Former head coach of Dynamo women's team Vladimir Pyatenko, who now works with Metalist 1925 girls, told the Belarusian Tribune about the war in Ukraine.
- What is the condition of the soccer infrastructure in Kharkiv now?
- There were flights to the fields, to the stadiums of the city, moreover, there were flights not far from the club office, windows flew out. But even in such conditions, the management did everything to ensure that in the same academy the children practiced on quality fields, in good conditions. The infrastructure of the club, by and large, is intact, but I remember that in Kharkiv there were several cases when missiles flew literally on the playgrounds where the children were playing, or nearby. The guys were playing ball, and a rocket exploded not far away. Terrible, of course.
- How easy is it in military Ukraine to concentrate on your work, on soccer?
- A person, as they say, gets used to everything, but you can't get used to war anyway, it's objective. Nevertheless, both I and the girls are trying to concentrate on soccer, on the sports component. We are very grateful to our armed forces for the fact that they give us the opportunity to basically do our favorite thing, to play.
- How often do you have to interrupt your work because of air raids?
- I can't say how often, but it happens. We try to quickly finish training and go to the shelter. Once there was a case. I was in the national team, and my assistants were training at the club. The team was quietly practicing, and literally missiles started flying over their heads. They were shot down by air defense, and then, understandably, any continuation of training was out of the question. Everyone rushed for cover. Our team is based near Kiev, and it was on the day when the Russians shelled the Okhmadet children's hospital. Rockets were flying over our heads, and literally right after the alarm was sounded. Everyone went into hiding, the training did not resume afterwards.
Psychologically, of course, everyone was, to put it mildly, uncomfortable, people were scared. Plus, you know, our team is from Kharkiv, but we can`t play and train there. However, people from the team have relatives living in this, in fact, frontline city. People are worried. But we still need to work, so even in such conditions we try to concentrate on soccer.
- How do most Ukrainians react to the air raid today?
- Everyone decides for himself whether to go to the bomb shelter or not. When there are matches, of course, to go to the shelter is a rule, which is compulsory. Now, by the way, some places have started to allow spectators in the stands. I think it's good - we play for the fans. But the main thing is to observe safety measures. If the stadium does not have a bomb shelter, then, of course, spectators should not be allowed. And in general, everyone should assess the risks when going to the stadium. In any case, I am not against fans coming. In difficult times, soccer creates some positivity.
- Is your attitude to shelling different now than at the beginning of the war?
- The first time, of course, it was much scarier, and we went down to the cellars quickly and waited it out there. At the beginning of the war we had to live in a cellar for two weeks. Now it's scary too, it's impossible to get used to it, but I don't go down to bomb shelters, I just stick to the rule of two walls. If I walk down the street and a siren sounds, I try to find at least some shelter, a safer place.
- Have you ever had a rocket explode or a shahid fall near you?
- I have never seen such a thing, but I have seen shahedin flying in the sky and shooting down missiles. I remember, once we were leaving the national team from the House of Football in Kyiv, and a missile flew literally over our heads. At night you can watch how air defense works from the window. I once thought that such things could only be seen in the movies, but here it is all close to me, in my homeland. It's scary.
- Can they send you to the front?
- They can. When I got a job as a coach of "Metalist 1925", I registered in the military registration office. Now I updated the data. How does it happen? You come to the military enlistment office, pass medical examination, get registered, they enter your new data (place of residence in the first place). You get a new military ticket. Until July 18 you had to update your data. Girls did exactly the same.
- Alexander Aliev says that he is very angry with the number of "ukhilyants" that have appeared in Ukraine lately. What do you think about those who are trying to leave the country to avoid fighting?
- I will not judge anyone and I urge you not to put everyone under one umbrella. We don't know why, as you say, a "ukhilyant" is trying to leave the country, why he doesn't want to go to the front. Perhaps he has really good reasons. And if you know about them, the motives of the person will also become clear.
I had a friend, unfortunately he is no longer alive. He told me that a lot of guys come to the front line (both by themselves and by conscription) with the attitude that "you couldn't do anything here without us, and now we will solve everything, we will help you". And when the first battle passes, a man just breaks down. So everything is individual, not everyone is ready for war, for gunshots. Or in a particular family, a father or a brother died in the war - and his relatives do not want to go to the front. Is such a person an "ukhilant"? To some extent yes, but he can be understood. I would not indiscriminately criticize everyone who tries not to go to the front.
- You are still coaching the Ukrainian women's national team. After the beginning of the war the attitude of girls to the national team, to the challenges has somehow changed?
- Before the war it was an honor for everyone to defend the colors of the Ukrainian national team. I headed the team after the war started, but I see that the girls come to the team with great motivation and responsibility. They understand that it is impossible to do their job, especially now, badly, so that they would not be ashamed neither before themselves, nor before those who are fighting, who gives us the opportunity to play sports and soccer. Everyone in his place must (exactly must) do his job well, give 100 percent. Yes, we can lose, but the defeat can be such a defeat, for which we will not be ashamed in front of anyone.
And every sporting event in Ukraine or related to Ukrainians, Ukrainian teams should bring positivity, especially now, when there is a war. Look how many positive things happened at the Olympics, how many medals our guys won. It's just as positive as the successes of the Ukrainian armed forces.
- How much do you think the war has affected sports in Ukraine, has it affected the enrollment of children in sports schools?
