"So, this is our path"

Ukrainian entrepreneur who went into the army - about the everyday life of volunteers before sending to the ATO zone

Ukrainian entrepreneur Alexei Girenko worked in Ukraine by a representative of the Russian company, then received an invitation to move to Moscow, where he lived for the past year and a half. Now his life has changed abruptly: Alexei is preparing in one of the camps of the Ukrainian army and from day to day is waiting for sending to the ATO zone. Girenko calls himself the Crimean Tatar, although he is not such by blood: he says that he decided to "become part of this people" in solidarity with the Crimean Tatars after the annexation of Crimea. In an interview with Radio, Freedom, Alexei Girenko, said that he made him leave Russia and take up arms whether the situation in the Ukrainian army had changed for the new Minister of Defense and whether he hopes after what happened, to come to visit Moscow friends again.

- How long have you become a volunteer? What did you do before?

- I became a volunteer on August 27. Before that, I lived and worked in Moscow for about a year and a half, and even earlier, of course, in Ukraine. I am 32 years old. I lived a significant part of my life in Zaporozhye. After I was coming to the power of Yanukovych, I moved to Kyiv because problems with business began. In Kyiv, I led the representative office of the Russian company in Ukraine, and then, a little later, in February last year, I was invited to Moscow. There I led another company, but decided that given the annexation of Crimea, working in the aggressor country and contribute to the development of its economy is unethical. For various reasons, I cannot afford it. Then I returned to Ukraine and went to the army as a volunteer.

Volunteer Alexei Girenko

- You call yourself a Crimean Tatar, but outwardly you are not at all like a representative of this people. What is the matter?

- In fact, this story is ironic, funny and at the same time dramatic. I became the Crimean Tatar quite recently, in May of this year. I am a person with an increased sense of justice who cannot be indifferent to what is happening now. I informed all my friends that, as a sign of solidarity, I became the Crimean Tatar and I will be it until the annexation of Crimea is over. I decided that I would in every possible way help my homeland be returned to my Crimean-Tatar people. This is a huge grief for an entire people, who was 70 years in deportation, and then got the opportunity to live at home. I can’t say that Ukraine has done something especially good for the Crimean Tatar people, but I can’t say that it somehow oppressed or infringed on its rights or deprived him of the opportunity to develop. I talked with my friends, they say: "Well, it's okay that this happens with the Crimean Tatars is happening to everyone." Then I said: Guys, actually I am the Crimean Tatar! In the morning, some, of course, noticed that I had a slightly different phenotype. But, one way or another, this message became part of my subsequent activity, after I returned to Kyiv. I am the Crimean Tatar in solidarity with this people. And I’ll be in this status until the Crimean Tatar autonomy is created as part of Ukraine.

- That is, do you perceive your mission as revenge for what happened and is happening with the Crimean Tatars in Crimea after its annexation by Russia? When was the last time you were in the Crimea?

- In Crimea, the last time I was two years ago. Yes, now, in fact, this is not only the pain of the Crimean Tatar people, this is the pain of every thinking person. Therefore, soul, beliefs, and now I am with actions with the Crimean Tatar people.

- What impression did the camp of the preparation of volunteers of the Ukrainian army make you?

This is our fee for the fact that we, the Ukrainian people, Tatars, Jews, Armenians, very late realized that we were not cattle

- I did not live at the Soviet Union for long. But, most likely, what was called the "scoop" and what is associated with this, just our army. This is an indelible leadership, starting from the middle officers to the highest. Complete indifference to the fate of those people who are entrusted to them. On the other hand, the current army is the people who came to protect their homeland. There is a gap, between this and what people on the Maidan stood for. One way or another, this is such a way. I do not regret that I did not serve in the army before, because I went to study at the institute. If not for this situation, there is nothing to do here. But I'm here, and this is our way. This is our fee for the fact that we, the Ukrainian people, Tatars, Jews, Armenians, very late realized that we were not cattle. Now we started to pay for this.

-Maybe some positive changes have occurred in the army with the change of Minister of Defense ?

On the day of the appointment of one and a half Minister of Defense, the guys who were sitting at the table said: before that we drank a liter, now there will be one and a half

- The biggest change that I saw after Poltorak became the Minister of Defense is that in the evening on the day of his appointment the guys who were sitting at the table said: "Before that we drank a liter, now we will be one and a half." On this it all started, this was all over. In any case, at the level at which I can observe as a soldier, I do not see these changes. Of course, I see colossal and pleasant changes from fellow countrymen, volunteers, people who come, support, write letters. This is. There was no such sympathy in our country, probably, after the "Orange Revolution". By and large, we are all left here for ourselves. We take care of ourselves, our volunteers and our loved ones. And the task of our current command is in any case, this is an impression-it is to build us in the morning, send us for duty and give some emergency instructions in the form of cleaning the territory or something like that. The equipment is repaired for our own money and with the help of volunteers. Today, my team had a pleasant event: volunteers arrived. They did in a day what we could not do in two weeks, and the army did not even try: they fixed our equipment. She drives again, and I hope that she will still show herself well.

- You write on your Facebook that on November 11 you are sent to the ATO zone. You already imagine where you will go and what will be the situation?

This is a full -fledged war. Each of us can die, return a cripple or unnecessary for our relatives. So this is our path

- In fact, before that we were told that on the 11th, but there is a version that this could happen literally tomorrow. Most of the guys who serve with me, and we have on average about 40% - volunteers, are very waiting for us to be sent there soon. Because the conditions in which we are here ... This is the third location, the third part, which I change one after another. We are constantly sent, retrained to different other guns. And every time everything is worse. Now, in my opinion, the apogee of indifference. But this is a war, and only a fool can think that there is romance or some heroism in the war. Any war, as Henri Barbus wrote , and I completely agree with him is collective suicide. But in this situation, we protect our homeland. We all understand, know and communicate with people who returned from the ATO. This is a full -fledged war. Each of us can die, return a cripple or unnecessary for our relatives. So this is our path.

- Do you already know what specific place you will go to - to the Donetsk or Lugansk region? Do you go where you go, active hostilities now?

- We tell us approximately that it can be the Donetsk region. But again, according to previous experience, sometimes the guys said that they were sent to Melitopol, and they were sent to Mariupol. One letter begins and ends, this confusion happens. But we were so prepared that, there is no doubt, it will be an ATO zone.

In the spring of this year, Alexei Girenko lived and worked in Russia

- You said that you worked as a representative of a Russian company in Kiev, then for 1.5 years lived in Russia. You probably have many friends left in Moscow. Are you not afraid that now that you are probably closed to Russia, you can not see them soon yet?

“I know that I will not be able to come soon and see them.” There is nothing to be afraid of. This is a fact. I was aware of this. Indeed, I have wonderful and kind friends who live in Russia that I met thanks to various projects and work that support me. Surprisingly, a lot of people intensively support me, often write letters. Some even say that their position is especially impressed with me that the freedom of Russia begins in Ukraine, they say "we are with you." In general, I understand that I will no longer come to Russia, in any case, while there is the Kremlin yoke, the current regime of Vladimir Putin. There is nothing to regret it, because my homeland is not in Russia, but here.

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Alexey Girenko - About his service in the Ukrainian army