Autobiography of ISHCHENKO, Oleksandr Ivanovych
Born on May 15, 1951, in the city of Ordzhonikidze. From 1956, lived in the city of Marhanets. Attended secondary school. In the 8th grade, for failing the Russian language exam, I was held back for a second year. I openly declared that the Russian language could not be the main language in Ukraine, although the teachers argued the opposite. I finished 9 grades.
In 1968, I completed a course for excavator operators at DTSAAF.
I participated in youth riots against the unfair actions of the police.
They did not hire me in Marhanets, so I began my working life in Ordzhonikidze at the Bohdanivskyi quarry of the GZK (mining and processing plant) as an assistant excavator operator. I actively supported the workers' demands.
From 1969 to 1972, I served in the Internal Troops (Nizhny Tagil, Urals). I refused to serve in the convoy troops.
After returning from the army, I started working at the Marhanets Mining and Processing Plant as an excavator operator. I openly opposed the Soviet government and its national policy. As a sign of protest, I refused to study in the evening school, where the Russian language and Soviet ideology dominated.
For a number of reasons and to get to know life better, I went to the Donbas, worked at the "Yuvileina" mine. I participated in the struggle for higher wages for the workers.
Soon I went to the North (Tyumen, Khanty-Mansiysk, Sergino, Bilyi Yar, etc.). I worked as an excavator operator, a pipe-layer operator, a slingerman for helicopter maintenance, and flew all over the region. I am one of the five million Ukrainians who built gas pipelines and extracted gas. Germany supplied the pipes, and we had a joke: “Gas for the Germans, and for us—the pipe [disaster].” I met few people of other nationalities there, except Ukrainians. In the 70s, I visited Northern Kazakhstan, Siberia, the Urals, and the virgin lands. I was there for the sowing and the harvest.
In the late 70s, I returned to Marhanets. I already knew what the Communist Party wanted, I could compare its national policy. One could turn a blind eye to this policy, as most people did, and talk about these problems in their kitchens. But that's not for me. My memory, national consciousness, and dignity gave me no peace.
In 1977, I got married. My wife is Kateryna Pavlivna Stepanova. I built a house. We had two children. I hadn't been silent before, but now the language issue faced me not in general, but specifically. The question was: either agree to the Russification of my children, or fight for myself and for all Ukrainians. I consciously chose to fight for my native language and nation. Judge for yourselves. I present
A list of my actions in the 80s and 90s.
1. Spoke at a city council session (proposed to conduct a survey on language use and to monitor its implementation). Result: they did it formally.
2. Collected signatures under an appeal to the first secretary of the city committee, Berezovsky, and the head of the city executive committee (about the language in the city).
3. Submitted proposals at a city party conference.
4. Held a meeting with teachers of school No. 6 (in support of the Ukrainian language).
5. Spoke at a scientific-practical conference in Dnipropetrovsk (criticized the state of affairs with the language in the city). The heads of the city and regional party organizations were present.
6. Spoke at discussions held by the party committee of the Marhanets Mining and Processing Plant (MGZK).
7. Organized and held a meeting of Ukrainian language teachers. I proposed creating a Ukrainian Language Society. The Communists were against it.
8. Spoke at a city council session to lower the price of tickets for a Ukrainian song concert held on the city's day.
9. Wrote an article in the newspaper, a collective statement for the Ukrainian language in kindergartens and schools.
10. Sent signatures to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine for the revival of the Ukrainian language.
11. Appealed to the first secretary of the city party committee, Berezovsky, and the head of the city executive committee regarding signs and announcements in the Ukrainian language.
12. Appealed to the MGZK party committee about the use of the Ukrainian language at the enterprise.
13. Spoke at a meeting between city leaders and workers of the Hrushivskyi and Basanskyi quarries (for the revival of the Ukrainian language in the city).
14. Organized an initiative group to create the T. Shevchenko Ukrainian Language Society (15 people out of 200 surveyed over many days).
15. Spoke on the city radio against the attacks of the city's party leaders on the Ukrainian language.
16. Before the start of the school year, spoke at a teachers' meeting (representatives of the regional authorities were present).
17. Had a conversation with the head of the regional education department, Lanchkovsky, about the Ukrainian language.
18. Organized and held the constituent conference of the People's Movement of Ukraine for Perestroika in the city of Marhanets.
19. Spoke at the constituent meetings of the ULS in the cities of Nikopol and Ordzhonikidze.
20. Spoke at a Society meeting in Dnipropetrovsk with criticism of the state of affairs with the Ukrainian language in Marhanets.
21. Took an active part in a rally of the People's Movement of Ukraine and in a conference of representatives from the city of Dnipropetrovsk and the region, was elected a delegate to the first congress of the NRU.
22. Organized and held the constituent conference of the T. Shevchenko ULS in Marhanets. 100 members of the CPSU, led by the first secretary of the city committee, showed up at the conference. They proposed to evict Ishchenko from the city, called me a fascist, etc. Result: the Ukrainian language teachers withdrew their applications to join the Society.
23. Traveled to the Constituent Congress of the NRU in Kyiv. After the trip, I made a report. Discussion of the NRU statute.
24. On my initiative, a constituent conference was held, and the governing body of the NRU of Marhanets was elected.
25. Spoke at meetings held by the party organization of the enterprise and the city, explaining that we, Ukrainians, want a just resolution of the language issue. In response, speakers called me a fascist, sharply cut off my speech, and did not let me explain my position. As a result, I had a heart attack at home, my wife took me to the resuscitation unit, where I stayed for three days. They suggested I move to neurology. Suspecting nothing, I agreed. They bring me to the neurology department and lock me up with insane, mentally ill people. They “treated” me in such a way that I could no longer work in my profession. They found me the hardest and lowest-paying job.
Subsequently, through willpower and the help of a healthy lifestyle, physical exercise, and faith that we would win an independent Ukraine, I restored myself and returned to work on an excavator. I was elected as a trade union group organizer for the shift, and spoke out for the reform of the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine (FPU). After some time, despite my young children, they arranged it so that I failed a safety exam, I was transferred to a mechanic's position, and then laid off. I had to look for a job.
Throughout the 90s, I took an active part in the activities of Rukh, spoke at rallies, and was a member of election commissions. I appeared on local television with calls to create independent trade unions. I was the lead organizer for the Independent Trade Unions VPVОST in the region. I created an independent trade union at the Marhanets Mining and Processing Plant, OJSC, Kvazar-excavation, and the Marhanets department of the MVS of Ukraine in the Dnipropetrovsk region. In Nikopol, I actively helped to create the Independent Trade Union of the Southern Pipe Plant.
In 2005, I worked as an excavator operator at the MGZK at the Hrushivska processing plant.
For creating trade unions and fighting for workers' rights, I suffered persecution, attacks, dismissals from work, slander, and other troubles.
Now I am engaged in the revival of Ukrainian spirituality.
Glory to Ukraine.
Oleksandr Ishchenko.
[Summer 2008].
Prepared by Vasyl Ovsiienko on June 3, 2009. Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group.
Oleksandr Ishchenko with a bandura near his home on April 7, 2001. Photo by V. Ovsiienko.
