Actor-warrior Vladimir Rashchuk: War is real life, not a movie, so everyone will have to fight.

What is the mission of Ukrainian cinema today? Why and how are some directors capitalizing on the war? Why will everyone fight? How can we raise a generation of nationalists, and is it necessary to ban the Russian language? These thoughts were shared by the renowned Ukrainian actor, athlete, and serviceman, holder of the Order of "For Courage" III degree, Volodymyr Rashchuk.

Today, continuing a beloved profession is a dream for many men of conscription age. We are increasingly learning that directors are postponing their projects to join the military. Some have not returned to their profession since 2022.

Volodymyr Rashchuk is an actor known for his role in "Chornyi Voron" before the full-scale invasion and the commander of the 7th company of the 3rd Battalion "Svoboda" afterwards. The only roles available to him today are conscious projects that choose to cast a military person in an identical role and wait for the actor to fulfill combat tasks.

RBK-Ukraine managed to speak with Volodymyr in Kyiv about actors who don military uniforms for the sake of the shot, auditions in the trenches, Iryna Farion, and how to instill nationalism in their children and themselves.

– Recently, the second half of the series featuring you, "Prykordonnyky," was released. Tell us what it means to you and why you, an active serviceman, agreed to take this role?

– I was at the front when I received a call asking if I could record an audition. Auditions at the front are always a very specific story. They are recorded extravagantly, especially when you need to play a dialogue with a woman, and your comrades have to play that role. Against the backdrop of shelling and ruins. I approached the role, so they were willing to wait until I was allowed to leave the army for filming. I always have war here, but the filming process was stalled for three months until I was released. This appealed to me. Then I was told that it was important for them to have an actor who is military and that my character would convey the entire truth of war.

I taught my cadets how to handle weapons and conducted training. I don't know how any random actor off the street would do this. I think it simply can't be any other way. Especially now, I really appreciate when it’s actors-soldiers who have genuinely fought, rather than those who just claim to have fought, taking on such roles. I respect those actors who support us and recommend us.

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Volodymyr Rashchuk during filming of the series "Prykordonnyky" (photo provided by the actor)

At the same time, there are some very unprincipled individuals who simply don’t care. "Playing a soldier? Of course, I’m an actor; that’s my profession." The fact that he’s just a handsome boy in a military uniform, who has never smelled gunpowder, makes me want to vomit. I like that in "Prykordonnyky," they aimed to do it honestly. I was given freedom in my actions on set for any improvisation. The director and screenwriters listened to my suggestions – it was simply cosmic.

– Do you believe that series can be not only entertaining but also educational content?

– I am currently very much advocating for this educational aspect, although in its pure form it annoys me. I can’t say that "Prykordonnyky" carries any propaganda within it. But I dream of having strong propaganda, in a good sense of the word, where children are taught to be proud of Ukrainian warriors and the fact that they are Ukrainian.

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Volodymyr Rashchuk during filming of the series "Prykordonnyky" (photo provided by the actor)

– You mentioned actors who wear uniforms and become handsome boys in military attire. I often think about directors and screenwriters who, starting from "Zhinochyi likar," become messengers of war stories ("Bucha"), or who, having spent a long time abroad, film about the experience of occupation ("Donka"). At the same time, there’s a complete opposite like Max Devizorov, an actor and now a military man, who wrote a play. How do you think we can combat the first cases? Have you been invited to such projects?

– There is no definite answer to this question. I participated in the Festival of first plays, where Max's text was staged, and he was directing another material. Katya Vishnia wrote a play "Druzhyny," about women waiting for their husbands from the front. My wife directed it; who else knows better? And when we talk about feature films, including the most realistic American ones like "Pearl Harbor" or "Saving Private Ryan," there is always a degree of falsehood. Even in classics, military experts say "nonsense" after years. But war is real life. And everyone will fight. I can say this with a billion percent certainty.

– Will everyone have their fill of gunpowder for future stories?

– Let me give you an example. In my childhood, I listened to rap. And of course, it was American rap. They sang about gangsters, conflicts, crime, how drug trafficking goes on, and so on. They sang about what they lived. Then Russian rap groups appeared, singing the same thing, while in reality, they were running around in tight pants and working as clerks. They represented and wanted to be like that. But they weren’t.

This is happening with us now. Those who were not in Bucha are writing about it. And they imagine how it might be. This is bluff. Therefore, I really want people to write about what they have lived. Because everything else is hype. I had an experience when someone tried to capitalize on me. One project asked me to record a video for their presentation at a pitch for the State Film Agency. They sent me the script, but the dream cast (the list of actors they wish to cast for the future film - Ed.) contained completely different actors. They needed a military actor who would simply say that they had a great film.

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Volodymyr Rashchuk took up arms to defend Ukraine in 2022 (photo provided by the actor)

– In one of your interviews, you mention a quote from Churchill about culture, for which we must fight. Are you able to keep up with the situation regarding the unlawful actions of officials against the culture you are fighting for? For instance, the State Film Agency against the Dovzhenko Center?

– I haven’t yet reached the level where I have a manager who informs me about the news situation. I know what’s happening with the Dovzhenko Center. I know what’s happening with the Dovzhenko Film Studio. But these are not creative issues; they are political. The same as the issue of demobilization. All of this is done through a global lens: we don’t have a single person in power who loves this country and treats it honestly.

– You also mentioned in one of your interviews that you were in therapy after difficult combat tasks and periods. What, in your opinion, can be therapeutic for soldiers and veterans at this moment? Can cinema help with this?

– We will have a lot of work ahead, including rehabilitation. And this is not just about the rehabilitation everyone talks about. But also about psychological help. Each symptom needs to be addressed differently. In my unit, there is a walking encyclopedia, and there might be a man who has never read a book. Can we say that one film will work for them? No.

This question relates to the same story as the previous ones: people and the state, on a global level, don’t give a damn about soldiers. The best and most powerful therapy for fighters today is complete mobilization, preparation of reserves, and replacements. This would be rehabilitation for all who are currently in the trenches - a rest after a full replacement on the battlefield.

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Volodymyr Rashchuk has been defending Ukraine since 2022 (photo provided by the actor)

– Your daughter is already grown, but tell us: how, in your opinion, can we raise a generation of nationalists who care about their country? If we have already talked about propaganda, even less child content is produced today...

- I can, of course, say that everyone needs to read this fairy tale before bed, and your child will wake up a nationalist. But it doesn’t work that way. There is one big problem now. If in kindergartens and schools we have teachers and educators who speak Russian, that’s a disaster. They are teaching children to think in Russian.