On January 10 the first President of independent Ukraine Leonid Kravchuk was receiving birthday wishes. This political heavyweight, whose opinion impacts the government, the opposition, and most importantly the Ukrainian people, turned 77. Unlike the two other ex-presidents, Kuchma and Yushchenko, Kravchuk never abandoned politics. Moreover, when the country’s leaders were thinking how to react to one or another complicated internal or geopolitical situation, it was Kravchuk who made the first shot and, as a rule, hit the bull’s-eye.
The Day featured many interviews with the first president. These ranged from acute topical discussions to profound conversations about our past, present and future. But all the materials that Kravchuk authored and commented on, or where he was interviewed, have one thing in common: his genuine love of Ukraine.
Kravchuk has gone from being a teacher at the Chernivtsi Financial Vocational School and the head of the propaganda department of the Chernivtsi Regional Committee of the Communist Party, to independent Ukraine’s top job.
The Day asked Leonid KRAVCHUK about the secret of his political success.
“Each person has many ingredients in the ‘success recipe.’ However, in my opinion, the following things are important. First. Kravchuk has never and nowhere had trifles. When I studied, I was learning properly: seriously and responsibly. I did all the homework and, in addition, I had my own opinion on each issue. In a word, there were no trifles. By the way, today there are none either. I suppose this is very important for a person, since a big thing always consists of small ones. For example, success consists of trifles like democracy consists of different democratic steps.
“Second. I never set myself above the people I work and live with. I have listened to each person because I know: if I speak about myself, I will learn nothing, and when I listen to everyone, I will learn something for myself.
“Third. I have always known that one should learn. Not only it is never too late to learn, one should learn every day. Why? Because there is no day when one can say: ‘That’s it, I know everything.’ When Einstein was asked how much he knew the relativity theory, he answered ‘I know it the least.’ A person who knows something also knows how little he or she knows. And when a person doesn’t know anything, it seems to him or her that they know everything.”
How self-critical are you?
“I’m a very self-critical person. I have always questioned any of my steps or decisions. Even if I’m confident it is right, I question the decision anyway. For I know that today it can be right and tomorrow this ‘right’ can be canceled by life, and put in a different light that came to be regardless of my person. Of course I know Caesar’s expression, that in order to realize big things, one should hesitate as little as possible, one should be resolute and quick, for doubts can kill development. However, it depends. I suppose that Caesar, as all people, could be mistaken as well, for in one case one should hesitate and in another case one should take resolute steps because doubts can hinder movement.”
Politics and emotions. How can one combine these seemingly incompatible things?
“In addition to experience and knowledge, politics is made of love. Love of land, love of word, love of song, love of people. Can there be love without emotions? No, never, of course. Therefore when dealing with the love of one’s environment, people one works or shares one country with, and history, there should be emotions by all means. But one should never be emotional while making decisions. I stress, never! For when emotions dominate common sense, analysis, reality (and reality in politics can be very severe), this is not politics anymore. Why, for example, does the ‘witch-hunt’ continue in the Verkhovna Rada? Why do fights take place? For in this case two constituents that are unacceptable in politics are at work: revenge and emotions.”
On what path is Ukraine on today?
“Unfortunately, Ukraine today is still in the process of searching. Though in some issues people’s understanding has been considerably expanded, [like in their] understanding of their power and importance. We didn’t have it for 10 years, and now people know they have power, that they can both elect the government and remove it. Or make the government act as people need it. Since the government always declares it is guided by the people’s interests. However, I do not think that the government, which raised prices for utilities and so on, is guided by the people’s interests. People’s interests look interesting, don’t they? And when I hear statements about how the president and the government will never act contrary to people’s interests, there is one conclusion: one should be responsible for one’s words. However, on the other hand, one should admit the following as well: the government’s organization, the government’s responsibility for some steps. In addition, young, interesting people come to the government. And those who have been working for a long time, they know that sooner or later they will be scrutinized by history, people and the nation, and they will be held accountable. I’d put it like this: the government now feels a big responsibility before the people, and people feel a big power that enables them to make the government act for their benefit.”
