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The romanticism of war ended after the Zaporizhzhia counteroffensive, says a serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Seraphim Gordiyenko, who went to war at 19 years old. He went from a volunteer who carried out tasks to a person who makes decisions. How the nature of war has changed, why drones cannot replace infantry and vice versa, and what meta-romance is — in an interview with RBK-Ukraine, Seraphim Gordiyenko explains. The main thing: a conscious choice. Seraphim Gordiyenko went to war at 19 years old — not so much out of a sense of duty as due to upbringing, environment, and a desire to become part of a great historical event. Drones and infantry. Gordiyenko emphasizes that drones cannot replace infantry, and infantry drones: these are different functions of war, because it is the infantry that holds territory, while drones provide an effective means of reconnaissance and strike. Ukrainian drone advantage. He sees the strength of the Ukrainian drone industry not only in the aircraft themselves but in the system of deployment, rapid adaptation, communication with soldiers, and the ability to create solutions under resource shortages. Meta-romance. Gordiyenko’s cultural project grew out of war experience and the need to answer the question why? His idea is to document people’s creativity in a changed, extreme state of consciousness. Motivation of mobilized. For new soldiers who arrive not in a romantic state 2022 year, in his opinion, honesty of commanders, normal service conditions, fair treatment, and a clear “contract” between a person and the unit are important. The decision for me was obvious to Seraphim Gordiyenko was 12 years old when the Revolution of Dignity began in Ukraine. In 19, after the start of the full-scale invasion, he decided to go to war. Today he is a serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, founder of the cultural project Meta-romance, and a member of the MEMORIA military motorcycle club. He explains his decision to go to war not so much by a sense of duty but by upbringing, environment, and a desire to become part of a great historical event. According to Gordiyenko, in 2022–2023 years he was even surprised by the question of why he went to the front. Then it seemed absolutely obvious. Considering a certain pattern of my upbringing, this decision was absolutely obvious to me. I was brought up on traditional values, on Christian ethics, which I personally chose. I wasn’t imposed this, — he says. He explains that his parents were not religious, but gave him the opportunity to choose his own path. At the same time, heroism played an important role in his formation: 19th-century aesthetics, the Napoleonic era, cinema, literary epic, and later — the reality of Ukrainian struggle after the Revolution of Dignity. When all the heroes of your childhood are people who are somehow connected with the struggle, it is natural to become this hero, at least for yourself, — he explains. When the full-scale invasion began, Gordiyenko was studying in Lviv. In 24 February 2022 year, he, according to him, fled from the university, boarded the first train to Kyiv, and from there informed his parents that he was going to fight. I no longer asked them. It is very hard for every mother and father to say: well, go to war. I simply didn’t want to put them in that position. They formally told me to stay in Lviv. But everyone understood everything. I called from the train and said: I’m going to Kyiv to fight. My father answered: I understood that. Wish you luck, — he recalls. The then state of affairs he describes as youthful, emotional, maximalist, and at the same time very sincere. In the first months of the full-scale war, Gordiyenko says, young volunteers were literally afraid of not making it to the war. In spring 2022 year we, young guys, literally competed to be first to enter combat, envied those who already did, and we had not yet — he says. The first half-year of the war he was a volunteer and carried out tasks mainly of an infantry nature. He worked on mortars, lived about a kilometer from the front line, and then, together with a group of other young volunteers, decided to move toward drones, which were just beginning to gain great significance in the war. Before formal enrollment in the Armed Forces, they arrived with combat experience. But due to age — everyone was up to 21 year — it was standard not to sign a contract. According to Gordiyenko, they were accepted into the army only after a personal order from then Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi. Photo: Seraphim really tried to get into the army in 19 years (RBK-Ukraine) We were told: we understand you’re great guys, you already have combat experience, but we cannot break the general directive. The only option is if the Chief writes a personal order for you. Four of us got a personal order. The entire TTC was paralyzed for a day: what kind of guys want to get into the army so badly? — Gordiyenko recalls. He says the then state of affairs cannot be judged by today’s logic. Now the war has become colder, more rational, more systematic. But the romantic state 2022 year also had a right to exist, because that is how part of the people then experienced reality. The romance ended. Gordiyenko believes the turning point in the perception of war came after the Zaporizhzhia counteroffensive 2023 year. I think the romance ended in 2023 year after the Zaporizhzhia counteroffensive. If before that the dynamics of hostilities carried less systematization, more emotional strain and a desire for a quicker victory, after that we understood: the war changed. The war of machines began, — he says. He explains this through a metaphor of a sword and a shield. In his view, in every great war the ways of damage and ways of defense go through imbalance and gradually adapt to each other. In World War I, he says, the sword outpaced the shield: more advanced ways of killing appeared, but the ways of defense did not keep up. Today, in the Ukrainian-Russian war, this balance changes every few months. Now every six months something changes on the front line. They find the sword — we find the shield. And vice versa. The main question is who’s military machine can adapt and scale faster, — he explains. Drones will not replace infantry and