The Soviet Union treated him as if he was mentally ill

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The artist Petro Hulyn is today a recognized fiery soul who, with a past on psychiatricity during the Soviet Union, believes there is something to fight for in the battle against Russia and the undemocratic forces.

75 years old Petro Hulyn lives in a small scenic suburb of Lviv with his 28-year-old daughter, Henyk Hulyn. Here they have established themselves in a house with room for immersion, life and creativity, where the two generations in each style, on each floor, develop artistic ideas throughout the paintbrush.

Together with a Ukrainian volunteer from Lviv YMCA, Julia Bodik, I visited them the other day. After climbing ”the stairs of art” we entered the kitchen where Petro was sitting. At the table, which were overflowed with Ukrainian biscuits, fruit, tea and more, he sat together with two beautiful middle-aged women who obviously felt comfortable in the mentor’s company.

Hospitality does not depend on language competencies

Despite the linguistic distance, Petro spread out his arms when he saw us standing in the doorway to the kitchen. That was one of those moments where I did not need an interpreter to understand him. Obviously, the body language and tone of interest in his voice were enough communication in itself. Petro, who neither speak English nor German, did not have the opportunity to communicate directly orally with me, who has not yet learned Ukrainian. They could have chosen to give up, and not speak with me because I did not speak their language, but they did not. I felt welcomed and eased his and his daughter's house.

Of that I learned an important lesson: hospitality and openness do not depend on the language you speak, but it depends on the energy you are willing to sacrifice to create a new relationship.

The love for women

Julia’s cheeks blusshed mildly when Petro komplimentet her and compared her with a goddess. She looked carefully and slightly shy down, after which petro nodded softly with a smile on his lips. Without saying further, he knew that with a single compliment he had now got a place in her heart.

Despite his age, there is no doubt that women and eroticism are still a great source of inspiration. Female shapes, pictures of women as animals and colorful symbols hidden around in Petro's works substantiate that assertion. He is able to charm, give compliments and to see the beauty of every single woman, and with that abillity he could change the mood of everyone in the room.

Cheek kisses and compliments, self-ironi and humor embellished the evening's mood. Petro was in good company; there was no doubt. As an the only man in the room filled with younger women, he was in his ace.

The dark side of the art

"Art is moving outside the framework, thus meeting the future. But an artist shall always be careful not to move too far from the frames, because if you do that, it can be hard to stay within yourself. ", Says Petro.

The deceased son, Nazar Hulyn, who obviously was a difficult conversationstopic, reached international recognition in his short life. He should have exhibited his works in Prague together with works of Picasso. Something tells me that he was one of the artists who moved too far out of today's reality frame.

The future perspective was also close to killing Petro when he, along with several others, protested and criticized the Soviet system. Officially, the system declared him insane, and placed him in the psychiatricity. Here was like a prisoner in a prison locked in a room. They became malmedicated and mentally tortured.

According to Petro, the Soviet Union handled all the conflicts that way, if they did not have control of it.

The back sides of a closed system are always unpredictable. Art can help to create a framework for dialogue and openness. It may be that we in Denmark we often take it forgiven, but I personally have put things in a whole new perspective with Ukraine as a benchmark. We have everything to lose and therefore everything to fight for.