From the stage to the trench and vice versa: the story of Volodymyr Tuka, a Kherson resident, Ukrainian defender and actor

Volodymyr Tuka is a veteran of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a talented resident of Kherson who had a rich creative life before the war, acting, dancing, creating creative animation programs for adults and children for many years, and working in a well-known circus studio. But during the full-scale invasion, the man changed the stage to a trench. He had to meet the enemy face to face while leaving the occupation, lose a dear friend, visit the very hell of war, learn about the realities of the gray zone, survive injuries, and despite this, find the strength to live and the opportunity to help his comrades in the rear. Read about all this in the exclusive material of the Intent.

Well, here we are...

Volodymyr met the beginning of the war in his native Kherson. He was about to celebrate his birthday. Then, he recalls, he decided to stay in the city, and he did not want to realize the new reality. But the rapid occupation, chaos, and lack of understanding of how to proceed forced him to accept it. Like many brave Kherson residents, Volodymyr risked his own safety to demonstrate louder and louder at every rally that the occupiers were not welcome. He was one of those brave souls who sang the Ukrainian anthem into a loudspeaker for the whole square. But day by day, participation in the protests became more dangerous. In addition to shooting, the Russians started taking people to torture chambers, men were forced to dig their trenches, and on top of that, the connection was cut off. Volodymyr realized that this was going to be a long time coming and he had to act. In addition, his friend Viktor had a serious illness, there were almost no medicines, and without them the man was doomed. That's how the idea of leaving came about.

"The first trip was unsuccessful. We were traveling through Snihurivka, which was blocked the same day. The second attempt was more successful, although mega-extreme. Then, in early May 2022, I hastily grabbed a backpack and basic things and set off into the unknown with my friend Oleksandr. We took three other passengers who dared to leave. At one of the enemy's posts behind Tyahyntsi, the girls were asked how long we had known each other. One of them answered that she did not know us, and then the "fun" began, which will never be forgotten. A tough test began. I was calmly taking everything out of my backpack, because I thought there was nothing there. But suddenly I realized that I was pulling out our flag in front of the occupiers. It was given to me at a rally and has been in my backpack ever since, but I had forgotten about it. And my first thought was, 'Well, we've arrived,'" says Volodymyr Tuka.

The Russians' reaction was instantaneous. First, they began threatening the girls, and when Volodymyr and Oleksandr stood up to defend them, the situation worsened. The men were grabbed and taken to the so-called Russian headquarters. There they were subjected to a series of "educational measures" from the occupiers.

"They took away our car, phones, kicked us hard, beat us with a rifle butt, and then asked us to unlock my iCloud, and then it was trash. I couldn't remember the password under pressure, so I not only heard threats about shot knees, but was also taken by force to another headquarters. Oleksandr was taken to a minefield, given a grenade without a receipt and forced to walk through mined areas while shooting at his feet. They were having fun, and we were turning gray. This went on for several hours. Then they brought us back. They took Sania's money, but they didn't find mine. After that, they poured a glass, offered us a drink and sent us hitchhiking," Volodymyr says. With virtually nothing, the men made it on their own, first to Kryvyi Rih and then to Odesa, where they were able to breathe for the first time in so long. Once Volodymyr recovered, he went to look for medicine for Viktor, but when he found it, it was too late. The phone rang and the man was told about the death of his friend.

There are no colors...

The experience of the last week was a shock for Volodymyr, and now all he wanted was justice. So he went to the military registration and enlistment office and immediately registered. They told him that they would call him when he needed to be called up, and a few months later he was. The defender began his career in the Armed Forces as an ordinary soldier in the 79th Air Assault Brigade.

"I didn't care where they would take me and where they would send me, because I was going to defend what was mine, to defend justice. After all, I had so much boiling inside me," Volodymyr recalls. When he completed basic military training, he was sent to the east of the country, to Kurakhove and Maryinka. There he gained his first combat experience. The defender was placed in one of the most dangerous positions and was almost close to the enemy. Due to the lack of shifts, sometimes he had to stay there for weeks without rest.

