About the morning of 24 February 2022, the beginning of Russian full-scale invasion
I will remember this day forever… It was the morning of 24 February. I was in Vinnytsia, at home. I remember that two alarms I had set for 5:30 and 6:00 in the evening didn’t wake me up. I had a lot of work to do on that day. But when the siren went off at 7, I immediately got up and went to work. Then I went to Telegram. My classmates wrote: “Did you also hear the siren?”, “What has already started?” and so on. Then I contacted my family. I asked them if they were all right. And then I was on my way to the shelter and on the news monitor. I remembered all the safety rules I had read.
Fear, temporary confusion, concern for my family, etc. I had a variety of emotions. Despite all this, our editorial team worked as a whole, all together. We wrote news, shared tips on social media and monitored official sources. There were so many fakes at the time. All that kept the bad thoughts away was our work.
What did you do in the first days, weeks and months of the war?
I worked on the website in the first days, weeks and months. I remember staying up at night with my colleagues to monitor the news. Although we view ourselves as a regional media, we also wrote news about what was happening in other regions. I really supported this format. People from Vinnytsia might have relatives in other regions, and they might be worried about them. And who can you trust in times like these, if not the media, which relies only on verified information.
The only thing I could see in front of me all the time was my laptop screen. Honestly, sometimes it was scary to go outside because of the sirens, air defence systems, etc. I was on my way to the nearest grocery store for food. I remember going outside for more than 15 minutes after a month of war. It was a real thrill.
Several organisations are based in our office. They provided temporary shelter for the displaced, collected and sent humanitarian aid. And the publication itself was in operation around the clock. No days off at all. We are an independent media. And once we had a meeting with our colleagues after a certain period of time. Then we heard from the director: “Due to lack of funds, we have two options: either close the publication or work on a voluntary basis”. At that moment, we weren’t even thinking about finding another job, let alone closing the magazine. My colleague and I were ready to work non-stop, just to work. Because you could go mad if you did nothing.
I did not look for other activities or voluntary organisations to help because of the amount of work on the website. So my choice was to work on the ‘information front’. But if I hadn’t had this opportunity, I would probably have been weaving nets. No events took place in my town during the first months of the war. The people of Vinnytsia either donated or volunteered. But most people did care about the war, some even donated their last money from their cards to support the Army.
On communicating with friends and colleagues in the first days and weeks of full-scale war
We wrote to our classmates and colleagues every day. Of course we wanted it to be over as soon as possible. Many people thought it would last 3-4 days and then Ukraine would win. After a few days of war, relatives would say: “Well, 2-3 weeks or a month and that’s it”. But that “end” has not come yet… Of course we talked about the war. About the events in Ukraine. About the explosions. About the consequences of the war in the Vinnytsia region. About “who heard what” outside the window. About the signs and the windows with the purple and the pink light. About everything that touched our hearts. I remember how I cried when I wrote about the dead children, it really hurt. There were times when it was morally difficult. But none of my colleagues lost heart. They kept on working.
My main plan at that time was to work on the website. I also tried to finish my university assignments. I was still in my 3rd year of university at the time. At the beginning of the invasion, we didn’t have any real classes. We only had online consultations. Because I was prioritising my work, I was unable to connect. But I completed all the assignments so that there would be no “tail” later. Perhaps it was this kind of motivation and sense of responsibility that helped me to complete the 3rd year with excellent grades.
Also, one of my plans in the first month of the war was to stay in Vinnytsia. One day my father said: “I want to send my mother, my sisters and me to Poland. I categorically said that I would not go anywhere, and if all my relatives went abroad or to the countryside (where, for some reason, I felt safer), I would live in the office with my colleagues. By the way, my colleagues did live in the office. They cleaned the bomb shelter themselves, put pillows and beds on mattresses and helped others.
But I persuaded my father not to send anyone anywhere. So my mother and sisters stayed at home. Even though I had my share of “flying bombs” in Vinnytsia, I was happy just to live at home.
Even before the war started, the editorial staff of I-VIN.INFO met and discussed what we would do if war broke out. Then I joked that they would not ask about vaccination after all. Someone joked that they would “forgive” the loan. But when the war actually started, my colleagues and I were not very happy about these factors. Perhaps because we had discussed everything beforehand, we worked in a coordinated way. And it’s great to be part of a team like I-VIN.INFO.
About organising volunteer events in support of the country in your hometown/university, involvement in similar initiatives and movements
I study at Vasyl’ Stus Donetsk University, a legendary institution for me, which moved from occupied Donetsk to Vinnytsia in 2014. And just as in 2014, students and teachers were not indifferent to the war. For example, we still have a lot of meetings in support of the armed forces. Whenever I have the opportunity, I donate. I take part. I can’t even keep track of all the things I did when I was at university. Charity fairs, raffles, etc. Many teachers and students have joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces. This makes me a bit sad. There were professionals among them.
