of the podcast and you've already you've been very patient because we're actually already on one and a half hours and the listeners have as well thank you very much for for if you have made it this far for staying with us um you know we have talked about and this is what i would basically like to close this with
01:30:02
Speaker
And I know sometimes this question is very difficult and sometimes I'm not even sure if I should ask it because we've just covered that the whole of Ukraine will need psychotherapy after this war, which is understandable because obviously there's so many traumas, there's so many things that have to be addressed afterwards and to be processed. But nonetheless, I would like to know from you.
01:30:28
Speaker
seeing that you have said you want to look at the positive side and me too. Let's not look at the positive side per se, but at least do you think there are
01:30:39
Speaker
any opportunities in the future that will arise out of this war. In past conversations, for example, it was said that there was a bigger unity amongst Ukrainians after the invasion, for instance. They moved closer together. There was more of an overlapping of personal stories and perspectives. What do you see there?
01:31:09
Speaker
made this very long introduction, and I always want to put it in a context, but I think it's necessary. What is it for you? What opportunities do you think might arise out of this, if any? The work make and come back again, again, again, again.
01:31:29
Speaker
Many people in Ukrainian love you because you take our family in safety. You take my mama in Europe in safety. Many people feel love to you because I think eight million live in Europe. Please don't be guilty what you not worry what you can do.
01:31:59
Speaker
a very big deal because if you not support us, we go to the depression mentally and we stay alone.
Future Uncertainties and European Support
01:32:11
Speaker
Now, if you support us, we feel it. We know this. We just know this. We feel it, what you think about us. It's what I want to say.
01:32:30
Speaker
And call me if you want some shooting in Ukraine. I do my best. Oh, absolutely. That's going out there. That's registered. I think this is maybe what I take away from what you just said when I asked you about the opportunities, because the opportunity here is also that maybe Ukraine
01:32:50
Speaker
is now, after all this time, sincerely seen as Ukraine as its own independent national entity and cultural identity by the rest of Europe. And before then, it was not. Before then, it was really seen still as an extension of the old Soviet
01:33:09
Speaker
history and of a Russian empire that had not existed for a long time and maybe the opportunity in this is that we can all check our perspectives about this and come up with something better than the way that it has been. So this is one of the opportunities in this without taking away anything from the current crises and atrocities that are happening.
01:33:29
Speaker
So, Mikola, I think that is a fantastic way to end this this podcast on. One more thing. One more thing. Sorry. I always forget this. Because I always want to add at the end in the show notes, like some sort of initiative, some sort of organization that people can donate to.
01:33:51
Speaker
So do you have anything where you can say if people have five bucks to spare, 10 bucks, whatever, two bucks, they can give that money to this organization? And if not, then you can think about it and I will link to it afterwards anyway. Is there anything you can think of? Yes, I can say this. Yes, of course. Yes, by all means.
01:34:14
Speaker
In Europe, in Golan, I work with some organizations who name ice of Ukrainian. This organization I sent to link to you. Yes, please, yes. They buy drones and send to Ukrainian army and you can do not money to these people.
01:34:45
Speaker
buy donuts for your money if you
01:34:48
Speaker
have 5 euro, 7 euro, 8 euro. If you want to help, please do not to this organization. I 100% know that these drones go directly to troops who need the drones. Yes. It's a very
01:35:15
Speaker
from which help to us as soldiers to fight. I will definitely link to that. Absolutely. It will go in the show notes. Do you have something like a civilian organization as well? Because I know, and this is not in a way a qualitative call, but some people will probably have a problem with donating to military things for personal convictions. Do you have anything like a civilian initiative as well, maybe civilian aid to support?
01:35:44
Speaker
Yes, I know some psychologists, psychology organizations, who support wives and women of men who fight. If you want, I send you a link to this organization. It's psychology support.
01:36:14
Speaker
It's a psychology support to people. I trust to these people. I know these people many, many times. I've worked to these people many times. And if you want to do not to these people, I thank you.
01:36:32
Speaker
Fantastic. Thank you very much. With that, let's close up today, Mikola. It was such a pleasure having you with me today, having you with us in the yellow van. Thank you for taking the time for all the insights you shared. I wish you all the best. Let's stay in touch and hopefully we meet in Ukraine one day or the other. It would be a great pleasure.
01:36:56
Speaker
I will be happy if we meet in real life in Ukraine. Bye-bye. And with this, we are at the end of this week's ride in the Yaluvan. Thank you very much for coming along with us today. And thank you, Mikola, for your stories and insights and for your trust in me and the work we do at Mind the Bump.
01:37:16
Speaker
The links to his works and video library are in the show notes along with everything else we discussed today. And if you are a video editor or producer and you are looking for great drone footage or footage, be sure to check out Mikola's work. Shortly after the recording of our episode, Mikola received mail from the army to be registered with them.
01:37:37
Speaker
As I'm recording this, Mikola, like countless other Ukrainians, is waiting for his marching order to the front. It could come any moment of any day. Alex Kreyev from Odessa, who you might remember from one of the previous episodes, has already been at the front for over two months. In one of his latest Facebook posts, he wrote, I am not dead. I am learning.
01:38:02
Speaker
War becomes something else entirely when you know the people who are thrown into it. Therefore, more than ever, let me close with this. Keep loving in the face of fear and stand with Ukraine. Take it away, Jim.
01:38:47
Speaker
It took a long, long time From the past rise to fallen skies But unless we're here And the world is ready for new ideas And I know my attitude distorts you and so it should And I know my fantasies are troubling to those like you
01:39:14
Speaker
Tuck a very, very long time But my message is clear Keep loving in the face of fear Keep shouting
01:39:39
Speaker
Can you find your place where colitis goes? I break a shame. There's a dream I breathe. Gone loving man and those in need. And I know my attitude disturbs you and so I should. And I know my fantasies are troubling to those like you.
01:40:13
Speaker
My message is clear Keep loving in the face of fear Keep shouting that you are here Talking about bills and deals
01:41:13
Speaker
It's the fact of your life
01:41:37
Speaker
All you stand is for your rights