Published
Fri, Feb 4, 2022, 09:00
- As the threat of invasion looms, we asked various key players about the impact on Ukraine's thriving nightlife culture.
Various members of Ukraine's nightlife community have shared their thoughts and feelings on the current crisis at the Russia–Ukraine border.
As of today, February 4th, more than 100,000 Russian troops remain stationed at the border in the east of Ukraine. At any moment, Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, could order an invasion and reignite a war that began in 2014. This uncertainty breeds anxiety and tension.
At the same time, the atmosphere on the ground in Ukraine's towns and cities is largely unchanged. People continue with their normal lives. Shops, bars and clubs are open. International ravers, promoters and artists are still flying in for parties, though some have cancelled visits as a precaution. All in all, the nightlife community urges calm over panic.
Some of the comments below were already public, though the bulk were sent directly to Resident Advisor. They have been edited for length and clarity.
HVLV
We know that it's difficult to remain calm. But panic and frustration are what our adversaries expect of us. Prudence, sense of community, and critical thinking are the qualities that helped us prevail during the Maidan. And we remember those times very well because the cofounders [of HVLV] and most of the team were there. We need to stick together, evaluate information, and continue to do our job. We'll continue holding events, plan future projects and collaborations. We'll need to make some decisions along the way: think more about the safety and state of the team, and take into account more financial risks. But making plans and working hard now is the best thing we can do as a business. We recommend this to our guests and the community, too—stay calm and come party with us. As the legendary meme of our time says, "Even if Russia invades, the clubs will work." It has historically been the case that the cultural community is the most resilient and stable.
Closer (Kyiv)
For now Kyiv is living its normal life. Not a single institution is closed—either a theatre or a café. Neither are clubs. We do our best to keep propaganda and pressure from affecting our daily and nightly lives. What is shown on the news looks intimidating, but in reality Kyiv is relaxed and celebrating.
Would we invite our friends from abroad to come to Ukraine and join the party? Yes.
Are we 100 percent sure it's all just a bluff from Russia's side and there will be no large-scale invasion? No. We cannot guarantee anything.
Is it safe to come to Kyiv? Well, should be safe but we cannot take responsibility for Russia's moves. We would however take responsibility to take care of our friends and artists in the best possible way.
Is it OK to make parties during this period? Parties are needed now more than ever! For a few reasons: to distract from the news, to feel and show that our spirit did not falter, to celebrate the freedom, to stay together, to dance as it is the best thing that could possibly be done at this moment.
It is up to artists to decide whether to take the risk and come over. We would understand any decision. But we would be happy to celebrate and dance together and invite all friends to join.
Valentin Bobylev (Cofounder of Kultura Zvuka, Kharkiv)
The situation is tense. All of Ukrainian people don't want war and are very frightened by the statements and actions from Russia. Ukraine is definitely an independent country and will never accept the position of being part of Russia. I think that's a big mistake of Russian politicians to misinform the population of their country and use lies about the fact that nationalists in Ukraine infringe on the Russian-speaking population to justify their aggression against Ukraine.
We live in Kharkiv and most parts of my environment use Russian as the main spoken language. And no one will say that they have any problems with that. But everyone agrees on one thing: we want to live in independent Ukraine, not in Russia.
In 2021 we did a party every week. In 2022 we switched to two parties a month. We don't stop but the general mood said us that we should do it less often. I started seeing a trend of less popular partying since the fall. I think this may be due to both Covid-19 and Russian aggression lately.
If the situation escalates, and Russia goes to occupy other Ukrainian territories, as it did in 2014, then I will assume that nightlife will completely disappear from these territories, as in Donetsk, Luhansk and Crimea. But I hope common sense will win, Ukraine will remain independent and peaceful, and we will still dance.
Anatolii Borysenko (Founder of Collider, Kyiv)
I'm tired to be afraid. I feel like I was already killed in 2014-15. I don't want to leave Ukraine. I like Kyiv, I like Podil community. I see a lot of opportunities to make difference, to create something new. It's a pity, that millions of people lose a lot of opportunities, resources, sometimes life, because of one old, crazy maniac. I am very angry, and I want to end this, otherwise it's killing us slowly.
For most people, art is not an essential commodity in a wartime situation. We see fewer people attending events. We are experiencing difficulties in arranging artist visits from other countries. I assume the market has cut more than 50 percent. If it continues for a longer time, a lot of people will have to sacrifice their art in to earn a living in other spheres.
It depends on the level of escalation. Before 2014 it was very hard to imagine war in Ukraine at all. After several months of shock, people started to get used to the situation. A lot of people lost their jobs, a lot of people came to Kyiv. In general, it was a kind of creative boost for the community. But of course, if the war spreads to other regions, especially Kyiv, it will be disastrous. Cultural activity in the territories occupied by Russia is close to zero. Culture is dangerous for totalitarianism.
Oles Zazulin (Founder of Detali collective, Ivano-Frankivsk)
I haven't followed the news for several years, but the information is so strong that it is leaking everywhere. Of course, it is painful and unpleasant for me to feel this pressure and escalation of the situation developed by the geopolitical giants between our countries. Ukraine and Russia have never been brothers, even though we have much in common. Internally, I don't believe in a full-scale Russian offence and I advise everyone to remain calm.
The situation with Russia right now doesn't affect nightlife in our region. We still suffer more from outbreaks of Covid-19. In fact, because of the transition to the red zone, my friends are postponing their party, which should take place on January 29th. However, I know that foreign guests who have planned performances in Kyiv are worried about the current circumstances.
