"Trukhanov has finally been deprived of citizenship" - activist Anatoliy Mazur

Trukhanov 's deprivation of citizenship reminded us of the rallies and events of resistance to the mayor over these more than 10 years. That is why we spoke with Anatoliy Mazur, an activist and member of the Odesa Maidan self-defense , who attended the October 14 rally and participated in the protest after the trial in 2018. We also talked about the war, opportunities for civic engagement, and youth. Watch the full version of the interview and read the short version on Intent.

Watch the full video on Intent's YouTube channel

Anatoliy, let's start with such a hot topic, and then move on to a story from your life. We ask a lot about the past, so we will dig into it a little bit, but today I want to ask you about October 14. You were at a rally near the city council. Tell us how these events were perceived for you, given the history of your life? How did you react to this rally?

It has finally happened. It was long overdue. People have been talking about Trukhanov 's Russian citizenship for years. It would be one thing if he renounced it publicly and said that he had made a mistake. Like, he was wrong, he didn't know, and now I'm learning the language, singing songs, making embroidered shirts. But he was lying! What for? When the full-scale invasion began, he was not there, which suggests certain thoughts. I think he was waiting for something. And finally, there is already an evidence base: citizenship, tax identification number. And everything else. I think the SBU did a good job. And this is a victory.

What do you think about the fact that Trukhanov's Russian citizenship has been discussed for quite some time, and now the issue has been resolved in one day.

Perhaps it's a coincidence, but maybe someone in the Presidential Office is preparing for the elections. Whatever it is. This should have been done a long time ago, and it was done. If Zelensky or Yermak figure out how to use this for themselves, I think it won't add a lot of points to their score. But I am grateful to them for this today.

If we talk about 2014, then we did not talk about the war as much and as openly as we did in 2022. At that moment, you were an adult with your own business experience and life experience in general. And then you realized that Crimea was being taken away from the country, and events began in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. What was it like for you?

I've been telling everyone since the beginning of 2009, after the annexation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, that we have potentially two points in the country where there could be fighting, or some kind of invasion or hybrid aggression. I've been saying this since 2009, emphasizing that there will be a question about Crimea, and there will be some actions in Donbas for sure. I was morally prepared for this, so to speak. I started volunteering after May 2. I wanted to fight, but I broke two arms and fell off my bike. It was just fate. I started volunteering, going to Donetsk region. And just in the area of Ilovaisk, when those events took place, my car broke down and I couldn't go. I stopped for three days. Then I went to the Department of Health and Social Protection in the Odesa Regional Administration. I just came to see how it all works, how decisions are made, who is responsible for what, without any interference. Saakashvili was in charge at the time. I came to see his team, I was curious. I was very impressed, both in one and the other direction. There was wild resistance in the Odesa region, in Odesa, to the arrival of Saakashvili and his team. And then the fighting started, and they milked themselves.

Given that you traveled to the Donetsk region and saw the war before it became full-scale, have you ever thought about why society talks so little about this war?

Well, always when the war is somewhere far away, it is not perceived by society...

Somewhere far away is when it is in another country, on another continent...

We were very concerned about the war in Syria, for example? Adaptation is going on, people get used to it, even to the war, and then the stage of rejection comes. To forget and not think about it, seriously, is scary.

We started talking about whether society is currently experiencing this stage of alienation from the war. Do you see it?

Yes, I see it. Unfortunately, I do. I also feel it. Everyone knows that there is a war going on, who is to blame, that Putin is a c..l, no one forgets. But now the power is being cut off, and for some reason Zelensky is to blame. If it's the TCC, it's also Zelensky. Everyone forgets that he has already been elected in a fair election, nothing was thrown in there. I am not a fan of Zelensky. But when there is external aggression, the only right way is to unite around the state ideology, which the president now embodies.

Anatoliy Mazur. Photo: Intent/Author Natalia Dovbysh

Do you see changes in young people who are ready to defend their decisions?

This is the next generation. There is someone to leave the country, someone to choose from. The boys and girls are great.

We are talking about Odesa. Tell us, what is it like for you? The one that is cool, beloved and valuable, in which you see the good?

Odesa Mazura... What is it like? When my friends come to visit me, I show them Moldovanka, the alleys, the courtyards. This is our Mexico. When you walk into a bar, everyone turns around to see who the new guy is. I like the sloboda. It's just the way it is, sometimes you can drive by those ponds and irrigation fields. This is our Europe. One of my visions is for Odesa to become the cycling capital of Ukraine. Because the climate here is mild and you can spend a lot of time riding. And how many problems with public transportation would be solved! I just lived in Germany for a while and learned to ride a bike all the time. It's pure health. But everything there is so sterile... It's incomprehensible to me... It's a secret country.

Марія Литянська