Serhii Tselovalnyk. Architect against war

Serhii Tselovalnyk is a patriot of Ukraine, passionately devoted to the Motherland, vice-president of the National Union of Architects, chief architect of Kyiv in 2010-2015, Honored Architect of Ukraine. Already from the first days of the war, together with his son, architect Anton Tselovalynyk, they joined the local territorial defense to protect the peace of their native places.

Is it easy to decide on such a thing, to leave the usual circle of affairs and projects, to change the field of responsibility? For our hero, it was a settled matter. About a new experience, reflections on peaceful and military existence - in our conversation with Mr. Serhiy.

The war changed people's lives, their social circle, and in many cases, their views, deepening awareness or removing contradictions. She challenged the change of profession and occupation.

Yes, our heroes - architects, creators, talented specialists in their field - temporarily left their peacetime professions and chose new missions. Some of them left the offices for a while, but not the architecture. Because architecture in a broad sense is construction, harmony, creation of space. A safe, happy space for all Ukrainians.

Right now, at this moment, they are sparing no effort and themselves to bring victory closer. They are building the future of the country in the fields and dugouts, in the ranks of the army. In volunteering, through educational and public activities. Their daily work and courage make the sky above our cities brighter.

According to Mr. Serhiy, the decision to go to the army was made, in fact, instantly, as soon as the current situation was clarified and a safe haven for loved ones and their further actions were determined (as it turned out later, they were not final, as for many Ukrainians).

"At some deep level of feelings, I felt such a probability in advance, indeed, I even believed that they (the Russians. - Ed. note) will start on the 22nd. That's why I prepared, fixed the weapon, checked the ammunition, put everything that was necessary and as necessary into the shoulder bags. When it dawned in the morning (we live on a high floor, it was quite audible!), I woke up with the thought: "Well, that's it! We need to act." The thoughts were not about themselves, but about relatives and friends," he recalls.

Already on February 26, together with their son Anton, they went to the local village headquarters and wrote applications to join the ranks of territorial defense volunteers.

Serhii Tselovalnyk says that he already had some military experience, but he acquired it a long time ago, 35-40 years ago. During his military service, he was a sailor in the navy, and he also had some skills in handling the AKS-47 and PM (Kalashnikov assault rifle and Makarov pistol. — Editor's Note). Later there was some retraining in mine action as a reserve officer in the marines in Sevastopol and in the artillery division of the training division in Belarus. Serhii recalled an episode from those times:

"I remember when we were on mortar firing, the division commander crossed himself before each shot, because the mines often did not fly out of the tubes. Because the b / k was still a model of 1943, and the mines, even with an additional bag of gunpowder, did not work... There was trouble with retrieval, but that is a separate story..."

Serhiy Tselovalnyk had the skills of handling small arms, which have become especially relevant now, as a hunter, although he emphasizes that he has not shot forest animals in recent years.

PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA: Not so long ago, I came across a saying: "In order not to go crazy in a war, one must find the meaning of existence in this war." It is not about the reason or the global meaning of being in this war, everything is absolutely clear here, namely about daily, routine realities and emotional excitement. How do you feel about it?

Sergey Tselovalnyk: There were no combat operations here, but training, everyday practice, and moral readiness for direct contact are constantly present. We train and prepare: both in the tactics of combat movements and shooting, and in tactical medicine, we take turns at checkpoints.

I hang on and try to maintain my sanity as much as possible; I seem to have become somewhat angrier, sometimes I use harsh words, I try to control myself. Even all the sores have gone somewhere, I would like to go to where that racist ship is.

We have not seen our son very often in recent years, and now being together (although he spends most of his time on training and military affairs) has both its advantages and disadvantages. He is already an adult, and I still try to be a dad sometimes.

PM: During your service, you see what war does to a country. You see it through small towns, native communities, and their residents. Has it affected your perception of acquaintances, citizens or society?

S. Ts.: Yes, I saw a lot. Many people, in my opinion, have opened up from the better side. About someone, for example, I did not think that he would be at "zero", on the front line, and he was destroying orcs there.

We saw with our own eyes the destruction of Gostomel, Gorenychy, Moschun and Pushcha, other towns, these horrors of war. But our people, despite this, do not lack a sense of humor even in such circumstances. I remember that recently there was a joke: "The Barysh court canceled Johnson's resignation." By the way, the joke actually shows the nationwide attitude towards Boris as a great friend of our country.

I remember there was a joke recently: "The Barysh court canceled Johnson's resignation"

Architecture and war are like the opposition of two foundations, archetypes: creation and destruction. An architect, an architect, this creative grain is an important part of the essence of a normal person. Creativity is where the peaceful sail of her soul is directed. Therefore, it seems that the architect remains himself in any conditions. And in the conditions of war, perhaps even more so, stronger, in contrast to the destructive energy of the enemy, the influx that wants to destroy our country.

As proof of this, to the question of whether the direction of his activity could somehow change as a result of the war or after it, Serhiy Tselovalynyk answered with one word: "No."

"Creating and destroying are diametrically opposite actions. Faced with the destruction of not only houses, but also entire settlements, cities, the architect cannot help but think about how everything should be revived. Thoughts, ideas on this matter may be different.

