Olha KLINHENBERG, film critic:
“You might think that I’m engaging in irony, but my biggest fear as a child was that I’d never became a young pioneer-hero. Valya Kotyk and Marat Kazei [young pioneers who fought Nazis during World War II and were conferred the title of Hero of the Soviet Union posthumously — Ed.] followed me in my nightmares along with the Nazis and kept reproaching me: just look at us and what we have done, and what about you? Are you prepared to give your life to your Motherland? And I was always prepared! That is why in my childhood I often died heroically in my dreams and even fantasies, sometimes for no reason at all and completely disinterested.
“Now my fears have less to do with ideology. Mostly it’s trifles like missing a morning meeting at work or a concert of my favorite rock group, A Knife for Frau Mueller. A few years ago I was afraid to miss some cinematic masterpiece... No, all this is history. Our life itself is something like a movie. So, if you feel frightened you should look for the reason somewhere around you, for instance, a man with a corresponding name. I have such a nightmare by the name of Puhach [scarecrow in Ukrainian].”
Volodymyr VOYTENKO, Ph. D. in medicine and professor:
“I wasn’t afraid of anything either as a child or now. And I don’t think I need any grounds for this. Fear either exists or it doesn’t. In theory, I’m afraid of many things: say, diseases, especially if they occur to my near and dear. Well, one can always imagine many things, and sometimes this happens to me just like everybody else. But if you speak about the so-called irrational or childhood fears, thank God, I’ve never had them.”
Dmytro CHEKALKIN, Chanson Adult Radio, president:
“My most scary memory from childhood is connected with huge barges loaded with coal which sailed up and down the Desna River where I grew up. My elder brother told me this and said babai [bogy in Ukrainian].
“Today I’m afraid of fear itself. To be more specific, I’m afraid of feeling constrained, of being unsatisfied and uneasy. Thus, I strive for harmony,”
Volodymyr DANYLETS, People’s Artiste of Ukraine:
“I’m afraid of loosing my popularity, and generally speaking (including in my childhood), I’m afraid of death. That’s it.”
Oleksiy PLOTNYKOV, Ph. D. in economics and professor, Institute of World Economy and International Relations at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine:
“I wouldn’t say I was a very brave child but I don’t remember being afraid of anything. Maybe I had some fears when I was two or three years old but I can’t recall any conscious ones. Now I’m anxious about (not frightened by) the possibility that our country will have ignorant leaders taking ill-considered actions, its possible isolation, bad economic situation, low living standards, etc. But these are not physiological or psychological fears but anxiety.”
Ivan MALKOVYCH, poet and director, A-BA-BA-HA-LA-MA-HA Publishers:
“As a child, I was most afraid of Malanka, January 13, when the devil runs around with his pitchfork. Winter, mountains, white snow — he runs, the bells ring — that was terrifying. I wanted to see it very much, but still I couldn’t help hiding under a table. My mother told me not to be afraid, and I answered, “I’m not, I just don’t want to see him!”
“Now my fear is very primitive, it’s hard to believe that an adult person can be afraid of such things. But if I tell you exactly what it is, somebody might use it against me.”
