Berdyansk journalist Sergei Starushko covers the life of the occupied South and East of Ukraine at the Crimean Investigation Center.
For the “Points of Unity” project, journalists from the publication primorka.city talked with him about the importance of conveying truthful information about the lives of people in occupied Berdyansk, about the “rehabilitation” of people who are now under the influence of Russian propaganda.
— How disunited Berdyansk residents, who had completely different views before the war, will be able to unite after de-occupation?
– Yes, it will be difficult. On the other hand, we are all human and have always found a common language, despite any linguistic or political views. What separated us before the war will disappear. Everything until February 24, 2022 is already some kind of sweet life. And it doesn’t matter whether people stayed in the city or left. There is only one criterion: for Ukraine or not for Ukraine and love for your city. I recently heard the following phrase from my Kyiv acquaintances: “People of Berdyansk, you’ve already had enough, you love your city so much! It’s always Berdyansk-Berdyansk, the best place.” It seems to me that this will be such a unifying factor. It will be necessary to rally people around this, forgetting some old grievances and so on. Although it will be difficult, of course.
— What about collaborators??
— Well, firstly, there is a concept defined by law that collaboration is voluntary cooperation with the enemy in order to harm one’s country. These people must be held accountable by law. This is the job of law enforcement. As for, let’s say, public sector employees: doctors or teachers, some of them really do this because they have to survive somehow. I actually only recently learned that under the Geneva Convention, medical professionals are not covered by collaboration activities because they are required to provide medical care. It’s another matter if a person did this because he really wanted to serve Russia faithfully. I don’t think we will get along with people who worked for Russia. They will mostly leave. I don’t really envy those who stay. How will they live? Well, they will somehow walk silently, do something quietly.
But we must understand that the process of war once had a beginning, but, unfortunately, has no end. The struggle will continue after de-occupation. And, as they say, the struggle for minds will be very important. There are people who, during the occupation, have not changed their attitude towards Russia as an invader. And there are fresh victims of propaganda. It will be necessary to develop a rehabilitation course for them, so to speak.
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Photo: primorka.city