Sunday 24 August was Independence Day in Ukraine. Kateryna Tushynska works at the embassy in Kyiv. She tells us how she and her colleagues experienced this special day and what it’s like to live and work in a country torn apart by war.
Kateryna Tushynska, Agricultural Officer, Netherlands Embassy in Kyiv
‘Until 2014, Independence Day was a good opportunity for me to meet friends in Kyiv’s city centre,’ says Kateryna, who works at the agricultural section at the Dutch embassy in Kyiv. ‘Usually, Ukrainian bands and celebrities would perform on Maidan Square. Afterwards there were beautiful fireworks that could be seen in the night sky in many parts of the city.’
Reconsidering the true essence of Independence Day
‘After 2014, with the Revolution of Dignity, the illegal annexation of Crimea by Russia and the hybrid war that the Russian Federation launched in the east of Ukraine, many Ukrainians – and I am one of them – reconsidered the true essence of Independence Day. We understood that the time had come when our independence and territorial integrity would have to be defended, including on the battlefield. Since then, Independence Day is no longer a cheerful, noisy holiday for me, but instead a day of awareness of myself as a citizen of a country that is in the process of defending its sovereignty.’
Since 2022, the sound of fireworks has been replaced by that of missile engines, Russian drones and explosions. ‘So the best scenario for Independence Day nowadays is that it’s quiet,’ Kateryna says. ‘This is also a day when we should thank everyone who has fought for and continues to defend our independence. Those who have given the most precious things for our country: their homes, their loved ones, their health, their lives.’
Beeld: © Katya Tushynska private photo
visiting a village relocated after Chornobyl disaster 1986
Cautious about making plans
‘Those Ukrainians who have stayed in the country since the beginning of the full-scale invasion are usually cautious when it comes to making plans. War always changes your plans in the most unexpected ways. So I will be glad if I can spend this Independence Day travelling with my father to the small village where he was born. After the Chornobyl disaster in 1986 – due to high levels of radiation – all villagers were evacuated and the village “dissolved” in the forest. However, our memories and the roots of my family remain there.’
Work changes
Kateryna works at the embassy’s agricultural section (you can read more about this work here). Since the start of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, her work and that of her colleagues has changed significantly.
‘I mean not only the working conditions, especially in the first months after the invasion, but also the content of my work. The Netherlands provides Ukraine with economic, military, financial and humanitarian assistance. I am proud to work at the embassy of a country that is among the states helping Ukraine the most. I personally and many citizens of Ukraine are sincerely grateful to the government and citizens of the Netherlands for this help.’
‘This new level of partnership between the Netherlands and Ukraine has also changed the content of my work. Supporting the Ukrainian agricultural sector to ensure food security in the region, as well as assisting Ukraine in its European integration processes, is among the priorities of our team. And that’s exactly what we’re doing, in cooperation with Dutch companies, sector organisations, R&D and educational centres and of course together with the Dutch government.’
Beeld: © #UAgroNL
Netherlands Embassy in Kyiv. Group photo on Ukraine Independence Day
Appreciating the bright moments
Kateryna: ‘Since I stayed in Ukraine all this time, I’ve had the opportunity to adapt and get used to this reality. Yes, sometimes it is not easy. But after each dark day full of fear, despair, worry for my loved ones and helping people I know (and often complete strangers who found themselves in trouble because of Russia), I increasingly begin to appreciate the bright days – or even just moments – of my life: talking with family, friends and colleagues. And humour, which is often dark and terrible, but dark times bring out dark humour anyway.’
Those who have lived in Ukraine since 2022 are united by a common experience, Kateryna adds. ‘Often, we don’t even need to say much to understand or support each other. Sometimes it’s enough to hug each other silently or cry together. It’s difficult to explain this at the level of effective communication, but that’s how it works.’
Communication: ‘wartime etiquette’, language and spelling
‘Communication definitely has changed, not only with my colleagues but also with my network. You could call it “wartime etiquette for civilians”: we ask each other how the night went, whether we managed to sleep, especially when certain districts of Kyiv have been severely shelled and destroyed during nightly attacks. We wish each other a “quiet” night. Colleagues and partners of the embassy, whose partners, children and relatives are defending Ukraine in the army, need much more support and care, as do mothers who often spend all night without sleep with their children in shelters.’
‘I also notice that more people from my network refuse to communicate in the Russian language and switch to Ukrainian. Therefore, using the Ukrainian spelling of the names of cities such as Kyiv, Kharkiv, Lviv, Odesa and Dnipro in international communication is an important signal of support for Ukraine and the fight against Russia's imperial ambitions.’
‘Culture is a valuable tool of communication and unity’
Kateryna: ‘Culture is another valuable tool of communication and unity. Modern Ukrainian music, literature, cinema, theatre, art and documentary photography are becoming extremely popular. I hope modern Ukrainian culture is also appreciated in the Netherlands. Because culture is a reflection of important historical events in which we are all participating now. Just like our ancestors, who fought against Russian invaders for centuries. Their struggle was depicted in the books and art works which inspire Ukrainians now to defend our country.’
‘Any action helps Ukraine to be an independent European country’
‘I would like to sincerely thank the Dutch people who may read this interview, who have sheltered Ukrainian refugees, helped with the treatment and rehabilitation of Ukrainian casualties, created charitable initiatives to support Ukraine, or even just adopted a Ukrainian cat or dog evacuated from a war zone. Any action, even seemingly insignificant, helps Ukraine to be an independent European country.’
This text is written by the editorial staff of the Communications Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands