Ukraine in 5th Year of Full-Scale War with Anna Zakletska [PODCAST]

In the 5^th year of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine, how is the civil society in Ukraine currently faring? Is the Ukrainian identity under pressure? What is the impact of the war on the mental health of people, particularly children? And what should we know about paganism? Leszek Jazdzewski (Fundacja Liberte!) talks with Anna Zakletska, a Ukrainian television and radio presenter, a host of social events and a singer, a public figure, a choreographer, a director, a model, the vocalist of the Ukrainian band “Vroda”. She is the host of the historical concert “Bezviz” and holds the title of the Honored Artist of Ukraine. She is also a member of the NGO “Business Ukrainian Women”.

Leszek Jażdżewski (LJ): Can you tell us more about your various activities, including your work as a civic and political activist and your NGO initiatives supporting troops on the front line in Ukraine? And what is your background in general?

Anna Zakletska (AZ): First of all, let us focus on my education. My first degree is in political science from the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy University. When you and I first met, I was not only a political and civic activist, but I was also working as the International Relations Secretary of the liberal Ukrainian party known back then as Ukraine of the Future. In Ukraine, liberal issues are still sensitive because the influence of conservatism is very deep. Being a liberal activist in Ukraine back then was much harder than it is today.

Regarding my other degrees, my second is in psychotherapy, the third in stage direction, and the fourth in choreography. In addition to these, my mother created a children’s ensemble thirty-five years ago where I sang and danced my entire life. That is why I am a singer. Right now, I am a teacher of dancing for the next generations of this family ensemble, which is very much focused on folklore, traditions, and history. This is very precious because my family has always been pagan. Ten years ago, it was difficult to talk about it, but now it is easier to speak about the importance of our roots.

As a continuation of my work with my family and the ensemble (which is called Zernyatko, meaning ‘little seed’ that you put into the ground so that something grows), I created a Ukrainian clothing brand called Striy. This project is not merely about fashion; it is about pagan concepts and traditions.

The pagan paradigm was heavily affected by propaganda. People often think pagan culture is about something brutal or wild, but that is the result of propaganda intended to kill our connection with harmony and nature. My grandmother, who taught me these things, only finished three classes of school because she was the oldest of nine children and had to work in the fields. When you hear ‘pagan culture,’ it is not about aggression or stereotypes. For me, all my activity is about the love that is fundamental to the Ukrainian traditional worldview.

LJ: Is it fair to say that Ukraine’s natural liberalism is connected to these deep cultural roots and the struggle to live according to your own will?

AZ: On the level of our DNA, we are definitely very liberal people. It is inconceivable for us to be conquered and to be smashed under someone else’s will. Our history has not been a happy one, but this struggle and this natural liberalism for Ukrainians is rooted in a specific concept: we do not desire anything that we do not owe, but we demand that others stay away from our liberties, our land, and our will to live as we choose.

I believe that we are very close to these principles. As my grandmother said, if you want to see your flower blooming, you must water your roots. According to the pagan paradigm of my family, everything is simple if you look around. If you learn how a stone rests under the water, how a seed emerges from the ground, how the seasons change, and what happens when the sun and water combine, you will understand so much about how people understand each other. You will understand how they live together, what the conflicts are, and how to find the ways out. Ultimately, all of this is about harmony in the space around us and the space within ourselves.

LJ: Could you describe the situation in Kyiv during the last winter and the morale of the people in the capital who have been living through the war now for over a decade?

AZ: While the full-scale invasion is relatively recent, we have been at war for more than ten years. I was raised in a cultural bubble by my parents who were deeply invested in Ukrainian heritage. Consequently, when the invasion began, my father noted that he had expected this since we gained independence. This conflict is highly hybrid in its form –  while the military aspect is current, the economic dependence on gas and a pervasive cultural war have existed for a long time.

This cultural war remains extremely serious. Following our independence, Ukraine experienced a renaissance of music and poetry, but a ‘fifth column’ systematically pressured artists to switch to the Russian language. I recall being in my own Ukrainian-speaking bubble and struggling to find local artists who had not been broken or ‘seduced’ by this system. We have many examples of this phenomenon, such as the singer Irina Bilyk, who was a charismatic Ukrainian star before being pressured to switch to Russian, which ultimately cost her everything.