If a full-scale war really started, it would reboot everything. Culture, art, society. We already have the experience of the Revolution of Dignity and the military conflicts in the East. At first, everything stopped, and then exploded with a new stream, with new moods, ideas, approaches. For culture, such circumstances are always the driving force for the birth of something else.
∄ (Kyiv)
For Ukraine, the last eight years have been a time of uncertainty. We are used to checking our feeds daily, constantly awaiting news. During this period we have been repeatedly challenged to navigate the informational over-saturation. With a sober mind, we observe what is happening. Yet, we often are unable to keep calm and focus on our daily lives, as the news about the threatening moves of the Russian military at our borders are making the headlines not only locally, but also in international media channels.
In moments like this it's important for us to unite and to synchronize, to support each other. Panic is a powerful tool for destabilization, and we urge our community to stay calm and informed.
No one dictates our agenda. We (and other cultural and public institutions of Kyiv) keep on working as always, as we continue doing our best to create a safer space for all of us.
Rhythm Büro (Kyiv)
We don't want to downplay the situation that is going on right now, as it is far from being resolved completely. However, it also has to be noted that the very boom of Ukraine's nightlife that everybody's talking about nowadays has been taking place during the period of tensions between Russia and Ukraine. We've been living with that since 2014, and—coincidentally—this is exactly the time frame during which Ukraine (especially Kyiv) has become one of the hot spots of nightlife in Europe. That doesn't mean we're ambivalent towards the situation at the border, but we've also kind of gotten used to it. This may sound a bit cynical, but it is what it is.
At this given point, the only effect we're seeing is that some artists and party-goers from abroad are afraid of visiting Ukraine. We can understand that, but we're also trying to provide all the information as we see it to our partners. It's important that people receive information from all possible sources, especially from those in the epicentre of actual events. Other than that, there is no sense of war or escalation whatsoever: if you walk the streets of Kyiv today, you'll see that the three-plus million people living in the city just go on with their daily lives, the restaurants are buzzing, the businesses are open, etc.
Of course, IF (and I intentionally want to put IF in capital letters) there is a real escalation, the situation may change, but there is no sense of it currently. Just for context, our forthcoming event will be attended by dozens of foreigners, including at least three booking agents. Kyiv also has lots of expats from European countries. I recommend getting familiarised with this article from DW.
We are strong supporters of independent and free Ukraine, we condemn any outbursts of violence, and we know—we've seen—the results of such violence within our own country. Maybe that's the reason why we don't shout "war" that often—this doesn't help anybody in these circumstances.
DJ Mell G
All in all, I feel good in Ukraine, but I don't know how long I will stay or how long I can stay. I have always been aware of the political situation with Russia, but now it's coming to a head. I'm constantly talking to my friends here. I trust them and I am grateful for the clarification because I have learned a lot that I could not know through media or research. I would like to quote from the Telegram channel of ∄: "In moments like this it's important for us to unite and to synchronize, to support each other. Panic is a powerful tool for destabilization, and we urge our community to stay calm and informed."
In general, I feel OK in Kyiv because I don't sense any panic from my circle of friends, but I also notice that there is naturally fear. It's difficult for me to feel my way into it. The only thing I can say now is that Ukraine has my full support.
I can say that music and nightlife are political, always have been and always will be. So for me, it's really important not to stop music events, etc. because it's important to talk about what's going on with everyone. When I was in Keller on Friday I also recognized that a lot of people were talking about the political situation and that's important.
Keller (Kyiv)
Our relationships [with Russia] were completely destroyed more than eight years ago. Nothing new happened in the last weeks. That's why it is weird to see so much attention of EU media just now.
We already had a few bookings get declined and a couple have been cancelled or postponed. Artists are scared, and the informational storm in the EU gets stronger and stronger. To be honest, due to Covid-19 it was the first year we were able to work almost as usual. Now we're trying to save upcoming events contacting booking agencies explaining everything. So we call everyone to keep calm.
We'll get stronger! Not only the nightlife but the whole culture gets massive and more distinctive when this kind of stuff happens.
Beth Alana (Cofounder of The K Hole, Kyiv)
Generally, Ukraine is a calm and enjoyable place. I personally feel safer in Kyiv than I do in London or Berlin, just like many other people do too.
This can make things more confusing and difficult to understand in terms of the military and political tensions within Ukraine. The music and art scene has been thriving, but sadly such uncertain times could bring this great creative progress to a standstill. Ukrainians have fiery spirits and strong hearts. I truly believe that whatever will happen, the scene will continue somehow, even if it is only at half the pace of what it was the previous years.
We all live in Ukraine with the knowledge that news of a Russian advancements could come at any time. Ukrainians put on a brave face and brush off this existential threat with ease. They have been doing this for years already, even in times of renewed tension and intense international media coverage. Although this has been the case over the past eight years, the feeling of nervousness has been creeping up on many of the native Ukrainians (although definitely not all of them!). This uncertainty has been taking a big toll on many of the people I know personally, and some are already making plans to leave Ukraine to visit friends or family for some time until the situation smooths over. Of course many remain optimistic, even when faced with refreshed concerns of war.
I think it's good the clubs in Ukraine still have their doors open. It shows the immense strength and courage of the Ukrainian creative scene. There are many challenges as always, but there are few things that can stop the Ukrainian people from dancing their weekends away.
I hope in light of situations like this, foreign visitors to Ukraine can make better judgements and understand the deep and complex struggles the country has always faced. I don't want people just to use Ukraine as a cheap place to party. Ukraine is worth so much more than that.
Additional reporting by Margareeta Evi.
Photo: Alina Prisich