Being a member of the “Essence of Time” movement cell in Kiev I joined the fight with the Bandera fascism long before the Maidan. My comrades and I organized pickets and discussion clubs in the city where we tried to get it across to Kiev residents that it was Ukraine where the fascist Hydra was awakening. With the outbreak of the Maidan, our cell arranged purchase and delivery of everything necessary to the “Berkut”, which received the first blow of fascists on Grushevskogo street back in those days.
After the Ukrainian February coup, any anti-fascist political activity became impossible in Bandera Nazi-occupied Kiev. The Hero City Kiev where I was born and lived for all my life changed beyond recognition. When Donbass became the center of resistance to the junta, I, like many other members of the “Essence of Time” movement from different Ukrainian cities, decided to go to Donetsk.
Leaving my home city Kiev, I understood that I could never come back again. Crossing the Metro Bridge on my way to the station, I looked at the slopes of the Dnipro River, Kiev Pechersk Lavra, the Motherland Monument, and I promised to my home city that I would do my best to liberate it.
My trip from Kiev to Donetsk was surprisingly calm. Despite the fact that there was heavy fighting near Donetsk, nobody ever even asked me where I was going.
Having arrived to Donetsk I immediately went to the base of the “Vostok” brigade, where my friends from the “Essence of Time” movement have already been. Those were guys from Ukrainian towns who, just like me, had left their homes and come to Donetsk. I knew some of them before the war, and became acquainted with the others. It was evident that the majority of the guys have never served in the army, but all of them studied military science with great zeal.
The very first night we had to spend in blindages, as the base was shelled by BM-21 ”Grad”. Almost every night in those summer days we had to jump on alert and run to shelters, because the Ukrainian artillery incessantly shelled Donetsk.
Having made the decision to go to Donbass, I was ready to take on any useful job. But I could not imagine that I will have to take a camera and become a war correspondent. In peacetime I have never dealt with video filming, but in times of war it’s not acceptable to say “I can’t”. So I literally had to learn the profession of a cameraman on the go. I understood that the informational war is as important as the classic one, as I saw what had the media done with the Ukrainian youth, who were jumping on the Maidan. I realized that we had to deliver the truth about this war.
Other stories of “Essence of Time” unit soldiers: “Essence of Time” unit in Donbass
Source (for copy): https://eu.eot.su/?p=6505
