Monday04 November 2024
kriminal-tv.in.ua

“Ukrainians are hard to please.” Viktor Bronюк, leader of the band “TIK,” shares his thoughts on being a government official, military service, diet, and deer.

"I wouldn't agree to take on a bureaucratic position again," says Viktor Bronyuk, the leader of the band "TIK" and the general director of the Vinnytsia Regional Philharmonic.
«Никто еще не угодил украинцам». Лидер группы «ТІК» Виктор Бронюк делится мыслями о чиновничьей деятельности, службе в армии, диете и оленях.
Виктор Бронюк, лидер группы «ТІК» и генеральный директор Винницкой областной филармонии

About the Position

My position is as follows: the General Director of the Vinnytsia Regional Philharmonic named after Mykola Leontovych. I am not a bureaucrat, and this is not a bureaucratic position. It's simply a municipal institution that reports to the regional council. I have been a bureaucrat before, and if the question arose again to take on a bureaucratic role, I would probably decline.

I do not complain because this was a conscious choice for me. We have a strong organization, consisting of about 250 people. There are five powerful ensembles. When I was offered the position, my first thought was that it was a role taken when one is nearing retirement. We discussed with the city and regional leadership and decided to breathe more life into it and engage the youth. I want the Vinnytsia Regional Philharmonic to become a cultural center for Ukraine as a whole.

On Working as a Bureaucrat

At one point, I took the oath of a civil servant. I no longer remember how it goes. It is mandatory; how could it be otherwise? A state rank is granted, which is very serious.

Actually, this was my first entry in my employment record. After university, I started working in the regional administration, not yet as a bureaucrat. Then I moved to the city council — and there I became a civil servant.

When I left the city council in 2007, I defined two concepts for myself. First: why does a bureaucrat do nothing — because they hold on to their chair with both hands, trying to make it to retirement. And second, no less important: often bureaucrats do not delve into the essence of the issue. Because what is most important here? To respond in time, as there will be no bonuses otherwise.

From a bureaucratic perspective, the main thing is for the papers to move from one end of the desk to the other by the end of the workday, counted as signed. And so it goes week after week, month after month, drawing one into that cycle. This is if viewed with sarcasm.

But in reality, there is a lot of work if you have the desire.

Виктор Бронюк, лидер группы «ТІК» и генеральный директор Винницкой областной филармонии

On the Music Market and Language Issues

If we talk about popular music, commercial music, it is a complex issue. The state also needs to address this because the market is the market, and commerce always exists where there is money.

Why, after so many years, have we not achieved independence in a musical sense? The Moscow authorities did not sleep; they consciously pushed their content here, and state regulation was conditional, but no one ever intervened because the issue was slippery and always brought more negatives than positives for the state and the teams that came to power.

In terms of what the global music industry demonstrates, we have not reached that level. During the times of independence, it tried to emerge but remains in an embryonic state today because neither the laws nor the market have been formed.

The same issue of copyright. How many years has it been unresolved? Regarding royalties, and the organization of the market system in general.

Musicians often approach me and say: we play your entire repertoire. They say this with such pride — it's great, we earn tips. They even present it as if they are promoting us. I look at this person and wonder how to explain that it's the same as if they went to the chairman of a collective farm and said: I stole 20 bags from you and sold them well, made a decent profit. Or to a pond renter: I caught all your fish, you have great fish.

There is no understanding, no established norms and rules. And without the assistance and involvement of the state, unfortunately, this will not happen.

On How "Lighthearted" Songs Affect Perception

Such a problem exists. You come in, start communicating with someone, and people then see that I understand what I am talking about. I am talking with the chief accountant, and she is like — wait, you understand! And I am like — imagine, I understand what I am talking about. And it's easier for her.

But this is a general perception. For example, when I arrived to present a mobile application in some city, with the mayor and deputies, we began to talk, and people looked — oh, you are even in the loop, you didn't just come to "trade your face." I say — well yes, we developed this with the team, we are implementing it, I understand what I am talking about.

I have a colleague who once worked as a host. Then he became a scholar, started teaching at one of the universities. But his colleagues continued to perceive him as a host for many years. Perhaps this is also a relic of our society, that unfortunately, people are not ready to perceive someone in a different capacity.

Альберт Цукренко и Виктор Бронюк

What is Currently Happening with the "TIK" Group

The group is alive, despite the fact that it is going through, let's say, difficult times. Two members continue to serve in the military.

At one time, we were the most touring group in Ukraine. We have a recorded official record — 24 performances in a month, and an unrecorded one — 26. We always worked in a way that we arrive — and create a celebration. We create the mood, and that’s awesome.

Today, there are not many celebrations in the country. Unfortunately. And often event organizers call and say: we would invite you, but "TIK" is a fun team, and things are not so fun in Ukraine right now. There is such a stereotype, and there is no escaping it. I think we will have our time to celebrate again.

But also, for example, you come to support the fighter guys. We think we will focus more on patriotism. But they want to hear about "pierogies," they want to talk about deer. About the "Muscovites." They are normal living people; they need emotions.

And we worked there for an hour or an hour and a half, chatted, took photos. And then three days later, the commander calls and says: guys, I owe you a treat, the unit is working completely differently. Because people emotionally burned out, and we charged them with emotion.

On Service in Territorial Defense

I was in Vinnytsia. I was drafted into the 171st battalion. Subsequently, I was transferred to the "Dnister" grouping in logistics. This unit provided communication between two brigades and all units in the Vinnytsia and Cherkasy regions.

This is also a separate matter; some "fighters for truth" were looking for me, some of Medvedchuk's TV channels were shouting — we will find you, because someone said they saw Broniyuk's name on the battalion lists, but he was not physically there. I said — of course, I was not there because I was transferred after a month of service to the grouping. But they do not understand that when you are drafted into a battalion and there is an order for assignment to another unit, the salary is conditionally accrued in the battalion where you are registered. When I was discharged from the grouping where I served, I was sent back to the battalion's permanent deployment point to be discharged from there. That’s the process.

But explaining something to someone is unrealistic. Especially to people who have never had anything to do with this.

About the Song "Cranes"

The first composition that I created six months after the full-scale war began was called "Cranes." It is a sad song. Some still say that it is not very relevant because it seems there is a social contract that we understand — there is a war in the country, we have many losses, but we are not crying yet. But I wanted to sing it. I don’t know why.

And those sincere tears during the tour, when we were traveling... We must not forget about this. We must learn lessons from this war and constantly talk about it. Because, unfortunately, today for many, the war has receded into the background again.

On Diet

Actually, I once weighed almost 120 kg. Why did this happen? Due to touring activities. At home, you do not eat regularly — breakfast, lunch, dinner. But when you are on tour: you wake up in the hotel in the morning — had breakfast, arrived — it's already lunch, the concert is over — dinner is prepared. You drink a hundred grams, eat a kilogram. And you arrive home, and your pants no longer fit. After the first tour, I gained +10 kg, and after the second as well. It was really hard for me.

I have now lost 30 kg. I had no issues with alcohol, but I consciously refused it. Because it leads to uncontrolled food consumption, snacking. I started to eat more or less rationally, as much as possible.

About the "Deer" Songs