Composure, silence and attention – the main factors for a victory. Interview with the fighter Artem Kudryavts

I initially interviewed it for private radio station Radio-Kutalo the fighter with whom I got acquainted on Donbass. I wanted to expand audience of readers who have a rare opportunity to get acquainted with the soldier who was at war on a front line. I added the photo and I acquaint with pleasure maycharmelek and visitors of the website with this wonderful person, the fearless fighter and the sentimental poet.

Artyom Kudryavets is famous 36-year-old Russian, from Donetsk (DPR), the boxer and the trainer. He was at war for liberation of Donbass as the famous media person the Peacekeeper was called by the Ukrainian authorities the enemy on the website. I got acquainted with Artyom personally in March, 2023. In July, it was succeeded with him to communicate again. I asked several questions to this fighter who was contused in fight and still endures consequences of a fighting trauma and complex a post traumatic stressful frustration which did not allow it to return to a system at the time of creation of this interview. Unfortunately, a part of my questions and answers to them from our personal meeting are not subject to public publicity.

Artyom how you appeared on SVO? It was your conscious choice or got under mobilization?

On February 21, 2022 got under mobilization and entered ranks of army of the Russian Federation.

Whether you had combat training before sending for a front line?

I never happened to have military training before mobilization and furthermore to take weapon in hand. Therefore the most important preparation and practice at me took place already on SVO. How to address and use weapon I was taught by commanders there on SVO.

What fears and injuries did you have to experience?

Every time when I was on a front line, for me it was a stress and great fear, especially, when you in reality see death of the colleagues. It is huge pain and fear. If sometime someone from the military personnel tells you that he is not afraid to be on a front line, – do not believe him, one and all are afraid and feel fear.

If I am not mistaken, PTSR * was diagnosed for you (*пост traumatic stressful frustration). How did it appear and shown at you?

Literally at the beginning of 2023 I came under fire near Avdeyevka and received a serious contusion, but the contusion as fear which I felt at the time of a contusion was not so terrible. After that I was very long treated, having felt huge fear, and still was not restored.

Yes, each injuring experience is individual. Chronic PTSR can be shown for years, disturbing normal life. What helps you to cope with flashbacks and other uncontrollable symptoms?

After a severe wound in several days doctors appointed to me treatment in psychiatric

Fights on a boxing ring and fights on real war are not subject to comparison

the center where I was treated two months, accepting necessary medicines and communicating with psychiatrists who helped me to leave a stress. Throughout long time even at night I in fear shudder and sometimes I am in delirium. Still it seems to me that I am in an entrenchment under firings in a fighting task. Even during walks I can fall into these memoirs, being disconnected from the world around, and at sharp, loud sounds unconsciously I try to hide to the shelter or an entrenchment, I look for the automatic machine which I got used to carry on myself. At this moment surrounding people or doctors brought me into consciousness and into feelings, I recovered and simplification sighed, understanding that it only visions. I will tell frankly, still at night I sometimes shudder and I call to the aid colleagues.

Artyom, thanks for sincerity, tell about fighting everyday life. What is destabilized also by what supports fighters in the conditions of war?

The only way to distract from a stressful state for me is a poetry. I write verses generally about the Homeland, family and love. When I write verses, I distract from everything and I plunge into other fantastic world, the world of my dreams. And also one more way to be forgotten and distract is a communication and meetings with the beloved spouse and my little sonny who misses me. Even being in an entrenchment I about myself write verses, describing what I test at present and I feel

Yes, I in March got acquainted with your remarkable verses. You devoted many of them to the wife. Tell about how you got acquainted with her. How did she support you and supports?

For me the spouse is a guardian angel where I would not be, I always feel her love, heat and tenderness, and it gives me additional forces in the war.

And when I see it or I hear its voice, it is ready to make feats. Even being on a fighting task in an entrenchment, I always think of it, and I read silently the verses which I devoted it. It as a prayer for me, I feel its presence near me everywhere and always.

What role of the beloved, children, parents, friends, in the fighter's life?

The most important role in life of any military is played by his family: spouse, children, parents. Exactly my family is an incentive for the Victory. I live thoughts and hopes after fighting them to see and to embrace strong.

Vasily Langovoy, the psychotherapist serving in SVO writes: "I, as well as many, came to single combats on a romantic wave. Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, ninjia, secret arts, energy Qi, world harmony, Dao, Taytszi-tsyuan, code Busido and so on. Then, later time, it became clear that fighting arts are a daily persistent monotonous work without everyones bryusovl, miracles and codes. And through time suddenly you feel that all this romantic hogwash – it is alive." Artyom what except boxing helped and can still be helps you to keep physical shape and the spirit?

