“Don’t keep silent!”

An interview with the well-known writer took place before the tour of the Ivano-Frankivsk Academic Theater of Music Drama, which started in Kyiv. The plays Sweet Darusia and Nation were staged by Rostyslav Derzhypilsky, and based on Matios’ eponymous works. This theater diptych was submitted for the Shevchenko Prize. However, the writer can hardly focus on her creative life. The situation with the militia, which searched and made inquiries about her, as well as the demands to “check” her book have not found any logical conclusion. The Day has already written about those strange events. Now we present for your attention new facts and take of the writer herself on this troubling situation.

Is there any news on the “Maria Matios wanted” case?

“Recently I appealed to the militia and told them that I am here, there is no need to search for me, but there has not been any reaction yet. Besides, I have finally seen the appeal of Communist MP Petro Tsybenko, where he accuses me of all kind of things — even marauding and profanation of a grave!

“I want to bring this case to a logical ending, and learn whether there was anything else. What kind of ping-pong is the General Prosecutor’s Office playing with the Ministry of Internal Affairs? I want to know what they want to discuss with me and for what reason, how much time and people’s efforts have been spent, why is society distracted with such things, why such unprofessional individuals are working at the militia and why they would create such a bad image of Ukraine on the international arena?”

How has the General Prosecutor’s office reacted to your letter?

“Pshonka has given comments to the mass media, saying that he had not given any instructions and nobody had spoken with me in private. I suspect that unfortunately it is the militia that is to blame.”

Is this situation somehow connected with your recent conflict with Borys Oliinyk? (Matios is currently taking legal action concerning her dismissal from the post of deputy head of the Committee of Ukraine’s National Shevchenko Prize, which, the writer insists, was unlawful).

“I don’t have any personal conflicts with Borys Oliinyk, everything is about the dismissal from the state post. The case is in court now. Of course, all these things are interlinked; the militia came a day after the court hearing took place. This is psychological pressure. The question is why would they set up the president and cover with his name? This is the work of all those we call the ‘milieu,’ because I dared say on March 9 that cutting the cash prize for the winners of the Shevchenko Prize is a mistake for the president of Ukraine, an unprecedented incident in the 50 years that the prize has existed, and a simple provocation (it is worth mentioning the advice given by Hanna Herman that ‘all writers should live modestly, like Taras Shevchenko,’ which exceeds all ethical limits; incidentally, if anyone inquired about the profits of writers, he would learn that the absolute majority is living on the verge of poverty). In a nutshell, there were public polemics, and it has had effects on me.”

These acts are taking place against a background of militia and government abuse.

“They are working out a technology, checking out how renowned people will react, or more or less renowned people, yet those who are able to shape public opinion. Will they keep silent, like the administration of the Museum of Ukrainian People’s Republic did, when the museum was closed, or immediately disclose information about the pressure and other forms of disgracing the people.”

What would you advise to do in such situations?

“Don’t keep silent. If God has granted voice to the people, they should use it accordingly. If you have not stolen anything, killed anyone, don’t feel guilty for anything, don’t keep silent!”