The screening of the documentary by Dutch director Walter Stokman that features stories from the KGB times took place amidst the books and the vintage ambience of the Arts Library in Lviv. After the screening, the audience discussed the nature of Soviet totalitarianism and the preservation and search for Ukrainian identity. 

 The Kyiv Files features three stories of different people who were under the KGB surveillance more than 50 years ago. “In 2018, I learned that the KGB archives had been opened in Ukraine. I thought this material could be compelling for a film,” states director Walter Stokman.

 
The persons involved in these cases are quite diverse: the dissident family of the current Minister of Education and Science, Oksen Lisovyi; a couple of Dutch amateur spies; and a French tourist of Ukrainian origin. The film explores the theme of historical research, particularly through the use of archives. It delves into the eerie atmosphere of the era when individuals’ personal lives were permeated by the paranoia of the Soviet regime, illustrating how people were impacted by this pervasive distrust. 

 Vira Karpinska, regional coordinator of the Travelling Docudays UA in Lviv, noted that the central concept of this year's festival – “10 years of a three-day war that lasts for three centuries” – contains a contradiction that forms a new Ukrainian folklore. 

Photo: Screening and discussion of the film The Kyiv Files at the 21st Travelling Docudays UA in Lviv

The film's director, Walter Stokman, believes that many Ukrainians do not feel secure enough to discuss the past. This is partly because Soviet-era society was dominated by distrust, with individuals pitted against one another. In his view, many people still fear that such times may return. The film also includes footage from a retirement home, revealing that its residents still harbor this fear, distrust each other, and remain reluctant to talk about their past.

 
“The director was very surprised that these archives are open in Ukraine, while Moscow has yet to disclose them and still conceals important documents pertaining to Ukrainian history, dissidents, and the cultural movement of that time. The archives of the Security Service of Ukraine, as the successor to the KGB, are now accessible to everyone – any citizen of Ukraine can visit them or send a written request,” says Kateryna Alekseyenko, the discussion moderator, regarding the film's context. The footage showing the size of the archive and each folder is truly impressive: representatives of the State Archival Service of Ukraine and the Security Service of Ukraine estimate that it would take approximately 500 years to digitize all the files and documents. 

 “The statement by a former KGB officer in the film, claiming that they worked very 'intelligently,' comes across as cynical and brutal. Many KGB officers, when interviewed in the 1990s, emphasized that they were merely fulfilling their duty as demanded by the state,” comments Vasyl Kmet, historian and director of the Arts Library in Lviv. In his opinion, the film effectively presents the context related to cooperation with security services. It was a widespread phenomenon. Many students fell under the KGB's scrutiny, driven by a psychology of fear and horror. No one could feel secure in such a system, as any sense of personal self was being systematically destroyed, and the concept of personal responsibility was both distorted and undermined.

Photo: A still from The Kyiv Files

 
Vasyl Kmet emphasized that today’s Ukrainians need to study and research their own history more: “The documentation preserved in archives and institutions constitutes unique evidence that not only needs to be preserved but also researched, discovered, and analyzed.”

 
It is also crucial to remember that behind each individual, whether they survived or not, there was an executioner. Kateryna Alekseyenko comments, “We can now read about the most high-profile cases, such as those of Stus or Horska, and learn who was responsible for sentencing particular individuals. However, there was no lustration process. One secret service is the direct descendant of the other; some individuals adapted, and others considered themselves ‘less of an agent.’ After hearing the statements of this gentleman in the film, I realized that a KGB officer remains a KGB officer to the end. As a society, we have not fully acknowledged the fact of the existence of victims; moreover, the executioners were not some extraordinary forces, but rather a machine-like system affecting tens of thousands of people. We must discuss this as a society because the FSB still exists today, and we all know about what is happening in the temporarily occupied territories.”
 

The audience also discussed the willingness to learn about one's own history, with several viewers sharing their experiences of researching their ancestors' past. Vasyl Kmet comments, “When a society collectively expresses a desire for the truth, it is not always about seeking the truth itself. Often, it seeks to confirm its expectations and hopes, to legitimize them through documentary evidence. In my opinion, opening archives and revealing the truth is one of the highest forms of societal self-criticism and self-awareness. It should reflect a readiness to encounter information that might not only be pleasing but also displeasing. Because someone will read about their arrested grandfather, and someone else will read about their grandfather, the agent.”

 There are various ways to uncover the truth, one's identity, and information about one's ancestors. Sometimes revelations can come in very unexpected ways. However, the crucial thing is to remember, research, and understand, which is what documentaries and discussions like this help facilitate.

 Author: Anastasiya Kadnikova

Title photo: a still from the film The Kyiv Files.

The 21st Travelling Docudays UA is supported by the Embassy of Sweden in Ukraine, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ukraine, and International Media Support. The opinions, conclusions or recommendations do not necessarily reflect the views of respective governments or charitable organizations of these countries. The author(s) of this publication are solely responsible for its content.