Are you involved in anything else besides these festivals?
We opened a café called «Trash» last year. It was a place with affordable prices and free food. It was opened for 8 months, then we closed it due to financial issues. I was doing everything on my own. For instance, I fried potatoes and gave them to the people. That meant buying food, paying for labor, and paying for electricity.
Our prices were too low to cover the costs. For example, an Americano cost 10 UAH, which was a symbolic price. We tried to keep the café open because people liked it and came to us for a rest in the «old» city. Sometimes people brought meat, sugar and eggs. This place united people of a different status. There were a mechanical factory director, a studio owner and a simple worker. They were talking to each other and relaxing. It was a very cool atmosphere until we ran out of money.
Charity is a great thing, but where are you going to get money for living? What are you doing now after closing the café?
I moved to Khmelnytskyi and worked here in different places after the cafeteria was closed. I’ve gotten used to it now and started to work with different organizations. We promote them at festivals. This is how we make money for us, for the organization, for the army.
Did you encourage someone else to organize the mobile kitchen, or did you do it?
We offered free Ukrainian food at the festival in Kamianets-Podilskyi. Volunteer girls manually made 7,000 varenyky (dumplings) and cooked borscht at night. We fed around 600 people of different statuses.
It’s nice to go to the «old» city and see lots of people. They get to know each other, make friends, sometimes even find love.
Incredible! Do you plan to organize similar events in Khmelnytskyi?
I thought about it, but Khmelnytskyi is thriving and living a full life. People here have a different mentality. They are developing their city and supporting the mayor. Unfortunately, people think differently in Kamianets-Podilskyi. The problem is that they like to live as they used to, but I love my city and I want to grow.
I’ve been offered a leading position in «Hoteliers Association» in order to try to revive the city, especially the festival movement. The idea is to attract tourists, investors and encourage young people to live here. This city needs to develop, so of course I accepted this offer. It’s a pity that Kamianets was so severely affected by COVID.
Unfortunately, almost every city in Ukraine suffered from COVID and the full-scale invasion and deserve to flourish again. What are your future plans? You mentioned you were thinking about doing such events in Khmelnytskyi. What stopped you?
Firstly, the financial problem stopped me. Khmelnytsky is a pretty big city, and a lot of people will gather there. The responsibility for what happens is on the organizers. I’m not sure that we are ready for this.
Secondly, Khmelnytskyi doesn’t need it. There are various events for children on a regular basis (the Youth Council is working on this). As I said, the city is actively developing. Of course, we can organize various festivals if there is an opportunity or if there is support from the authorities. But again, it takes a lot of time and money. Is it worth it? I don’t know.
It is necessary for Kamianets-Podilskyi, because adults still has Soviet thinking and do not understand that something has to change, in the contrast to the population of Khmelnytsky.
I was also in Khmelnytsky at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, and I fully agree with you that the city is «alive», as opposed to other cities that truly needed our help. Certainly you are not doing all this alone, do you have a team? Is it a team of friends or how did you find each other?
Speaking about the «Ambassador of Childhood», in general it’s a team from Kyiv, mostly older people than me. I’m currently gathering a team of students in Kamianets-Podilskyi. Active young people who want to develop, change the country, achieve something.
How did I find them? I found the project manager while she was filming an interview with passers-by, a kind of social survey. I offered her a role as a videographer and host, but later realized she should be part of the committee. Likewise, I found others in the same way, either on the street or asking colleges and director to recommend someone who was active. And then they brought their friends.
My friends are mostly entrepreneurs. They don’t have much time to do this kind of thing, but they support me financially and morally. They were happy when I got the job and didn’t go to the front because they think I should develop the town and tourism.
Could you tell us more about your partner? Who is she and what is her name?
Yes, of course! Her name is Violetta Baburyk, a girl I admire. She is so dedicated to her work. I’ll tell you a secret, I’ve met people like her only once. Imagine, she writes at nights, «Give me a job», I was shocked.
Honestly, I’d stayed because of her. Violetta implements a number of projects here. Otherwise, I would have given up a long time ago. I can say for myself that she is a million-dollar leader, has excellent pronunciation, is smart and determined. So she is a treasure for any company.
Did you plan to leave Kamianets-Podilskyi?
Yes. I was planning to leave the city after the end of the «Kamianets Legends» Festival. A great project in Kyiv was offered to me. When Violetta saw me off to the train, I ran out immediately because honestly I didn’t want to leave. Besides, it was the first time I met young people who are not regressing. On the contrary, they are progressing, bringing benefit to the surroundings and carrying our Ukrainian culture and tradition.
Yes, indeed, some people are much more helpful here than they would be in a trench. «Everyone has its own place» as people say. What did you do for the New Year?
I went out and greeted the children dressed as Santa Claus. The children and parents loved it. There was one case where the father of a child came up to me and thanked me. He said: «I have never seen my child so happy, last year».
The children get to know each other, we bring games all the time, and the animators work. The kids are very happy – it’s great!
You make people smile! Were there any situations that impressed you to tears?
Yes, as I have already mentioned, during the festival «Legends of Kamianets» I came to the «old» town and I saw happy faces, people who thanked me. I could recreate the happy moments of my childhood. I was delighted when children won lotteries. It was such an incredible atmosphere, as if I had returned to pre-war times. We brought back smiles and joy to the locals.
People from the city government who did not believe in me said: «We want to get to know the team because you have done what no one else has been able to do for four years». This motivates me to keep working. When I was collecting documents, the council sent me from one office to another because they didn’t believe that such a thing was possible. And now they are actively helping with projects.
How do you expand your team in general? Are you constantly looking for new people? Or do you have a certain team that you work with all the time?
We are always looking for new people. This is the basis of the youth policy, which means to find young people who will develop Ukraine. We never ask you to join us, if you want to, please do. I personally always help «newcomers». I give them a chance to try something. Will they make mistakes? Let them!
They will learn from their mistakes, and it will be useful for them. Some of the team want to organize their own events, and I support them both financially and by sharing my experience. I’m in favor of developing this field.
I agree. If, for example, young people from Kyiv would like to participate, but your events are held in Kamianets-Podilskyi, so they cannot come. How can they help?
We have a lot of work that doesn’t require attendance. It would be great if they can write various materials about us. We are constantly expanding, and we need to attract new people. So without an information policy, this is impossible.
One girl was unable to attend, but she made posters and communicated with the artists.
There is a lot of work to be done, such as maintaining social networking sites, creating competition rules and publishing photos. Instead of spending time on urgent matters, we take care of this work.
Thanks for your work, thanks for the smiles in our city. Let the laughter spread all around us. I am sure that there will be many people who will want to join and expand this project. One day we will gather all over Ukraine at the «Ambassador of Childhood» or «Legends of Kamianets» and celebrate our victory.
For sure!
Translator: Yuiia Koleha
The material was produced with the support of the NGO «Institute of Mass Information» as part of a project of the international organisation Internews Network.
