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Meeting with ATO fighters Oleg Repan and Yuri Fomenko, which took place on January 15th in the premises and with the support of “Tkuma” Ukrainian Institute for Holocaust gathered significant audience. The event, initially planned as a very chamber one, attracted many residents of the city. Among the participants there were people of different ages and occupations who came to listen about the events in Eastern Ukraine from the firsthand. Although many participants know about the war in the Donbas from their own experience because a lot of them are volunteers who bring humanitarian aid to soldiers, or visit them in hospitals. 

In peacetime Oleh Repan is a Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor of History of Ukraine Department of Oles Honchar Dnipropetrovsk National University and Yuri Fomenko is a poet, novelist, journalist, philosopher and generally very erudite person. In short, they call themselves “nerds”. Oleh Repan was wounded at the front. Yuri Fomenko arrived in a short holiday, after which he would return to the front. However, they came to a meeting not to talk about the horrors of war, but as Oleh Repan wrote on his page in the social network to make those present “to better understand the people who are now at the forefront”. Therefore, the soldiers told about the life and their service, communication with brothers in arms and civilians in various towns of Donbas.

Their story was full of funny stories, sometimes absurd oddities, and in-depth analysis of events, people, and most importantly themselves.

Oleh Repan and Yuriy Fomenko unanimously insist that we should not fear mobilization. Their own experience proves that even “nerds” can become real soldiers. War is a place where people who seemingly are real nothing, can do what one wouldn’t even imagine he could. At the end of the evening Yuriy Fomenko read some abstracts from his novel.

Oleh Repan and Yuri Fomenko managed to do almost impossible thing – to talk about serious things in non-serious tone. So the guests of the meeting left the auditorium with smiling faces.

Ivan Dremlyuha, the guest of the meeting, said: “It was a wonderful meeting. Thanks to all involved in the organization. It was interesting. We didn’t talk only about the war. Perhaps it is better. When it finishes, then everything will become clear. For now there are too many controversial opinions.”

But the main thing of the war was said. The site of Dnepropetrovsk Jewish community quotes Yuri Fomenko “Today, we stand for our country, it is – ours! And if people massively avoid conscription, tomorrow the war can be here, in Dnipropetrovsk. And it is not a joke, it is for real”.

Pavlo Mamenko’s photos are used.

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