The leader of the Norilsk Uprising of 1953 Yevhen Hrytsiak espoused and promoted non-violent resistance for decades. In the interview, we asked him about his assessment of the recent events in Ukraine, taking into account his worldview. “Non-violent techniques are inapplicable when fighting such an enemy,” Hrytsiak responded. In his view, this war was unavoidable. “I have always said that Russia will not allow Ukraine to join the EU, for that state has to expand constantly.” “Meanwhile, the Ukrainian society needs unity and leadership equal to Mahatma Gandhi’s,” we heard from the man who once united 5,000 downtrodden prisoners of the Norilsk camps in the struggle for human dignity. The interview with Hrytsiak, who is 88 but keeps monitoring the situation and caring for his nation’s fate, will be broadcast on Den-TV soon.
Photo by Artem ZHUKOV, The Day
