From Russian prison to Strasbourg: Oleg Sentsov and his vision for the EU

Oleg Sentsov, a Ukrainian filmmaker, writer, and activist, made an appearance at the European Youth Event (EYE2021). During his Q&A, he spoke of his time in prison, Russian aggression, and torture, but also about notions of sacrifice, hope and the privilege of being a part of the EU.

In a brightly lit auditorium in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Oleg Sentsov speaks to dozens of young Europeans. Some admit that they have never heard of him, but in question after question, young people express how touched and impressed they are by Oleg’s story.

The calm atmosphere of Strasbourg stands at odds with much of Oleg’s life story. A film director -he debuted with the feature film Gamer- in 2013, he joined the Euromaidan movement, a wave of pro-European demonstrations in Ukraine. This was a risky thing to be involved in. He could, he remarks, have been killed: many other activists in the Crimea have disappeared.

In 2014, he was arrested by the Russian Secret Service and sentenced to twenty years imprisonment on terrorism charges, in a widely-denounced trial. In prison, he protested for better rights for himself and fellow prisoners, and lost thirty kilograms during a long hunger strike. And yet, while incarcerated he also managed to co-direct a new film, Numbers. In the film, a dystopian society in which all citizens are named only by numbers is disrupted when a child receives a real name. Oleg is reluctant to provide clear answers -a director’s role, he says, is rather to pose questions- but we can perhaps see in this film a parable of the importance of young people in reshaping broken systems.

Oleg was awarded the Sakharov Prize in 2018 for his years of campaigning for democracy, human rights, and freedom of speech. He was released in the same year. Since then, he premiered another film, but he is far from forgetting his past.

‘It is impossible to imagine life in a Russian prison while sitting in Strasbourg,’ he tells his audience. This is the great message Oleg presents to youth during the event: life within the EU is a privilege. To live in a space without borders, where we can democratically elect political leaders and freely express ourselves without fear of being arrested and tortured, is a privilege. From the peace of Strasbourg, this could easily be forgotten. By sharing his story and discussing it with young Europeans, he is making sure that it is not.

Oleg emphasises that this privileged moment in history should not be seen as a fait accompli. Europe shouldn’t forget that this privilege was built upon great pain, nor that its story is ever finished. At present, the privileges of life in Europe risk being eroded by Russia. ‘You cannot negotiate with a crocodile,’ he says: Putin is bad news for Europe’s values and for its neighbours’ liberty.

Oleg argues that Europe should defend its own freedoms, and makes clear that the EU should strive to help others to reach the same heights. He presents the Union as a light on a hill, an example for all countries in the world to aspire to, so that they can create a more peaceful and democratic world.

In Oleg’s mind, an especially important role is reserved for young people. He sees them as the builders of the future of the EU and the world. Only when they are open to change, and willing to learn from their predecessors’ lives and struggles, can young people make Europe and the world a better place. Judging by the questions posed in Strasbourg, and the enthusiasm with which young people received his words, his passion is shared.