In Vinnytsia various meetings were organised very effectively. But at the beginning of the war, no one organised charity events like we do now. Young people were active volunteers. And there are still a number of collections being organised for the armed forces. I know a girl who organises collections of 100,000 hryvnias or more. And my friend Oleg joined the Volunteer Battalion of Veterans at the beginning of the war. This organisation held great training sessions for volunteers. I managed to write a story about them for the website because I wanted to support them and make a cool story. But the volunteer battalion was disbanded.
There was also a story when I met a volunteer through others. Since the beginning of the war, he has strongly supported his friend, who was awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine in March 2022. It’s great. I still have his contacts and his military number. I have prepared a lot of material to support our volunteers in Vinnytsia. Perhaps this is the only “volunteer movement” that I actively support, and I stress in the editorial that honest volunteers should be written about and told to people. I am grateful that my ideas are supported by the editorial staff.
Let’s talk about your work today. What activities do you give most of your attention and energy to? What changes would you like to see in society through your work?
At the moment, I continue to work as a correspondent for the online publication I-VIN.INFO. Most of all, I like to write my own useful material, stories about military personnel, volunteers or video interviews with interesting people. I am open to new ideas, projects and tasks. That’s why in one day I can write my own stories about sports, business, Ukraine’s energy sector or something else.
My publication also pays a lot of attention to news related to the war, Ukraine’s European integration and European partners.
But the coolest job for us is to implement all the projects we come up with ourselves.
Perhaps the best thing a person can do during a war is to work. To do one’s job at the right level, to help in difficult situations, not to be indifferent, to remain kind at heart even though this world is so cruel, to support the economy of Ukraine. And, of course, to donate at least a little to the armed forces. I realised that this is the most effective way to do my job. It is my duty as a journalist to spread truthful information, to talk about media channels, dubious telegram channels that can manipulate the news. If people start to trust the real media and understand fake news, it will be the best change in society that can happen.
Tell us about the activities of the publication you work for, I-VIN.Info. Describe, please, what are the most important issues today that it tackles, what is the most memorable thing about your work at the publication since February, 24th, 2022?
First of all, I-VIN.INFO is an independent regional online publication based in Vinnytsia, which provides up-to-date news about the region and the city of Vinnytsia. Our peculiarity is that we do not write news about crimes or negative situations. The exception is when this information is of social importance.
Together with our colleagues, we also come up with interesting ideas for projects. Then we work on them and apply for various grants. We have been able to do projects on the environment, internally displaced people, social issues and more. Although journalism is a defined concept, working in this field can be very different.
What I remember most about my work since the beginning of the full-scale invasion is how the Russian occupiers stormed the crowded Victory Square in Vinnytsia on 14 July 2022. A week later, when all the work was finished and traffic was allowed, I walked around the area with a journalist’s pass and a camera, taking comments from people and nearby institutions. Someone told me how they got the glass out of their leg, and someone showed me the fragments of a rocket. But the conclusion from all this material was the same: “Russia is a terrorist state.”
And after this terrorist attack, I managed to find people who were at the scene and saved lives. I came across them by chance through popular local Instagram accounts. I remember writing to some of them, and they agreed to answer my questions. In fact, their stories were very powerful because these young people simply ran to the Officers’ House and Victory Square to help the wounded.
In general, there were different situations during the war. Sometimes we would be working in the corridor in the office, when we could hear the sounds of explosions and anti-aircraft fire outside the window. Or I would sit without any light at all and finish the materials into the dark night. And no matter what challenges life and this war throw at us, journalists will continue to work on the front line.
What heroes and people have you had the chance to work with and what stories do you still remember?
I would like to thank you for this question, because there was really a lot of such material about the heroes and heroines of Vinnytsia. One of the interesting facts about my work is that even before the war I wrote a lot of material, interviews with the military, with activists who were part of the Revolution of Dignity and then participated in the ATO/JFO. Among them is Bohdan Rohoziuk, who first became interested in Cossacks and then went to the revolution in 2014 with the 4th Cossack Hundred of the Maidan self-defence, and then to the ATO (here is the link).
Recently, we were able to conduct a video interview with Evgenii Palchenko, a soldier from Vinnytsia and a Hero of Ukraine. We were able to conduct this interview in his home village of Ometyntsi. And it’s great because no one has ever interviewed him in this format before. Special thanks to my friend Zhenya Sviatoslav and my director Svitlana, who always supports all initiatives and ideas, for organising this.
We also managed to interview an American volunteer, Donna Tibeto. She is actively helping the Ukrainian rescuers by raising funds for the equipment they need for their work. Donna came straight to Vinnytsia from the US, so we were able to talk to her in person at the office. After reading stories like this, I am even more inspired to continue.