"The first thing that comes to mind is the gray zone and the realization of why it is called that. There are no colors there. Really. Everything is so gray and emotionless. It's a completely different world. And the positions in Maryinka are actually destroyed houses and basements," Volodymyr notes.

There was a battle in one of the buildings where Volodymyr's group was stationed, during which the defender had to call in the fire on himself. He held the line for several hours, and when he ran out of ammunition, he radioed the command to fire on the position. But an experienced commander directed fire nearby, and they managed to force the enemy to withdraw. However, there were some casualties that time.

"Going down to the basement, I saw a dead newcomer. He was killed during his first mission. And then I was noticed by a fellow soldier who was the most experienced among us. But because of his concussion, he could not hear me and did not recognize me from the back, so he shot me," the defender says.

That day Volodymyr received a gunshot wound to his right shoulder. The bullet did not hit any important vessels, so after treatment he went back to defend the state, but in Krasnohorivka. According to him, it was easier there, but mental exhaustion played a role. The man was sent to a military medical commission, where he was recognized as partially fit. So he found himself back in the rear.

Volodymyr Tuka, photo provided by the interviewee

Back on stage again

After being discharged from the Armed Forces, the first thing that came to Volodymyr's mind was to apply for acting improv. He attended such events during his treatment. That's how he ended up in Kyiv and returned to acting. And then he had an unexpected and enchanting return to the stage. Volodymyr recalls:

"Once I saw an announcement online inviting me to participate in the Veterans' Theater project. This is a joint project of the Dramaturg Theater and TRO Media aimed at rehabilitating veterans through creativity. They taught them how to write theater plays and helped with their staging. And so it happened. I attended the classes and eventually wrote a play about my combat experience, a real story from the front. Before that, I had long wanted to create a plastic sketch about the death of one of my comrades-in-arms, but I had no opportunity, and here it was. It became my rehabilitation in all its meanings. Thus, I found myself back on stage."

Serhiy Pavliuk, his old friend and the chief director of the Kulish Theater, saw the text of Volodymyr's play. He immediately offered to stage a one-man show called "One Day Hero" based on it, starring the veteran himself. The play was dedicated to the soldiers who died on the day of their first combat mission and was scheduled to be performed in their native Kherson and many other cities across the country.

"It's not just a play, it's an opportunity to do something very important - to convey to the general public everything that each hero went through. To prove how important it is for the military to be understood by civilians. It is also an opportunity to make the audience understand that everyone who defends the country is a hero. Even the one whose only feat was to give up his life," says Volodymyr Tuka.

Volodymyr Tuka during the screening of the one-man show "One Day Hero". Photo: Vadym Hnidash.

<span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span>We must appreciate everything we have

In addition to creative rehabilitation, his experience made Volodymyr interested in military psychology. So he attended many trainings and began to study basic psychology on a peer-to-peer basis.

"At each training, we learned how to regulate our state in case of sudden negative changes, how to communicate properly with our comrades in order to support them, not to injure them, etc. I decided long ago that I wanted to help other defenders. After all, the one who has experienced what you have experienced will understand you best. Nowadays, there is a great need for those who will help the military to socialize and return to normal life after their injuries and experiences," Volodymyr says.

Volodymyr has already taken the first steps in helping other veterans by organizing acting courses for them at a Kyiv theater. Initially, he says, there were more people interested, but now things are calming down. Still, he doesn't lose his enthusiasm and does everything he can to help his comrades-in-arms who are now on the front line.

"Once I got to a vocal rehabilitation program conducted by Daryna Kyrylko. She has long been visiting sanatoriums and rehabilitation centers where guys are treated and singing Ukrainian songs with them. This is also rehabilitation. Everything happened so that now we sing in one group, which we called "VeteranoBand". Together we visit our defenders, help other guys with military collections for the urgent needs of the army and write songs," the man says.

VeteranoBand, photo provided by the interviewee

He is convinced that the war is an evil that we will definitely overcome, but to do so, we must realize the most important thing: "I have learned one thing - we need to appreciate everything we have and protect it with all our might, whether on the front line or in the rear. We can do anything, no matter where we are."

The work on this material was made possible by the Fight for Facts project, which is implemented with the financial support of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Сергій Лозовський, Ганна Компаніченко