Luhansk, 2014: Militiamen Confront Civilians at the Train Station

Luhansk, 2014. Militiamen came to the railway

station to the people who are getting ready to flee from

the city. You can still leave by train, for example,

to Kyiv, which used to be with Luhansk as part

of one country. The video is not very well known, but,

in my opinion, it is very vivid, underrated

and revealing. So let’s watch it.

What, should I just shoot them?

No, we should not start with that. And that’s all… Well, yeah.

Enough wandering around now. North!

I suggest we line the men up on the right… The women

on the left. And into the bus. We really need diggers.

So, here we have the fighters of the “people’s militia”

who came to the station. Where quite a lot of people are waiting

for the opportunity to leave the Luhansk People’s Republic.

Behind the harmless “we really need diggers” is hidden

the desire to drive people into forced labor. However,

Looks like this time the militia didn’t come for the diggers.

So tell me, women, tell me this, where

do your men go?

Huh?

Because everyone is sick of all this already!

You just keep… You want Russia to help?

Well here you go, Russia helped you, I am here. Where are you going?

What do you mean, “all right”?

What do you mean, “all right”?

Where are you going?

I’m a normal fucking woman. Okay. Man!

Here we are all standing here. Why are you not in the trenches?

He is afraid. All right, give me your passport. More. Give me your passport

here. I will never let… People… The boys…

Punk kids, seventeen years old, all that. Fine, yes. There are not enough bandages.

You are strong, a big strong guy!

Are you disabled?

I did not go anywhere… My back… We have sixty-year-old

grandpas serving, with that kind of disability!

Recorded. In the militia there are seventeen-year-old

“punks” and sixty-year-old grandpas serving. So disability

is not an excuse for not serving in the militia.

But maybe there is a better reason?

I understand… Here in the trench you do not need much

health. And how many does he have, three as well?

We are from another country, bro. From another country!

So it turns out that one of our recruiters to the

“people’s militia” is a father of three children from another

country. Apparently a tourist from Russia. If you watch

the full video, it turns out that the second

hero of our video is also from some other country.

Presumably from Russia. And what about you?

You too?

I have twenty-one fracture. No way, really?

He will take the child out and come here. We, the women,

hear that all the time. And where do we sign up with you?

As if everyone is stupid. Our recruiters spend a few minutes

complaining that no one is signing up with them. When

suddenly one of the women cannot stand it and joins

the discussion. North!

Let’s go. If you had a weapon… Your legs would… They would have said something.

What?

Let me take it off!

If people like you… Wait!

If people like you… We wouldn’t be protected,

only I do not understand from what, from whom… Ah!

Then let them take you to Kyiv!

Do you want that?

But I am going there!

Yes. The militia man’s conversation did not work out. He wanted

to scare the person with Kyiv, but he forgot that he is

at the railway station in the city of Luhansk. From there

people, actually, go to that very Kyiv.

Now the militia man will have to, for the sake of persuasiveness,

measure grandfathers. This thing here, at the station, it

just must not, the hell, leave. That is not what he fought

for, you understand?

And I, by the way, realized that your grandfather was…

this one… With the white armband… I had two grandfathers killed.

Then why are you all… going to Kyiv?

Go!

I am going. Go!

And I told you, if you hadn’t defended me…

Over there, if you don’t jump, you’re a moskal!

They wouldn’t be bombing me!

Like this!

Yes. The defender of the people of Donbas

clearly did not expect such honesty. Instead of putting on

a political-agitation session and explaining what he is

defending these people from… he decides to just go get some

fresh air. Maybe there is no need to defend anyone at all?

I came here once, got hit, and he, the fucker…

I killed these freaks, the fuckers. And now,

a minute after our hero wished death upon the people

of Luhansk at this station… he caught a look

directed at him that, for some reason, he did not like.

Don’t. Why are you looking so angry?

Don’t swear. With those lips of yours. Don’t swear. Why

are you looking at me?

Boys, don’t fight. I can make it so that

you go to the trenches, the fuck, to sleep, fuck.

And under mortar fire, no less. Looking once again

at the number of men leaving Luhansk, the militiaman

began to doubt the righteousness of his cause. I just

do not understand, look at this. There are more men than

women. What is this?

How are we supposed to win like this?

But fortunately, there is another approach to recruiting

people into the “people’s militia.” Argumentation from the

standpoint of criminal code. After all, what could be better

than having a weapon and the power to use it?

Later it will be too late, later the “people’s militia”

might simply no longer exist. No weapons… No group

you walk around with. You will be a victim your whole life.

And what about now?

Now is a time when either you fight… Either

on that side or on this side. Either you are there or

you are a victim. And we do not have enough people. We have weapons,

we do not have people. There is a mass of such material,

and all of it says the same thing.