This was a systematic, long-term strategy that mirrors the repressions of the early 20^th century, including the famine of 1932–1933 and the persecution of those who spoke Ukrainian in the 1960s and 1970s. I feel this history deeply; it is a centuries-long struggle of a forbidden language that refuses to die. I cannot imagine abandoning my home or forgetting the sacrifices already made. Our fight is not born of hatred, but of love for our land and traditions.

The past winter was exceptionally difficult. It is difficult to reconcile the fact that while pensioners donate two dollars a day for drones, some in high-level management still allow themselves to steal millions. However, we anticipated the strategy of targeting heating and water infrastructure. Every Ukrainian family had to adapt; my husband and I bought a generator before the full-scale war because my father taught me that living in Ukraine requires total independence regarding energy and water. We were also assisted by international friends from Croatia and Poland who helped us secure wood and equip school shelters with heating and ventilation.

For me, this process is about growing up. We are moving away from a post-Soviet mindset of waiting for someone else to solve our problems. We are now adults responsible for our own destiny and safety. We have learned hard lessons from the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, where we surrendered our nuclear arms and military aircraft under a guarantee of sovereignty that was not upheld. I remember the archival videos of our planes being cut into pieces – they were signed away under the guarantee that we would not need them.

Now, we see that many international organizations are failing because there is too much talk while people are dying. Both of my brothers are on the front line with no one to replace them. We do not run away. I have personally taken lessons in drone piloting to ensure I can be of use to the army when my time comes. The greatest tragedy, however, is the impact on children. My six-year-old daughter, Eva, does not remember a life without war. I was shocked to hear her playing with dolls and matter-of-factly describing her doll being a mother killed by Russians and praying with her dolls. To her, this is normal. That is the true disaster.

LJ: Can you tell us about your psychotherapy projects and the work your organization does to support the mental health of those living through the war?

AZ: Since the beginning of the war in 2014, I have traveled extensively to the front line as a singer, but I also conducted sessions with military personnel to help them remain as peaceful as possible given the circumstances. When the full-scale war began, my colleague and I founded an official organization. Initially, we worked with men, but we soon realized that their current priority is mobilization; they must remain strong and cannot afford deep reflection at this time. Consequently, we shifted our focus to those who wait for our defenders at home.

That is how we started the organization Women and War. Our primary conviction is that while it is relatively easy to rebuild physical infrastructure like houses or roads, failing to address mental health is extremely dangerous. Currently, one hundred percent of the population in Ukraine experiences some form of trauma. For instance, a domestic interaction that was trivial ten years ago can now trigger extreme reactions, such as divorce or physical aggression. This is exacerbated by a lack of sleep and the inability to travel. While women can occasionally go abroad to Poland to rest, our men do not have that option. Whether they are on the front line or holding the economy together at home, they wake up to sirens every night. The levels of aggression and impatience have changed fundamentally.

Our organization helps people remain in tune with themselves so they can provide their own ‘mental first aid’ for issues like panic attacks, which affect people of all ages. Unfortunately, we are currently shutting down the organization due to a lack of financing, particularly following the changes regarding USAID.

We also worked with victims of sexual violence committed by Russian soldiers. These are often young girls under fourteen years of age. If we do not work with these women and children, their trauma will have a catastrophic and lasting impact on both the victims and the society. Out of all my education, psychotherapy is the most important to me because it fosters responsibility. It forces one to ask myself: “Do I choose to be a victim, or do I choose to be responsible?? It helps me distinguish what comes from the heart versus what comes from the television.

This work is also about critical thinking and cyber safety. We must learn to identify what stands behind the media: who owns it, who funds it, and what result they expect. The enemy does not want us to be wise or conscious – they want us to be like a herd.

Because of this catastrophe, we have learned to value every moment, meeting, and touch. It is vital that we remain human beings. Although we do not yet see the end of this war, we understand that with the continued financial and psychological help, we will hold on and achieve victory.

This podcast is produced by the European Liberal Forum in collaboration with the Movimento Liberal Social and the Fundacja Liberté!, with the financial support of the European Parliament. Neither the European Parliament nor the European Liberal Forum are responsible for the content or for any use that be made of.