vice versa One of the main Ukrainian swords Gordiyenko calls the asymmetry of actions. Ukraine, he says, lags behind Russia in the number of people, money, and resources, but managed to create systemic tools of strategic-level influence already during the full-scale invasion. He emphasizes: in drones, the important thing is not the drone itself, but the system of its use — units, institutions, manufacturers, communication with the military, scaling, logistics, and constant readiness to adapt the product to real front-line needs. It is very important when we talk about the world of drones that not the drone as such matters, but its ability to be used and the general systematics of what you do with it. This also applies to the opponent. The opponent also had great achievements, but every six months everything changes. Someone moves to a more dominant position, someone to a less dominant one, — he says. Gordiyenko believes Ukrainian drone industry is strong precisely because it was created under conditions of time, people, and resource shortages, but with a very clear common goal — quickly filling a critical niche. These solutions were created with a touch of creativity against a background of resource shortages. We did not have this capacity; the Russians did. We either make it or lose this niche. And here really no one but us — he says. Among the strengths of Ukrainian manufacturers and units he names customer orientation, constant communication with the military, willingness to quickly change tools, scale, and stay up to date. This, in his view, distinguishes the Ukrainian approach from the Russian one, where a significant part of the system is tied to stable structures and nationalized enterprises. At the same time, Gordiyenko cautions against the simplification that drones can replace everything. According to him, drones are not a substitute for infantry, but another function of war. They cannot replace infantry and vice versa. These are different personas that are not self-sufficient on their own. Infantry cannot exist without supporting infrastructure, fire support, drones. And likewise drones themselves are means of destruction, means of reconnaissance, but they do not hold territory, — he explains. He says that if war is still thought of along a front line, liberation or capture of territory, then only infantry can perform that function. Drones today provide the most economically efficient effect of destruction, especially when it comes to asymmetric actions. Meta-romance An equally important topic for Gordiyenko is meta-romance. This is a cultural project that grew out of war experience but, as he emphasizes, is not only about war. For him it is one of the answers to the question why? — why fight, why be who you are, and why fix your own state in the most extreme circumstances. When we are asked why, we will read poetry, — according to Gordiyenko, one of the project’s ideological phrases. He explains that a person in war moves out of a comfort zone and falls into an extreme state of consciousness in which many usual things acquire different meanings. It is in just such a state, after the Kyiv campaign, when he, together with comrade Alexander Minyaiev, call sign Dante, went to Donetsk island as a volunteer, that the idea of Meta-romance began to emerge. He says that then they traveled to Donetsk with a sense that they were going to death. Together with Dante they got identical tattoos with a phrase from the Book of Revelation: Be faithful unto death, and you will receive a crown of life. “We thought we were going to die for sure. It was a very important state, which later became the foundation for the Meta-romance project,” Gordiyenko says. He says the idea for the project arose after he saw a comrade writing a poem under shelling. Photo: Together with his comrade, Seraphim created a whole literary direction — meta-romance (RBK-Ukraine) I realized that I was seeing something absolutely atypical, illogical, something that should not have been. And it certainly deserves reflection, — he recalls. Thus he formulated for himself that creativity created in an extreme state of consciousness has a unique value. It partly belongs to the author, partly to war as a phenomenon. When a person, in the most extreme conditions, fixes their creativity — prose, poetry, cinema, music, everything — they already do something unique a priori. Because this emotion is fixed precisely in this way, and it is very difficult to convey in a more scientific-academic format. Over time it will certainly be forgotten, — explains Gordiyenko. The first large form of this idea was the book Meta-romance. Blood, Steppe, and Eternity, which consisted of his prose and poetry by Dante. After that, Gordiyenko says they understood that the idea has prospects and began to turn it into a broader cultural project. Today meta-romance for him is not a publisher in the narrow sense, although the project engages in publishing activities. It is rather a philosophical-cultural platform with media, video, and literary components. Meta-romance is a new generation of Ukrainian culture catalyzed by war, but not about war or not only about war, — he says. The project issues anthologies, records interviews, plans short films, and tries to document how war changes, how creativity changes in war, and how it all fits into a system. The first stage of the war Gordiyenko describes as romantic, 2022–2023 years; the second as colder, more realistic. If at first the goal in meta-romance was to continue the romance, then in the second stage of the war the goal is what happens after romance. After romance comes realism, — he says. At the same time, Gordiyenko emphasizes that he does not consider Meta-romance his personal achievement. He sees himself more as a catalyst, and the main force is the team. I’m simply happy that I helped create this in some way and have the opportunity to observe it every day. I’m struck by how devoted people are to it, when ideas you came up with as a 20-year-old soldier are given daily, — he says. Among other things, the war changed him as well. Gordiyenko says that, rereading his own texts written in an extreme state, sometimes it feels as if another person wrote them. You read — and it wasn’t me who wrote it. It’s another person, with whom it would be very interesting to talk now, — he says. I will not tell