Yuriy Gurzhy’s War Diary (88): An Evening for the Killed Volodya

11/28/2022
If you google Volodymyr Vakulenko, you will come across numerous photos showing him with a book in his hand. His 2014 colorfully illustrated children’s book of poems Tatuseva Knyga (Father’s Book) seems to have been a bestseller.

A poem from it that I read the other day is about a boy who rides his papa like a horse. The two overslept and rush to daycare – it’s funny and, unlike many other texts written for children, very realistic. As a father, I can see myself in that.

Vakulenko lived with his autistic son near the small town of Izyum – in an area that was under Russian control between March and September. He has been missing since the end of March, all Ukrainian authors I know wrote about it on social media and were very worried about him but hoped he was still alive. Yesterday his body was found in a mass grave in Izyum, it was found that he was probably shot dead with a pistol by the occupying forces in April.

This is what Serhij Zhadan is talking about today on the stage of the Berlin Kesselhaus at the concert of his band Sobaky. The announcement comes right after the first song and the 700 fans who were just applauding, cheering and whistling fall silent. “We’re playing for Volodya tonight,” says Zhadan, “but as if he were still alive, because for us he’s alive.”

For me it’s Zhadan i Sobaky’s second concert in a week and I can’t shake the impression that since February of this year the band’s music has gained an additional dimension – no matter what Serhij and the guys sing about, you can’t listen to their songs anymore listen without not thinking about the war.

Since the boiler house is around the corner from me, I came here at 4 p.m. to spend more time with Sobaky – and immediately got caught in a trap because I seem to be the only person in this large room who speaks Ukrainian and speaks German.

I translate for the house technician and for Stas, the band technician. Stas is persistent, he doesn’t talk much, but he does his job like a real professional – no matter where he is, whether in Berlin, New York or Donbass, he always manages to get the maximum out of the existing PA system.

My bandmates were deeply impressed by him mixing us at the 2016 Ukrainian concerts and overcoming all the challenges. My fellow musicians are still talking about this Ukraine tour today, and there was a lot of laughter about the performance in my hometown of Kharkiv at Club Misto, where we saw streaptease dancers more often than rock bands. In September, the place was completely destroyed by Russian missiles.

Many people donate power banks for my compatriots

While Stas gets acquainted with the system, the others sit around in the backstage room. Serhiy is sitting on the couch and trying to work on his computer as best he can, while every few minutes either his cell phone is ringing or someone comes into the room and asks: “Serhiy, your publishing house is here! Serhiy, the photographer is waiting outside! Serhiy, please don’t forget to record the video message!” He’s hiding behind a curtain in the corner, but that doesn’t do much good. I wonder how he can take it.

Sobaky search the websites of Berlin hardware stores for generators. As Russia shells Ukraine’s infrastructure and blackouts mount, this hunt for generators is Ukraine’s new national sport.

My Facebook post with the request to donate power banks for my homeland also got more response than I had hoped, now friends and strangers are getting in touch with me, we are meeting many of them this evening because they are also coming to the concert . Again and again I go out to the entrance to pick up another package.

There is a Christmas market in front of the Kesselhaus, it smells like roasted almonds and mulled wine – and I can’t stop thinking about Ukraine, where so many people I know personally have to live without electricity, water and heating right now.

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