It is equally important to report on the activities of women, servicewomen, and volunteers who are fighting alongside men for our victory. This is the topic and idea I chose for my 4th year media project and thesis, called FEMILITARY. As part of this personal project, I have been able to talk to some wonderful women. Among them is the volunteer Natalia Bespalko, who in the first month of the full-scale war sewed tile carriers for free and gave them to the military.
I also spoke to volunteer paramedic Oksana Ruban, who worked in the combat zone, runs first aid training courses for civilians and, in her spare time, assembles proper tactical first aid kits for the military. Another interesting story is that of Nadiya Dmitrieva, who worked as a volunteer before the war, helping children with cancer, and became a soldier on 24 February 2022. Unfortunately, she was injured and now needs funds for rehabilitation. You can read all about it on her Facebook page.
And this is just a small part of the work I did as part of my media project and I-VIN.INFO. These are not all the Heroes I can mention, because there are many more. And I believe that even more materials will be created.
On your favourite things to do in your spare time
Actually, I’m used to having very little free time. But when I do have a free weekend, I love to go out with friends and family. It relaxes me and fills me with a kind of unreal energy. I also like to just relax on my own. I can walk around the city by myself, listen to music and not feel lonely. And when I’m inspired, I play the guitar. I used to write songs before the war. But now there is very little that inspires me to create songs, which I only play for a small circle of people. In general, I can spend my weekends in different ways.
On the role of young people in this war today
Perhaps the most important role that the youth of Ukraine should play is to remain patriotic, to understand their importance in this war, to feel an inner call to their native, Ukrainian land. I don’t want to label anybody. As if Ukrainian youth should “join the army”, “fight at the front” or something else. This is not always correct, because in some areas we can be more useful and effective than at the same “front”. But the only thing I really want is for Ukrainian youth to never be indifferent or cruel to anyone or anything, and to adhere to moral values and principles. Only then will we be able to achieve victory in this long war, if we do not become indifferent and help as much as we can.
Do you have people among your acquaintances, perhaps friends, who inspire you, whom you look up to?
In my opinion, you should only look up to yourself. Everyone has a different life and situation, so you shouldn’t be jealous or think that someone is “lucky” or “easy”. That’s why I compare myself with myself a year or two ago. It is this view of life that encourages me to continue writing my own story. And if you look at the lives of others, you might as well achieve nothing, you might always be blaming yourself for being ‘not as good’ or ‘not the kind of great journalist like someone else’ etc. In difficult life situations, don’t let these thoughts bother you.
Talking about the people who inspire me and who are working for our victory, yes, the list is long. Among them are my colleagues who work at I-VIN.INFO. For example, creative director Svitlana Pustovit inspires me with her communication skills. With her help, we managed to establish communication with American partners and volunteers, and now they are helping Ukrainians. Please don’t tell anyone, but I really want to learn how to establish communication in the same way.
And media editor Tetiana Shcherbatiuk inspires me with her ease and professionalism. You can’t imagine how cool it is to work with an editor who fully understands you, shares the same views on material, upholds journalistic standards and supports new ideas. It is with such a team that I would like to continue working on the information front.
I can also be inspired by the ideas of other journalists who create stories with cool and interesting people .
What contribution do you want to make to this crucial period in Ukrainian history? What would you like to do in the near future, say in the next six months?
The main contribution I would like to make is to create more cool material about the lives of soldiers, volunteers, and others. I really want to support their activities, and personally thank them for their strength and resilience during the war. In the near future, I would like to do more video interviews with interesting heroes.
Please describe in a few words or sentences how you see our victory and the future of post-war Ukraine.
Our victory will be the most desirable outcome for all Ukrainians… And yes, many Ukrainians have this common wish, they all dream of it happening. So there are no options here – it will the best thing to ever happen to me when we do win this war. But tears of joy and sadness for the fallen Ukrainians are indispensable. I am confident that Ukraine will finally be able to develop to its full potential. But we are going to have to work very hard, rebuild cities from scratch.
Do you think that our young people, who are forced to hide in bomb shelters and watch their friends die instead of conquering the world, are deeply traumatised psychologically and morally by the war, and how can this be changed?
In my opinion, yes, there is a new generation in Ukraine that will create a great future for our country. It’s phenomenal, but Ukrainian youth is now creating music, poetry, writing books, volunteering, dying for a good life for millions of Ukrainians. We have a difficult destiny – to live in times of war. But who else but us will do the work for victory, so that our children will never have any idea what Russia and war are?
I am sure that we Ukrainians are a very strong nation. We will survive all these problems and show the world our unbreakable spirit, not only in words. Yes, we may have many psychological problems and traumatic life situations. But you must take care of yourself, seek professional help and take care of your health to overcome all these challenges. And in critical situations, humour, jokes, and memes help me. So it is not surprising that thousands of memes appear after significant historical events take place in Ukraine. I’m sure that this will help us to get through all the problems and challenges we face.
Translator: Ivan Chepaykin
