Mykola, what was your expectation a year ago - that the war would last so long or that the fighting would end quickly?
Back then, it was very hard to predict anything. Those who tried anyway and gave a public statement were mostly military experts who assumed a kind of blitzkrieg on the part of Russia with an imminent end and the defeat of Ukraine. During the first few months, the people in Ukraine - as strange as it may sound - were therefore initially pleased that the war had not ended so quickly in Russia’s favor. Ultimately, hopes grew that Ukraine could maybe even turn the tide, and thus that the war would end.
You and your wife live in Germany, your family lives in Ukraine. How present is the war for you? Does it occasionally even slide into the background besides all the everyday topics and events? The war is very present for me in many ways. I registered as a potential soldier with the military right at the beginning so that the military could draft me if needed. I never served in the military before. Although I have witnessed attacks myself when I was in the country, fortunately, the impressions do not permanently burden me. But even if you live abroad like I do, you cannot get the war out of your head; after all, my family and friends live there. One of my schoolmates is fighting at the front line; I follow his reports on a daily basis. There are repeated blackouts throughout the country - this means that it is not always easy to contact people living there to hear how they are doing. During the initial phase of the war, there were many missile attacks, also in the west of the Ukraine, but in the meantime, people feel safer again and life has returned to a normal stage to some degree – if one can speak of normal during a war, anyway. One of the few positive effects is that people in Ukraine are coming closer together – both people who speak Russian and those who speak Ukrainian. In this respect, too, Ukraine will not be the same after the war.
We smile, regardless!
![[Translate to Englisch:] Mykola Vytivskyi](/fileadmin/_processed_/a/1/csm_Mykola03_3ae4d82036.jpg)
You want to become a priest and are a member of the Eichstätt Collegium Orientale that trains priests for different Eastern Churches. How has coexistence changed in the Collegium Orientale since the war broke out?
In the first months of the war, the focus was mainly on relief operations. Today, we hold daily prayers for Ukraine. As a sign of how present the war is in the daily life of the Collegium, we also hold a weekly prayer for peace at the Residenzplatz together with the people of Eichstätt. They have been standing with us for a year now. It is good to know that we are not alone! Because it is not a matter of course to be supporting someone for so long without having experienced their situation yourself. With our choir, we also organize many events related to Ukraine.
Despite everything, there were also beautiful memories for you and your family this year – you and your wife Yuliia got married and your brother was ordained a priest. How did you experience these events given the circumstances?
It was a year of mixed feelings, indeed. On the one hand, you are sad and angry that such a war can still happen in the 21st century. And during the initial phase of the war, people did not dare to show joy. But there has been a growing sense that we need not only courage but also perseverance – also in our private lives. Therefore, it is all the more important to smile regardless! This is also why some Ukrainian men and women serving in the military get married directly at the front. While our parents were able to attend our wedding ceremony in Germany, our grandparents could not come. This is a shame because in our tradition, grandparents play an even more important role in a wedding. My brother and his wife are expecting a child who will be born in a few days. People are being killed and at the same time we rejoice over every new life. This is the contrast in which we exist at the moment.
How would you describe the mood among young people in Ukraine – and how do they go about their daily lives?
The question of what ideas of the future a person in Ukraine currently holds covers a wide range and strongly depends on their personal situation. For my classmate fighting on the front lines, I can image that making it to tonight is future enough. But there are also people at other stages in their lives who are in particular need of long-term hope and perseverance for a better future. If we were to lose that hope, there would be no point in continuing to fight. Perseverance also means keeping up with one’s duties - whether it is at work, school or at university. When the sirens wail, you interrupt what you do and get back to it later. And then you go home. And tomorrow will be a new day with new tasks. That’s it.
Can you describe the current situation at universities?
There are many students who have fled abroad and who want to take their courses online at Ukrainian universities to complete their studies in spite of everything. This mainly affects female students, as men are no longer allowed to leave the country. Students or doctoral candidates were initially allowed to enter and leave the country if they already had a place of study or work outside Ukraine. According to today’s regulations, I too would have to stay in Ukraine, for example, when I chose to visit my relatives. This regulation is difficult, but necessary. There is no ‘normal’ in times of war.
How do people in Ukraine perceive the discussions at an international level regarding military support and other aid and relief measures?
It is understandable that it appears contradictory to be talking about peace while talking about tanks at the same time. I would think that most people in Ukraine are grateful for all the help that has been provided. Because, after all, we cannot be sure whether we would have gotten so far without the help from abroad. The survival of a country is at stake. Therefore, it is normal that every discussion about further aids for Ukraine is perceived as too hesitant as long as it is about just a single human life that could be protected. But of course: It is not normal to be wanting to go back to normal by the help of tanks. And it is even less normal if that remains the only choice. What is hurting us is when some associate the term “peace” with an outcome scenario in which Ukraine no longer exists. Ukraine does not need tanks in times of peace. We would love to return them first thing tomorrow and trade them for the people we have lost. For this to happen, however, Russian tanks must first return to Russia.
How do you assess the further development?
There are three possible scenarios: A Russian victory, a Ukrainian success or a frozen conflict that drags on for years. We want that the many victims have not died in vain. In addition, a frozen conflict would give Russia the chance to regain strength. Therefore, we hope for a victory of Ukraine, but the country cannot make it on its own. I also hope that there will be a better future for Russia. Propaganda in the country has managed to convince a majority of the Russian population of the government’s war goals against all reason.
How does it feel for you as a theologian to be confronted with war and also to argue in favor of fighting?
Quite often, as a theologian, you have to deal with questions that do not have to do anything with the good. You also have to deal with evil. War in itself is evil. You have to overcome it. When your wife and family are attacked, what do you do? Do you watch peacefully? Answering this question as a theologian and Christian is not easy of course - still the answer is clear: You have to defend your own family and children. It is a risk you have to take and a price you have to pay. And I am convinced: You are no longer the same person if you were forced to kill. I have never held a gun in my life. But when it comes down to it, there is no other option.
Interview: Dr. Christian Klenk/Constantin Schulte Strathaus