«During the war there is this huge explosion of creative energy which expresses itself in any genre and tries to create a certain instrument thanks to which we can comprehend ourselves, in the first place. Often you cannot help yourself, cannot answer numerous painful questions. Even if you don’t find the clear answer to what you have to do, at least you will make a step toward it. This sublimation on the territory of art won’t be destructive. I am convinced that any work of art in any genre first of all has to build or create.

I believe we will never do enough, so that we could tell each other, “Okay this topic is now closed, let’s not reflect about war anymore.” Because, unfortunately, the whole history of humanity signifies and tells us that people fight. And if you have things to say and you feel the need for it, you should speak about it, first of all from the humanistic perspective».

«We happen to live in the time which acutely shows everything. And when there is war in your country, you cannot be neutral. You can be either on one side or another. And your stand is not manifested by the worldview or what you speak about. Your position is only manifested by what you do. And inaction in this situation means collaboration with the enemy, and this means working against your state, against your country. This is a very responsible time, a very honorable time, and a very tenacious and thrilling time for us, you know. I see no way to stand aside. Each has to fight with whatever one can. You can just pass the shells, you can transfer money, you can bring food, you can write, you can shoot, but you have to do something for your country. Otherwise, when your grandchildren ask you: “Grandma, what did you do when there was war”, are you going to take other people's achievements? It isn’t nice.

We all know that Russian myths and Russian propaganda have no borders, only horizons — it is their official slogan. Using the myth of the Great Patriotic War, which they create, is one of the instruments of propaganda which hasn’t got anything to do nor with the war, nor with humanity, nor with contemplation of historical experience».

«We have the right to the past and we have the right to history. But it has to be our memory, it has to be our past, our history. Certainly, it doesn’t fit into any ideological concepts of spin doctors and politicians, so the day that should have actually united us is still sorely sensitive and extremely convenient for political and ideological manipulations, most unfortunately.

It seems to me that it’s a rather spot on description of a general state of Ukrainian society: torn apart, disoriented, unable to decide on its own past – which is why it’s very hard to move forward. But I think we will overcome it and everything is going to be all right.

If you allow me I will add a couple of words about comparison of how we talk in artistic means, say, about World War II and Russian-Ukrainian war. Why is our narrative about current events in the East of the country, in Donbass, more convincing, more expressive and truly more future-oriented? Instead our attempts to talk about the history are sometimes quite traumatic and quite problematic. So what is the question here? The question, I think, is about our own view on the ongoing events».

«Culture doesn’t speak in the language of textbooks; it doesn’t talk about armies, nor about states; culture talks about people. And if we talk about people, then in human dimension, no doubt, memories of our grandpas, grandmas and ours – this post-trauma, post-memory that we have got of World War II – of course, are refreshed by this war. And when we talk about the territories occupied by Russia and about the Crimea, which you should never forget, of course, in our memory we have World War II, because this is how human consciousness works».