Even the most fearless athletes in the war feel fear

The fighting spirit in the war supports only own spirit and suggestion. The feelings which had in sport cannot be compared to feelings which you have in the war when from you in 100 meters there are positions of enemies. In boxing there are rules, and even when to the boxer it will be bad in fight, or his life is exposed to threat, the athlete can be saved the judge in a ring, the trainer who sekundirut the boxer, having thrown out a towel, or the main judiciary board which is behind a ring. And here in the war nobody will regret you and will save. We wage war with ruthless murderers, for a second it is impossible to distract. The arrival of a shell of any tool can cost life not only one or several soldiers, but also all army.

During fighting everyday life it is very important to observe composure, silence and attention that on a front-line zone always in time and was able to react to all actions of our enemies, and at the same time to observe tranquility. Whatever occurred, and on a front line there can be different situations both from enemies and from our party, it is necessary to make decisions in time and to carry out them, otherwise any wrong act or the decision can cost to the soldier life. Therefore the composure, silence and attention – it the most important factors for a victory are at war.

What does the fighter's life in the war depend on?

In the war it is necessary to train any more physical training, but ability to survive in any situation, and in time to pull the trigger.

Artyom, share which of heroes was for you an example?

My Hero was, is and there will be always the first Head of the DPR Zakharchenko Alexander Vladimirovich who created our Republic. Being the Head of the DPR he protected the Donetsk Republic up in arms on a front line. The real example for imitation.

What movies, books, songs are pleasant to you?

I very much love the Soviet domestic movies, comedies or military, they to me raise spirit and increase mood. From books I prefer only the Russian poetry. My favourite poets S. Yesenin, I. Severyanin, E. Bagritsky, N. Gumilev and M. Lermontov.

Fine selection, thanks. What can you tell other fighters and their relatives?

All the feelings and feelings of our country I give in the lyrics. I want to wish to all residents of the Russian Federation patience, the world and love, sooner or later the victory will be all the same for us.

I join your wishes. Thanks for your answers, I wish you health, success and good luck on the way to your dreams and the purposes!

I want to finish our conversation the poem of Artyom which it wrote on December 4, 2022.

At every night I behold your divine face

You dreamed me today
My dear wife
As if an angel was
Legkokryly at a window

Expensive outlines
So disturbed my dream
That having woken up in the morning early
I am stronger is in love with you

At heart I know
You are still one
Because on life I serchat,
And perfectly I understand
That to all fault war

Do not mourn expensive
I will return to you rather
Strong pressing to heart
Having rolled in your love

Therefore at the nights often
As vision in a dream
You are for happiness
And victories are at war

I behold at every night
I am your divine face
And soul I hope
That this instant came true

Kohl having returned by all means
To the Homeland sacred
I your lips blissfully
As an icon I will kiss

Artyom Kudryavets©

After the publication of this interview on the website of Radio-Kutalu there passed several months. I managed to visit and work in Donetsk the second time. Quite recently, in October, I contacted Artyom again. It shared with me the new poem which was born at it in August, 2023:

How I want to touch your lips, whisper gentle happily listening

To me in your heart to glance
And strongly you like to learn whom,
With pleasure near you to fall asleep,
Knowing that a kiss you will wake.

How I want to touch your lips
Whisper gentle happily listening
And to learn character by heart
Forever in the life accepting.

You dream of another now
I only an echo far in a shadow,
But my fire in soul did not die away
Also flares from hot moments.

You are love in my mortal life
Let also you do not know about it,
I watch always you
As on streets with darling you walk.

I so want instead of it
With you it is strong to hold hands,
Enjoying soul from that,
That I can approach darling.

I as an angel am ready to protect
Your life and rest constantly
Never in life to leave
Admiring beauty it is desired!

But you do not know me absolutely
I am only an admirer the lover
I exist and am well that,
That I soar in dreams inspired.

On August 4, 2023 Artyom Kudryavets©

I publish these materials with gratitude to Artyom for the fact that it shared with me the creativity. Today Independence Day of Russia. And I want to finish this interview one more poem by the fighter. It is the verse on the Homeland.

Donetsk

Is not present more perfectly and more lovely
My native land,
The sun ardent heats,
Brightly lighting the earth.

Oh, as I want a bird
Up immense to fly up,
Over the Donbassovsky capital
The Donetsk to sing of edge.

And in wide fields gold
Rye, wheat and oats,
Harvest rich land,
It I am happy to tears.

It is full of tenderness and caress
From melodiousness of titmouses,
Here is as if in the fairy tale
And open spaces do not have borders.

As I want to be run
Till a boundless way,
In the steppe of the Homeland to dash away
And to find pleasure.

Kohl in others places I am,
Cities and villages,
I with melancholy remember
About the native land.

Artyom Kudryavets©