Dmytro Stus, the son of the famous Ukrainian poet Vasyl Stus, shared his memories of life in the former USSR. In an interview with Emma Antoniuk, he noted that not everything was bad for him personally during that time. Despite the restrictions due to his status, he found joy in studying, speleology, tourism, and friendships with people from all over the world.
«Despite all of that, let's say, I was provided with medical assistance, and I received an education, and I was happy, and I had speleology. I had tourism, I had friends from very different parts of the world,» – said Dmytro Stus.
However, he also recalled the limitations due to his status as 'the son of an enemy of the people.' When asked about his feelings towards the Soviet era, he replied that life cannot be viewed in black and white, we must evaluate all aspects of the past.
«Knowing that life, I was one of the most humiliated, I had more closed doors than most others,» – added Dmytro Stus.
Dmytro also noted the difficult first months after his father's return to Kyiv in 1979. The sharp dialogue with Vasyl Stus significantly impacted the young man but turned out to be an important stage in his own life and self-determination.
Once, when we were arguing with my dad, during the first months after his return, he didn't raise me, but then he asserted his rights. I explained to him that he had no rights: he was not there, and what he did was his problem. He yelled at me, tried to raise his hand, but I didn't allow it. I said, why are you raising your voice at me, I am a person? He looked at me and said: you? A person? No, he says. You are not a person, you are still nobody. You haven't fallen yet, you haven't tried to get up. Once you stand up once, twice, three times, five times - then maybe you will become a person, but that's not given to everyone.
The criminal proceedings regarding the death of Vasyl Stus have been closed due to the lack of involvement of Petro Feshenko, a former judge of the Kyiv City Court, in this event, the Territorial Office of the State Bureau of Investigations in Kyiv reported.