Transcription from an interview with Sergey on April 20 2022. 

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-When did you notice that the war had started?

On February 24 at 4.30 a.m. I started hearing rockets. My family and I were in Kyiv. We could hear the rockets from the top of my place. If I’m not wrong, the first ones landed inBoyarka, brisbró? a town in Kyiv southwest. That day I went to work, to the radio I work for as a broadcaster. It was the last day I worked until we went back on air two weeks ago, that is, in the beginning of April. We try to improve the mood of our audience, militars, men, women, childs, etc. We are constantly receiving messages from listeners that are really glad and thankful for our work during war time. 

 

-Did your family stay with you in Kyiv?

No, they left one hour after the beginning of the war. My wife and kids went from Kyiv to Poland, and then to Miami, where we have some relatives. I’m 59 years old, so it’s mandatory for me to stay. Men between the ages of 18 and 60 cant go out from Ukraine during war time. Even though that’s not the main reason why I stayed here. There are 3 hundred people working with me and a lot of journalists that are reporting the war from the hot points. Most of the men I know had to go to the war, even my guitarist. When I’m in front of the mirror I want to see my face, not just the face of a fucking idiot.

 

-When do you expect the war to end?

I don’t know. So many people around me tell me about the different dates. But I don't have any idea and honestly I think no one knows how long war will last and which country will win. I used to have a lot of political issues with the Ukraine government, but now, within this adverse situation, my main problem is Russia. If we lose, we will lose the country. We can win but if we try to negotiate, there will be another invasion for sure in half of a year or so. They have always been in the corner. The Russian-Ukraine conflict dates back to two or three hundred years ago.

 

-Yes, I have read some of that. Not long ago an Ukrainian revolution took place, right?

Right. Everything started when the Ukrainian government tried to join Europe in 2013. But 6 months later, the Ukrainian’s president received some money from the Russians (6m?) and stopped the proceedings of joining Europe. The European Union just offered us 3 or 4 m, while Russia gave us 6m. We have similar cultures, but we are not the same people. I feel it like this: I like you, I want to live with you, but I am not you and I don't want to. I want to be myself and just myself. But now, Russia is forcing Ukraine to join their empire. According to them, we are supposed to belong to their empire, Russian culture is our culture and Ukrainian is not a language, it's like a second level dialect. They think Ukraine depends on Russia, but they don’t know how much history is beneath cities like Kyiv.

 

-Would you call what is happening a genocide?

I wouldn’t say that this is a genocide because Putin says that ukraine is a friend, even though they are bombing us. For me what is happening is caused by hate. Just hate. In the east Ukraine and Europe there are some pro Russian people. 

 

-How do you feel about Ukraine’s posture?

Before the war started I often talked with my friends about politics and there usually was a divergence of opinions. I used to believe that Zelensky was a comic. Once the war started we stopped criticizing Ukraine and its politics. We just want Ukraine to beat Russia up. My opinion about my president, parlament, and solutions are left aside. 

 

-There are a lot of Ukrainian people that have some relatives from Russia, or they were born in Russia themselves. Is that your case?

I'm biologically Russian. I speak Russian, and I'm the director of Russian radio in Ukraine.

When I’m on air I speak Russian, because my Ukrainian vocabulary is limited. For me Russia it's just an empire. There is an island, Moscou, and around them poverty all over the place, even though it is the country with more gas, oil and other sources in the whole world. I think the main reason why Russian people are so aggressive is because they don't have the good standards of living that other countries have. 

 

There are two lives. Before and during the war. 

 

-How do you feel about Russian propaganda?

The main Russian speech is that Ukrainians are nazis, but I don’t get how they support that opinion, because our president, the last first minister three years ago and other members of the defense minister are jews. One of the Russian military officers talked to his mom: ‘I killed two civilians, I'm really sad about it’. His mom replied: “They are not civilians, they are just fascists.” Even though the mother said that from Russia, far away from where his son was. 

 

-How are your broadcastings going?

We talk to the listeners and try to make them happy. People have to live, because we don't know how much time we will be alive. As a broadcaster, my responsibility right now is to pull inside my listeners’ brains the message ‘just live’. Don't give up on the war, just live, because you only live once. Don’t postpone anything because of the war, because every day is as important as the rest. Just live now. We are humans, we must go to barbershops, to cafes, shops, make love, etc. We don't have a second life. 

 

-Yes, you are totally right. I’m sure that you are helping a lot of people. Besides broadcasting, I have heard that you are a musician as well. Do you keep doing music?

Well, music is a hobby for me, not my profession. As you will know the war with Russia started in 2014. Since then I have been in cross lines, between Russia and Ukraine, making little concerts around two or three times per year or so for Ukrainian soldiers. We have performed 20 so far since the war started. In all those concerts I have seen sad things. After performing I used to come back to Kyiv realizing that most of the Ukrainians weren’t aware of this situation. They forgot that the war has been there since 2014. 

 

-How did your life change?

Everything changed. In the beginning of the war I had to stop working and my family left Ukraine. I try to change the mood of my listeners while changing my own mood. These last weeks my life is going better, I have no choice. I have been making radio for 40 years. As a broadcaster my responsibility is smiling and saying the proper words to make people feel better. While working I stood my problems aside. 

 

-Where are your parents? Did they stay in Kyiv?

My mother is living with me right now. She is a little deaf, so has to use an assistive listening device. Since the war started, I didn’t charge it so she can’t listen to the rockets and bombs. Everybody around her is super frightened while she is super chill. She really likes Russia and has friends there.