Roman Matsa is confident that culture and humor are a universal language that blurs the boundary between different political views.
As Radio Prague notes, this time Roman managed to travel from one end to the other: Kyiv, Berdyansk, Mariupol, the north of Donetsk region, Zhytomyr. Roman came to Ukraine at the invitation of the organization 'KVN,' which may indeed be rooted in the history of the 'Club of the Cheerful and Quick-witted,' but has a different acronym – 'Kraina Veseloho Narodu' (Country of Cheerful People). Participants of this program hold various events, exhibitions, and seminars aimed at at least partially normalizing life in eastern Ukraine, in the territory adjacent to the combat zone.
Roman Matsa has been cooperating with 'KVN Ukraine' for more than four years, and he is also a long-time participant in the Council of Europe's 'Movement against Hate' program, which operates in 40 countries, including eastern Ukraine.
– Did you go to Ukraine alone or with other Czech activists?
– I had one colleague with me, who was in Ukraine for the first time. At first, it was a culture shock for him, but now he is experiencing emotions that he will not forget for the rest of his life. It is a very unusual country from the perspective of Czechs, and everything that happens there evokes very strong emotional experiences.
– Usually, the country's residents themselves do not understand what exactly foreigners mean when they say 'culture shock.' What surprised your colleague so much when he first came to Ukraine?
– Here people are reserved, but there they are more open, and if we are used to certain behavior, something else can be a shock. The Czech Republic is part of the European Union, it ranks 25th in the world in terms of development, while Ukraine is much lower, which is visible on the streets of cities, visible in the dilapidation. That picture can also be shocking.
– During your last trip, did you encounter anything new that you hadn't seen before?
– In eastern Ukraine, we traveled from Mariupol to Sviatohirsk, driving along the front line. For example, we ended up just a couple of kilometers from the town of Marynka, which is located on the outskirts of Donetsk. We visited towns where military operations took place. All of this, of course, evokes strong emotions. At the same time, it is clear that people strive to live normally, potatoes grow in the garden... On one hand, normal life goes on there, on the other, it is clear what happened there, all of this brings up complex emotions.
– Did you meet people who experienced war and participated in combat?
– Of course, I met many such people, not only from the Ukrainian side but also from the opposite side. They are all tired of this, they just want to live normally, communicate normally. And they are already doing it, because even after experiencing war, one cannot talk about it forever – there simply is no strength left.
– You speak of great differences between the Czech Republic and Ukraine, but it has always seemed to me that they are two close cultures, largely sharing a common Central European past, and part of Ukraine once belonged to Czechoslovakia. While in Kyiv, did you feel anything close to the Czech Republic?
– I will answer differently: in Ukraine, there is much that brings it closer to the Czech Republic. For example, in Zhytomyr there are societies of Volyn Czechs. I had a wonderful meeting with them, which evoked strong emotions. The Czech Republic is a small country, there are not many of us in the world, and when you encounter something very close so far from home, it evokes strong feelings. I really liked that I met a representative of one of these organizations, who belongs to the fifth generation living in Volyn, but speaks excellent Czech. People there preserve the language and traditions, which is always pleasant for Czechs to see.
– In the Czech Republic, there was a program to provide asylum to ethnic Czechs living in Ukraine in the combat zone. And those Czechs you met, do they think about returning to their historical homeland?
– Actually, many have already left. Of course, the situation in Ukraine is uncertain, and people need to live their lives normally, raise children, and they are looking for a way out. And if they are ethnic Czechs, then this can become a solution for them. However, many people in the Czech Republic think that they just want to take advantage of the opportunity to come here, get support, and then lie on the couch for the rest of their lives, which is certainly not the case. People are simply making a logical decision in a situation where they need to find some way out.
– Not long ago, a high-profile murder occurred – journalist Pavel Sheremet died in the center of Kyiv. What did you feel when communicating with representatives of Ukrainian media – are they scared or already used to living in this reality? After all, it is a much harsher world than the Czech media space.
– I was there a little before this murder happened, but I am sure that they work as before, not paying attention to pressure from any politicians or oligarchs. The Maidan events strengthened the active civic position. People stopped being afraid, began to say what they think, many independent media outlets appeared, not indifferent to what is happening. So if people have the desire to change something, they need to be brave.
– How do you generally assess the social and political situation in the country?
– This issue should be viewed from two sides. Ukraine is not only its government. There has always been a division between west and east, between those who speak Russian and those who speak Ukrainian, but this war has united them. And those who speak Russian defend Ukraine and are its patriots. This patriotic stance does not mean that these people support the current government – we know that it does not have the strongest support. Of course, there is a certain chaos, many problems, and few successes. It is difficult to achieve anything when the country is at war, and it is clear that when people's lives do not improve, the economy does not grow, and the hryvnia has fallen threefold, this does not increase trust in the authorities. However, love for the country is something else. When I talk to Ukrainians, they usually say: "Life is scary here, things are bad, but we love our country!"
– You previously mentioned that the Czech media somewhat distort what is happening in Ukraine. So there is a certain bias in how this country is portrayed inside the Czech Republic?
– I wouldn't call it bias. The thing is what information about this country we are offered – exclusively about political problems, war. This creates the impression that nothing else is happening there. But Ukraine is a large country, close to us, where many people live, so it should be shown from a different perspective as well, so that we do not forget that people there also strive for a normal life.
– I suppose that the Czech Republic remembers the existence of Ukraine at least because a state project to attract labor resources from there has been developed. Now there is a lot of talk about the need to ease obtaining work permits, but all this runs into bureaucratic obstacles. Perhaps, in a certain sense, Ukrainians in the Czech Republic are viewed as cheap labor?
– Of course, there are people who perceive Ukrainians as cheap labor. Mostly these are those who fear that Ukrainians will take something away from them, that Ukrainians pose a threat to them. Others, in the situation with migrants in Europe, would welcome having Ukrainians live here. Still others have experience communicating with Ukrainians who have moved to the Czech Republic. They know that Ukrainians are absolutely normal people, just like us. So there are different views. I think negative attitudes and harsh statements towards Ukrainians can be heard, rather, in some village pub where they hate everyone and everything, and believe that everyone around is to blame for their bad life.