Igor 49 – A soldier of the OUN – (Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists)
Before the war I had my own company. I delivered building supplies for big projects. I was a businessman. Now I´m a commander of a group of soldiers. I have been fighting for a year and a half now in this volunteer army.
Since the war started I got a feeling of what justice is about. I was born in in Russia and studied at a military college, but I did not want to live there. I really disliked what Russia were doing. I tried to convince my classmates at the military school about what was (is) going on in eastern Ukraine. It was a waste of time and energy. I stopped socializing with them.
It took me six months to convince my aunt about the truth regarding Russia and Ukraine, now she is more loyal to Ukraine. My mother is afraid to come to Ukraine because she is convinced that Ukraine soldiers will kill everyone who speaks Russian here.
The war has changed me. I can’t stand injustice. Not in the parliament and not in the everyday life. I have learned to love the motherland no matter what nationalities it consists of. The motherland and the place you were born is not the same thing. The motherland It is where your heart is.
I usually get the question. Why are you fighting as a volunteer soldier, you don’t get any pay at all, why do you do it? The answer is: I will not become a joke when I look into my daughters’ eyes. That’s why I do it.
At the moment Ukraine is not working, if a man loose his soul for money and power he will also lose his human principle. Our children will ask us what country we left to them. We need to hand over a functional economic country no matter if it’s a member of EU or not. Ukraine has resources to live a healthy life. If the politicians reform the country in the right way, there would be no difference between Ukraine and countries within EU in 5 to 10 years from now. If Ukraine works no aid from neither Russia or EU will be needed. Russia wants to be big brother over Ukraine.
It’s a bad thing being used to war; you cannot really get used to it. I had my company before the war, but I see no future in it. No one wants war. This is my second war. I was in Ethiopia, Africa in 1986. We travelled with civilian passports. At that time there was no war in Ethiopia.
I want peace, but I want the peace to be fair. Otherwise the fighting will continue. If the Russians say that there will be peace and that it should be celebrations drinking beer at the Red Square, I do not want such a peace. First there need to be order in eastern Ukraine so it can be peace and justice for real.
If this would happen to you, you would also defend your country and keep the human dignity.
Interview: 2016
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