Someone, still young, offers to build barracks for displaced people, understanding the need to quickly accommodate people. However, without significant life experience, such a professional may not understand that this decision will lead to a long life of discomfort for families. Those with experience know that such post-war barracks exist even now, for example, built after the Second World War.

Sometimes experts with experience do not have a better offer because they are not ready to understand the scale of the destruction and do not have enough information about the construction possibilities.

In my opinion, when it comes to temporary housing, Polish block temporary shelters are exactly what is needed. They will be dismantled as soon as our settlements and permanent residences are revived. And they can be compiled and saved in case of natural disasters."

PM: Do you have plans for direct participation in the reconstruction of the country or, perhaps, are already involved in the processes of preparation and analysis, in certain projects?

S. Ts.: Yes, this process is already underway. For example, we are working on the development of temporary housing, and not only that, with colleagues who care about us. We are thinking about how to provide "zero", border guards or checkpoints with mobile modules that are easy to assemble, but resistant to fire damage. It is not easy.

PM: How quickly should Ukraine's recovery programs be deployed, in your opinion? And what are the main obstacles or "pitfalls" that may appear on this path?

S. Ts.: It is necessary to start early, that is, already now, which is already being done somewhere. There can be only one obstacle - campaigning! I mean hastily agreed inappropriate solutions released for distribution. In order to decide, for example, what to do with this or that destroyed settlement, city, it is not always necessary to invite the most famous world stars.

I don't want to offend them, they are well done for agreeing and coming themselves. This is really very useful. But, I will continue, sometimes it is not necessary to invite someone, but for our specialists to find out the whole picture of the country from the point of view of resettlement, revival of the economy, missions of cities and agglomerations, reorientation of cross-border connections, delegation of management functions to the appropriate vectors of the future development of the country in its post-war orientation to Europe.

For example, the thought appears: "Oh! Let's build an airport in Gostomel!". And what is behind this? What should be the calculation? Load? Service area? Class? What to do with "Zhulyans"? Consider its trans / geo / Eurasian and international location, intermediate cargo / passenger base for intercontinental flights?

Therefore, maybe it is not necessary to "pour concrete" until the above is taken into account?

Or another example. Someone declared: "Let's leave the destroyed city as a monument, and build a new, better city in a new place."

I know the story when, in 1944, the Stalinist commission came to Sevastopol, which was destroyed by 98 percent, and there were only six houses with ceilings left. So they proposed just that: to build a new city on the other side of the raid. But in the end, the city was revived on the historical hills, because engineering communications and roads were not completely destroyed, and this allowed to save a lot of money. And the city later became handsome!

We must remember this when we return it together with Crimea.

PM: By the way, about returning to the original sources. Now we are watching a new round of decommunization and de-Russification, there is an active public debate about the return of historical names to streets and cities or their renaming, about the eradication of the enemy from Ukrainian culture. What do you think about the scale and speed of this process?

S. Ts.: Now, during the war, as they say, "nothing can bring us closer to the Muscovites better than an optical sight." But, in my opinion, these processes should be carried out in moderation. For example, Solzhenitsyn, aka "their", but wrote: "Truly: katsaps are beasts." Fierce, bloodthirsty, but mortal..." How to treat him then? Difficult question.

Dostoevsky is an ideologue of Russian fascism, it is clear here, but he also has the following: "The people (Russians), who wander around Europe and look for what can be destroyed, will be destroyed only for the sake of entertainment."

Pushkin - deeply embedded! We need time to figure it out. Lermontov, if he had lived more than 26 years, he probably would have repented, but he wrote such wild game as a cadet, horror!

The Russian philosopher Ivan Ilyin, by the way, wrote about Russians: "Russia is the most disgusting, nauseating country in the entire world history." By the method of selection, monstrous moral freaks were bred there, in which the very concept of Good and Evil was turned inside out. Throughout its history, this nation is floundering in shit and at the same time wants to drown the whole world in it."

He's damn right! Why punish him?

Another quote from Saltykov-Shchedrin: "If the Russians are allowed to choose their leader, they choose the most lying, vile, cruel person, kill, rob, rape, and later blame him. After a while, the church proclaims him a saint." Well, wasn't it a warning for us, tell me? So punish him, cancel him for what?

By the way, several years ago we designed a monument to the Belarusian writer Korotkevich, erected near the embassy. What to do with him?

So I say once again: we must steadily and consistently de-Russify, but in moderation.

PM: What fate do you think awaits one of the symbols of the past - the arch of friendship of peoples in Kyiv, which is especially "muddy" today? Will it be demolished?

S. Ts.: I would destroy it. But I heard that there are certain decisions of the city authorities to keep it and rename it. Listen, this is funny. You can paint "zed" or "we" on trophy tanks and use them in battles. But the sculpture of the complex cannot be removed, but the dominant of this very complex, which everyone remembers as the "Russian yoke", should be left, giving it a new name. This is some kind of palliative! So I'm sure it will be demolished! Shortly!

PM: War changes the appearance of cities, changes us all. We see every day how many and how many we lose... And what do we, Ukrainians, acquire? If you focus your gaze on more philosophical, transformational meanings.

S. Ts.: War strengthens the spirit of a nation. And we have no other way but to win. And for victory, we most need unity among ourselves and unity with the progressive World!

 

 

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