Max Fuzowski: How did your case end?

Anatoli Ulyanov: I was in public and personal opposition to National Committee for Protection of Morality. Under the guise of spiritual virtues and protection of kids, this organization became a institution of censorship and starts to ban books and movies. I found a logical connection between this organization, nationalistic renaissance, conservative counter-revolution and clericalization in s.c. modern Ukrainian society. In parallel, I criticize the mayor of Kiev Leonid Chernovetsky because of his connection with the sect called Embassy of God and orthodox right-radicals from Bratstvo (Brotherhood). Leader of this organization, - Dmitry Korchinsky, - who promotes s.c. “orthodox shariah“, got his own tv-show at central municipal channel of Kiev. After threats and persecutions, I was thrice attacked and beaten once in the middle of the day at the central street of Kiev by one of the Nazis from Brotherhood. Observation was established for my home and police recommended me to hire a private guard. In situation like that, I was forced to leave Ukraine.


Person with Ukrainian passport can’t actually live, because there is a big problem to get any normal visa with such a passport. I asked Embassy of France for 1 year visa, but they gave me only 15 days. I went to Paris with my wife-photographer Nataliya Masharova, than to Berlin and our travel has begun. We start to move from one country to another, having only short-term visas and using support of my family. We still on the road, mostly on Balkans, and can’t get more than 90 days per year in Schengen Area, keeping our job mostly online, hoping to find new home one day. Person who beat me was caught, but released few days later. My online-magazine called PROZA was closed by the censorship because of complaints of National Committee for Protection of Morality. That’s how my case end…

What is the main reason of problems which artists have with authorites in Ukraine today?

Ukrainian artists don’t have any problems with authorities or church, because they don’t create an acute art and careless to social problematic – they spend most of their time at luxurious openings with a glass of free champagne in a plastic cup and, in fact, serve the interests and entertain village-type establishment. Contemporary art in Ukraine fell in union with hipsters, nouveau riche and fashionistas. You can’t compare Ukrainian and Russian situation in a field of conflict between art and authorities.

But I know a case of Alexandr Wolodarskij…

Case of Alexandr Wolodarkij was unique – journalist and blogger forcedly transform himself into artist to made criticizing performance (imitating of sexual act near the Supreme Council of Ukraine) against obscurantism of s.c. modern Ukrainian society and National Committee for Protection of Morality. This is totally unusual situation for Ukrainian political and cultural territories.

Can we say that there is a censorship in Ukraine now?

I haven’t been in Ukraine more than a year, but, in fact, it’s always censorship and self-censorship there. In one or another form. And I can believe my colleagues that situation is getting worst. Present government of Ukraine is political cheerleaders of Putin and his methods. All they do is mimicry. You know, in Western world there is a big myth of “Ukraine after orange revolution”. What Europe called “democratic wakeup” was only a self-delusional simulation. Europe simply swallowed the bait. What happened at real is not only a tragic cooptation of a whole country riot potential, but legitimization of right, nationalistic and conservative energies under the guise of “liberal rebuilding of nation”. Box of Ukrainian Pandora was opened. What’s happening now is regeneration of regressive trends, that is deeply installed in mentality of people at post-soviet zone. The catharsis for simulation of “democratic wake-up” is in fact fall of the whole liberal potential in Ukraine. The future climate in post-soviet region will be determined by ideological and cultural metropolis of this region. The main problem, however, is not some Kremlin-country with empire ambitions or diabolic ideology – the problem is that Tzar is inside everyone. When authorities killing journalist, destroys forest, support corruption or lie – people just watch, and keep quiet, and so careless and too scared to support each other. They will suffer, because accustomed to delegate the responsibility to the tyrant. Who knows, maybe before liberal morning some nations must mentally grow up at tyrannical night to be ready to delegate responsibility not to some god, leader or party, but to themselves. Tragic drama about the freedom and censorship in Ukraine is not that you can’t say something, but that whatever you say – nobody cares.