Last Saturday, Svyatoslav Vakarchuk was awarded with the Order of Liberty which honour special merits of citizens for strengthening the Sovereignty & Independence of Ukraine, consolidating Ukrainian society, developing Democracy, advancing socio-economic and political reforms, and advocating the Constitutional Rights and Liberties of Man and Citizen.
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| Svyatoslav Vakarchuk - January 2016 Photogr. Unkn. |
This award has been given to the artist by the president of Ukraine, Mr. Petro Porochenko.
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| Photogr. Unkn. |
Taking advantage of the occasion, Vakarchuk addressed him with a few words.
The full English translation of Vakarchuk's speech has been posted on Voices of Ukraine website. The original version (in ukrainian) is available on Novoye Vremya website.
Here are the major points of this talk:
"Thank you for this award. It’s an honor for me to receive this award from the State, which I always have and always will hold as the nearest and dearest in the world. Unfortunately, awards alone will not solve the problems facing us."
"The enemy that erodes Ukraine from within – corruption, total injustice, ignorance, the low standards of the so-called elites – is much more insidious and dangerous than any external enemy. To defeat this internal enemy, we also need heroes – heroes in Ukrainian politics and government."
"I would really like to conclude by saying that the country is waiting for changes, but the truth is, the country isn’t waiting for anything from the government, not anymore. People do not trust the government. Not because it is bad; but because [people in] the government are the same as all the rest. And today, we need people who are capable of great feats, we need supermen. "
"Neither power nor political battles interest me. I am telling you this because I care! I care about your reputation, I care about the reputation of the country, and about its future. This is my country, and I live here. Mr. President, regard my words seriously – they are not directed against you personally, they are not an attempt to tarnish you as an individual. These words are directed to all in the Ukrainian government. And it’s not just my individual voice – it is, literally, the voice of the people of Ukraine. And pay attention to them today, because tomorrow may be too late."
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| The Order of Liberty award |
This Order of Liberty will remind me that every day, one must do more to ensure that one’s country is free. I will remember that I myself have not yet done enough to finally make our country better."
Translation: Voices of Ukraine