you what you should endure Gordiyenko explains that people who undergo their formation in war inevitably change. Their leadership style, everyday reactions, expectations of other people, perception of camaraderie and the world in general change. It’s not better or worse. It’s just different. It’s literally a constant influence on the individual of a particular psycho-emotional state that inevitably changes that person, — Gordiyenko says. Speaking about new mobilized who come to the army not in a romantic state 2022 year, Gordiyenko calls his approach pragmatic. In his view, today the commander must be maximally honest with people. Do not promise what you cannot fulfill, do not appeal to high ideals where they do not work, but instead build a conditional “contract” with the service member. You tell the newcomer: I will not tell you that you must endure something for the sake of something. We are concluding a conceptual contract. I as a commander provide you with these conditions, and you in return fulfill these duties conscientiously. If someone from either side breaks this contract, there must be actions, — he explains. In his view, an idea can be a strong unifying factor, but the basis remains the conditions of service, the atmosphere in the unit, leadership, incentives, combat spirit, and a sense of justice. This is not a craft, it is an art — to maintain this balance, — says Gordiyenko. When asked what to tell people who do not want to fight and say what is there to fight for if there is corruption, scandals, and unresolved problems in the country, he answers: this is a decision everyone must make for themselves. But if the answer for Ukraine is not enough for a person, you can answer differently — for yourself. He explains that a young person who comes into the army with no specialized skills can, after a few years, become a world-class professional, especially if it concerns drone specialties or other high-tech directions. If the answer for Ukraine does not suit a person, you say: yes, you are fighting for yourself. For you to become a specialist, for you to become better, — Gordiyenko says. Pandora’s Box Another important topic for him is the media’s role in modern war. In his view, the information space has become one of the defining factors of many changes — sometimes positive, sometimes ruinous. Media can catalyze important processes, but at the same time can create pressure that institutions do not always withstand. Media has become a factor of chaos that is often hard to control. It’s a Pandora’s box that has opened. Even when these were positive things, the fact that it was necessary to raise media noise is frightening, — he says. Gordiyenko believes that the answer should not be to try to spin the media, but to strengthen institutions. If there is a public demand to check a certain general, official, or any other person, there must be an independent institution that checks facts and provides answers. Photo: Everyone must decide for themselves what to fight for, says Seraphim (RBK-Ukraine) A person should not be removed just because there is noise around them. A commission should come, look to see if it is true, and then make a decision, — he explains. At the same time, he acknowledges that even in cases of innocence, a person may remain judged by society for years if the media has already shaped a certain image. You have been investigated for several years and it turned out you were innocent. And for several years the media worked as if you were a criminal. What should you do next? You have no media resource to clear yourself. I think there is no answer to that question, — Gordiyenko says. MEMORIA Another important direction for him is veteran communities and ways to integrate military personnel into civilian life. One such example is the MEMORIA military motorcycle club. Gordiyenko says MEMORIA is not just a motorcycle club, but an environment, founded in war, that produces an attitude toward the future and helps preserve military culture at a high level. MEMORIA is a military motorcycle club. But de facto it is a community, an environment in society that is founded on war but produces a certain attitude that brings us to the future, — he says. The club’s logo is a skull, symbolizing a fallen comrade whom people carry on their backs. Therefore, one of the club’s main ideas is memory, dignity, and noble conduct for the sake of those who died. A person should be a combatant. A person who has experienced an extreme state of consciousness and almost always has someone to remember. And to behave with dignity for those who died — he explains. One of the club’s projects is M-13 fights, where soldiers and veterans go to the ring. Gordiyenko describes this not only as sport but as a separate form of art, where fighting, memory, military experience, staging, production, and symbolism merge. One tournament, for example, took place on a theater stage, where the ring was set up right in the theatrical space, and fighters entered in white shirts and armor. This is another form of art. You take a basic fighting format — one of the oldest kinds of competition, which most honestly shows the state of struggle. Then you layer on soldiers with combat experience, people who directly understand what war and death are — he says. In his view, such initiatives are important not only for the soldiers themselves but also for the army’s reputation and veteran communities. They show that veterans can create complex, conceptual, high-quality projects that do not reduce to trauma or aid, but themselves become a cultural phenomenon. You come and say: damn, veterans can do this. This is a powerful reinforcement of what we call the internal community of the army and a way of communicating with the civilian environment, — Gordiyenko says. Finally, he formulates his own definition of war for a person who has never been on the front. For him, war is not only combat actions, weapons, or front-line reality, but primarily a test of character on a scale that cannot be fully explained or predicted. War is a test of character on the most global scale with an inability to explain to oneself and predict the result. And this is, in a way, an adventure which, like every adventure, can end differently. But it depends on you, — Seraphim Gordiyenko concludes.
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