In Ukraine, humor is born in bomb shelters, trenches and subway stations – according to a researcher, it is a sign of finding hope

What combines Vladimir Putina father fighting at the front, a hipster hiding in a bomb shelter, a Ukrainian prince, a dead Russian soldier and Elon Musk?

All of them create a sense of humor that makes Ukrainians laugh.

Someone from Sumy knows that Felix Redjka.

Only 24 days after the attack started by Russia, Redjka organized his first stand up gig, in a bomb shelter. At the time of the show, Russia bombed the city of Sumy heavily.

Since May, Redjka has been touring Ukraine and performing in areas under the control of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Sometimes during the performances the sirens have sounded.

Redjka tries to make people laugh, even though Russia is destroying Ukrainian cities and civilians are dying.

– People laugh more easily now than before the war. For many, humor is a way to deal with a difficult situation, Redjka tells the Russian opposition media Meduzan (you switch to another service) in the interview.

Research doctor at the University of Jyväskylä Jarno Hietalahti explains that finding Ukrainians laughing is a sign of hope.

– Finding humor in things takes time. When the shock is at its worst, it’s hard to laugh.

In the war-torn Ukraine, stand-up comedians are now in high demand.

– Humor helps you cope. When it has become clear that the war in Ukraine continues and will probably continue for a long time, in the midst of all the horror, humor offers relief and helps to distance yourself from everyday reality.

During the war in Ukraine, humor has been born in bomb shelters, trenches, subway stations and basement restaurants, i.e. where people meet each other.

According to Hietalahti, humor and laughter are always shared.

– In a philosophical sense, all humor is social, because it is based on the fact that we are linguistic beings.

Felix Redjka told the British in April to the BBC (switching to another service)that he and his colleagues Konstantin Yatsenko and Ilya Glushchenko drew inspiration for the first performance from the surrounding reality.

– We sat down and thought for a couple of days, what angered us in the war started by Russia. We formulated the themes as jokes and told them to people. Everyone laughed, Redjka told the BBC in April.

Hietalahti emphasizes that humor does not displace feelings of sadness, fear or anger.

– A person can be terrified or sad and still find something entertaining in the situation.

During the first show, it became clear that people like to laugh at the enemy.

– What can you expect from a country that goes to war with potatoes, comedian Dmytrovich asked.

Hietalahti says that the comedian can comfort with his jokes. Laughter can also be a kind of sign of victory in the battle against the enemy.

– Joking about Russians’ behavior conveys the message that you don’t have to submit to oppressive power and that Putin occupying Ukraine is not necessarily the only vision for the future, says Hietalahti.

When Felix Redjka frankly describes a dead Russian soldier in his jokes, the audience laughs.

– I asked my father what picture for the Chechen [venäläissotilaalle] happened My officer father said a sniper shot. The Chechen died because apparently he was not used to bullets, Redjka jokes.

The mental health of Russian President Vladimir Putin is also allowed to be laughed at.

– Do you remember when there was such a thing as the coronavirus? I have a theory that when all this nonsense finally ends, Putin will say, “Yes, 15,000 people died [Ukrainassa]but everyone died because of the coronavirus.”

According to Hietalahti, you can use humor to distance yourself from an enemy you consider inhuman.

The parties to the war can indeed use humor to build an image of the enemy. However, seeing oneself above the person who is the subject of the comic is one of the basic means of humor.

For example, the ex-president of the United States Donald Trump was constantly mocked by value liberals during his presidency.

However, as in propaganda, in humor time, place and the tone of what is said matter.

According to the classic formula, humor is created when tragedy is combined with the passage of time.

– Did you know that compensation of 15 million hryvnias will be paid to the relatives of those killed in the war. Did you know that you can use them to buy books, movie tickets or a gym membership, the comedian joked.

Comedian Felix Redjka says in an interview with Meduza that the comedian takes a huge risk when, for example, joking about the occupation of Mariupol or the bloody events in Butša, because not enough time has passed.

Hietalahti says that basically there are no topics that you can’t joke about, but not all comedians necessarily have enough insight to deal with some topics.

– Every subject can be treated with respect. Even in the most extreme situations, you can find something so insightful that you can laugh at it. Such moments of humor are precious. Of course, if the mockery is low-minded and simple, it will easily offend.

According to Hietalahti, humor seems to be an inherent human characteristic that reflects how flawed creatures we humans are.

– Elon Musk brought his Starlink internet system to Ukraine. My father, an officer on the front line, said: “There’s no need for a net here. Why do I need to know in the trenches that [ukrainalaisjulkkikset Vladimir] Dantes and [Nadya] Dorofeeva broke up. I didn’t even know who they were before the war,” jokes comedian Felix Redjka.

– Humor is often created where things don’t go as expected, Hietalahti explains.

According to Hietalahti, there is something so shared in humanity that some topics make people laugh from one millennium to the next.

Even in ancient times, people knew how to break away from a relationship and laugh at everyday troubles. Humor is always connected to real life in one way or another.