“RECIPE FOR PATRIOTISM” BY MYKOLA KARPENKO

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30 of November 2020 08:21

Smiling, modern-minded, energetic, talented, hard-working and happy – all these epithets fit Mykola Pylypovych Karpenko, a man who needs no introducing, because almost everyone in Sumy knows him. He is an integral part of the historic centre of the city,

Smiling, modern-minded, energetic, talented, hard-working and happy – all these epithets fit Mykola Pylypovych Karpenko, a man who needs no introducing, because almost everyone in Sumy knows him. He is an integral part of the historic centre of the city, where you can see him as in an embroidered shirt, as in the clothes of a military chaplain, and even in sportswear on a bicycle.

“Yes, I have many hypostases,” he smiles. Indeed, he lives several full lives: those of a priest of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, a teacher, a member of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine, a researcher, a local historian, a public figure and a military priest (chaplain) of the Sumy Border Detachment of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. And in each of these spheres of activity Mykola Pylypovych has extraordinary achievements.

After greeting a person with the constant slogan “Glory to Ukraine!” Mykola Karpenko usually tells interesting facts about the history of modern and ancient Ukraine, and if you ask him about the life of one of the founders of Sumy Herasym Kondratiev, be sure to learn such details that only parents know about their own children. After all, Mykola Pylypovych created an exemplary museum named after Herasim Kondratiev, a colonel of the Sumy Cossack Regiment, at the gymnasium. The museum became the centre of national and patriotic education as of the educational institution, as of the city and the region. By the way, though Mr. Mykola knows a lot about the past, he lives in the present and, in case he lacks knowledge, he learns quickly, because he is motivated to communicate with high school students, to whom he teaches the history of our country.

Also, Mykola Pylypovych is the spiritual support of the border guards of the Sumy detachment. As a military priest (chaplain), he conducts pastoral work among border guards, takes an active part in all activities carried out for the staff of the detachment. On all major religious holidays, Mykola Karpenko visits the border units of the detachment, in particular those where conscripts serve. Border guards with great pleasure listen to Mykola Pylypovych's stories about the origin of holidays, the history of his native land and in general, about historic events that took place in ancient times on the territory of modern Ukraine.

Mykola Pylypovych Karpenko was recently congratulated on his jubilee birthday. “I was celebrating my first seventieth birthday,” he jokes.

Mykola Pylypovych was born in Sumy. “When I went to the third grade, I took my father's passport and enrolled in the "Chemist" library. Since then he began to read a lot, he was especially fond of Cossack romance. It was the ideological and romantic view of Ukraine of the Cossack era that was etched in my mind forever,” Mykola Pylypovych recalls. In 1970 he was drafted into the Armed Forces of the former Soviet Union. “But I almost did not succumb to the ideological influence of communism and in my heart, I remained the same Cossack-romantic,” he emphasizes. Due to this hardening and noticeable leadership qualities he was appointed platoon commander during his military service. Two years later he was offered to go as an instructor in the political department of the division in the Volga region, then as an instructor in the political department of the 326th Strategic Aviation Division in Tartu (Estonia). Then the regiments were stationed in three republics – Russia, Belarus and Estonia. For some time, Mykola Karpenko “lived in three states.” He was then sent to the Kurgan Military-Political School, which he graduated from in 1977. Above all, he loved to learn something new, so the following year he became a student of Novgorod Pedagogical Institute.

 “My relentless and systematic self-development laid such a solid foundation that when I was demobilized in December 1980 and arrived in Sumy, I was immediately recommended as a consultant to the Sumy Regional “Knowledge” Society. 10 years later, I became the head of the department and the executive secretary of the Society. I delivered up to 200 lectures a year in educational institutions and at meetings of labor collectives. In the 80's I was teaching at the Sumy branch of Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute (now Sumy State University) and at the then Pedagogical Institute named after A.S. Makarenko. And then there was the epoch-making disintegration of the Soviet Union, and with it the "Knowledge" Society disappeared. For me, it was like a breath of fresh air, because the Ukrainian consciousness, which always lived in the soul, seemed to be just waiting for the moment when it would be possible to turn to the fullest. So, I joined the society "Education" named after Taras Shevchenko. Later, I was invited to teach history at gymnasium № 1,” Mykola Karpenko says.

For 24 years, Mr. Karpenko has become known as an educator who promotes the national idea. At the Sumy City Executive Committee, he was a member of the commission for monitoring the observance of the law on language and worked as a member of the interdepartmental commission for determining the grounds for renaming and returning historical street names.

When the war with Russia began in 2014, he organized the “We remember, we win” campaign and began to invite soldiers to congratulations and awards. “Over the elapsed time, we have awarded the Silver Trident with Sword award to 15 of our defenders,” Mykola Karpenko recalls.

He proved his love for Cossack romance by founding the Moloda Sich circle, where young Cossacks are initiated. "By the way, until 2014 only boys were dedicated to the Cossack regiment named after Herasym Kondratiev, that works at the museum, but after the war, girls were enrolled. Approximately 150 children aged 10-11 have already passed this rite. “It's a marker that determines their future lives. It is like the baptism of infants, and although we do not remember this moment, we remain Orthodox Christians for life. At this age, children are already self-conscious, and national-patriotic education based on Cossack traditions lays the foundations of the worldview of a new cohort of patriotic citizens. Some of the boys, who were dedicated in previous years, have already visited the combat zone and returned to Sumy, now they serve in the Sumy border detachment,” Mykola Pylypovych explains.

“Sumy is the best place in Ukraine and in the whole world,” he said. And he has great experience to compare with – he travelled in Africa: he was in Namibia and Zambia, and it was not in a hurry, but he travelled, observed, explored different places. He has travelled almost all over Europe, visited the Caucasus. But he has not found a better and cosier place than Sumy. “Ukraine and Sumy are above all. This Ukrainocentric idea keeps me in shape spiritually and even physically. I am happy to speak about the things I saw with my own eyes in Paris, Rome, Tartu and other cities around the world. But with all my experience I live in Sumy,” Mykola Pylypovych smiles.

Mykola Pylypovych is currently preparing essays for the book “Memory”, in which he explores the experience of his family in the past – starting 150 years ago from the memories of his father and mother. “I want to leave the history of previous generations of the family to descendants. This history tells about their lives and the historical era of Nicholas II and Alexander III, the Crimean War. I want to tell my descendants about all the vicissitudes that occurred after the revolution of 1917. There is also a selection of previously published works, I want to launch the project “Recipe of Patriotism”: it will be a mini-library of a rescuer, who can flip through the books in a free moment and learn interesting facts about the history of our state,” Mykola Pylypovych says.

It is this fruitful activity that makes Mykola Karpenko happy, who admits: “The most valuable thing in the world is family support. All my life I have loved my wife, who gave birth to my daughter. And I have a granddaughter and a great-granddaughter. And in the near future I am waiting for the best gift – another great-grandchild.”

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