- Of course, the war has affected sports, all the components. Some athletes died at the front, some left the country, that is, we lost athletes. But even in spite of the war, the president and the country's leaders decided that even in the current conditions we cannot stop the sports life in the country. Why? In order not to lose the young generation, which after our victory will represent the country on international arenas. If there were no sports in Ukraine, believe me, ten times more people would leave. And so many children, teenagers, and adults continue their work in sports to represent the Motherland. And colleges, schools, sports academies, as I see, do everything to ensure that the pupils practiced in more or less good and, most importantly, safe conditions. It costs a lot. No one is interested in losing the young generation of athletes. If we abandon it today, in five years there will be nothing good in the country. There will be no new generation of athletes.
- Your worst day during the war.
- The most terrible is not a particular day, but moments when you bury acquaintances, friends, relatives. Unfortunately, there were such moments. In such situations I just feel angry at everything that happens. Because of the whim of some jerk (although this is a mild word), civilians, children are killed.
- Are your relatives all right?
- Yes. But very good acquaintances, friends were killed. People died at the front. How many? You see, even one case is a lot. It seems that there is a war, deaths are inevitable, and you realize it. But when a friend or acquaintance dies, everything is turned upside down. Anything over zero is a lot.
- Are you afraid to receive another tragic news about your acquaintance?
- Of course I am. Only fools are not afraid of such news, not afraid of death. I am well aware that any day I can be informed that this and that have died. Moreover, when my acquaintances are on vacation, not on the "front line", and we call them, there is an understanding that even at this moment it can come - and a person will be gone in a second.
- What do those who are on the front line talk to you about, what do they ask, what are they interested in?
- Literally about everything: how and what the country lives, people and so on. You know, sometimes I myself am ashamed and uncomfortable to go to a cafe, realizing that guys are fighting at the front. When I talk to them about it, they answer that they are fighting just to make the civilian population of Ukraine feel at ease, to live a normal life and be sure that they are protected. Therefore, I understand that at least I have to do my job 100 percent, so that I would not be ashamed in front of those who give me the opportunity to do this work. This is my repayment to those who fight and protect us.
Can you imagine what happens at the front, where there is war every day, where there is shelling and death? Sometimes I hear that it is hard to play matches for five or six hours when they are interrupted by air raids. My response to that is: "As soon as you think it's hard for you now, think about what it's like for the guys at the front. And no matter how long the match is, you shouldn't complain. It's hard and scary - at the front".
- Do you think Ukrainians have less patriotism?
- I do not think so. And now, when our troops went to the Kursk direction, it only adds positivity. It is clear that everyone is tired - both ordinary citizens and those who are on the front - there is no escaping it. But patriotism, especially when such good news comes, does not become less. Victories inspire us, it means that we are doing something right.
- What do you think the events in Kursk region may lead to?
- I am not an expert. I would like these events to lead to the end of the war, to Ukraine returning to the borders of 1991. I believe that everything we do brings the country closer to the end of the war, to our victory.
- Some polls show that more than a third of Ukrainians are ready to give up the occupied territories if it leads to the end of the war.
- We don't know what people motivated their decision, their answer. Here, for example, is a woman who lost her son in the war. What would she say? Of course, that everything should be over already, even without certain territories. And someone wants Ukraine to go to the end, to the borders of 1991. Everyone chooses for himself what is important to him, and everyone has the right to his opinion.
- How has the war changed you?
- I look at some things that seemed important before the war with completely different eyes. I just don't pay attention to these everyday or life trifles. Someone said something - that's fine. I realize that the most important thing is life.
- What does an ordinary Ukrainian care about besides the war?
- My whole neighborhood is worried about those who are at the front. People are immersed in this subject. I am saved only by soccer and my relatives, family. During games, trainings I switch, somehow I forget about the war. But then I read, watch, analyze again. I don't know how one can live and not think about what is happening in the country.
- At the beginning of the war, describing your attitude to Belarusians, you said that you did not divide people by nationality and citizenship. For you there is a normal person and an abnormal one.
- Over time, your opinion has not changed. I repeat, how should I treat a Belarusan who is against the war? And it is clear that I will think about those who support the power of Belarus and the fact that missiles were flying from the territory of the country to Ukraine.
- Did many Belarusians support you after the beginning of the war?
- Enough. But I communicate only with those who went abroad; naturally, they understand and support me.
In general, I am more than sure that adequacy does not concern nationality. Here we need to talk about intelligence, understanding of the situation. In Ukraine, there are also people who surrender data to the Russians, pointing artillery at various objects. These are traitors. And even though they are Ukrainians, how should we treat them?
I believe and see that among Russians there are enough adequate people who understand the reality and oppose the war. The same soccer blogger Evgeny Savin, as I understand it, left Russia precisely because he is against the war. A Russian, but adequate. So, I repeat, I do not divide people by nationality, adequacy is more important to me.
- If an acquaintance from Belarus asked you to describe what war is like, what would you tell him?
- It is terrible. Lives are lost there, and to lose a life is the most terrible thing.
- How do you think the living standards of Ukrainians have changed?
- I have never even thought about this question. But I see that somewhere new businesses are opening, somewhere there are problems, and quite serious ones at that. But if the economy lays down, it will be in the hands of the enemy. I am grateful to entrepreneurs who take risks and do something in the conditions of war. Contributing to the country's economy is, among other things, helping our army.
- How would you describe the mood of Ukrainians today?
- When there is good news from the front, then, of course, there is positivity, enthusiasm. When the news is bad, then, naturally, the mood of the people falls. In general, a lot depends on the news from the front. At least for me.
- Do you believe in the victory of Ukraine?
- Absolutely. But it is very hard to guess when this victory will come. I would like it to be tomorrow, but it is unrealistic. Everything is too long. Nevertheless, I continue to believe.