Miroslava Gongadze personal life. Miroslava Gongadze: the path from a simple girl to a famous TV presenter

The journalist notes that on July 20 she woke up with similar feelings to those she had 16 years ago.

I woke up at 5.30 am and reached for the computer. The terrible news lit up the still dark room with an explosion. Pavel Sheremet was killed. The premonitions materialized, and a wave of difficult sensations and memories washed over me. That’s exactly how 16 years ago I woke up with the realization that something terrible and irreversible had happened. Georgy has disappeared
– says Miroslava Gongadze.

According to her, her life paths with Pavel crossed many times.

I remember how in July 2000, Dmitry Zavadsky, a cameraman and friend of Sheremet, was kidnapped in Belarus. I remember the tears on the graceful face of Dmitry Zavadsky’s very young wife in Strasbourg and Warsaw, where we constantly crossed paths in search of justice for our men. I remember Sheremet’s attempts to find a friend. Everything was useless
– the woman laments.

She personally met Pavel Sheremet while already in Washington. It happened in the corridors of the Voice of America. They "greeted like old friends with a deep understanding of each other's experiences and sad struggles."

He knew the value of life and the price of freedom and perhaps that is why he tried to enjoy every day. He was cheerful and pleasant, joked all the time and encouraged everyone to smile and enjoy life,
– the Voice of America presenter emphasizes.

I also remembered Miroslava about their last meeting, which was also associated with sad circumstances.

He wrote to me when the children and I were on the road to Kyiv for George’s funeral. He asked to come on the radio and talk to everyone about it. I could not. It was difficult and painful for me to communicate with journalists in those days. I refused. He understood. Then, during the funeral, he stood at the dug up grave next to a large wreath from Ukrayinska Pravda. He whispered in my ear: “I’ll stay here and take care of the children.” These were his last words that are imprinted in my memory,
– the journalist noted.

In addition, she gave her assessment of the murder of Pavel Sheremet.

He was killed demonstratively, and the whirlpool began to spin again - statements from law enforcement officers, authorities, Western diplomats and officials. Investigation, versions, guesses and suspicions. I only hope that this time the conclusion to this tragedy will have a quicker and better ending. And to you, Pavel, rest in peace! We, Your friends and colleagues, mourn,
– summed up the wife of Georgy Gongadze.

Let us remind you that on the morning of July 20, at the intersection of Ivan Franko and Bohdan Khmelnytsky streets in Kyiv, journalist Pavel Sheremet was traveling in it.

It appeared online at the intersection where the journalist was killed. There is also

Once upon a time, as a teenager, she watched the bright television “International Panorama” every Sunday. Now it’s the other way around - millions watch her “Chas-Time”. This will be discussed in an interview with Miroslava Gongadze.

A simple girl from Berezhany, who in her youth traveled on night trains to the premieres of the Lviv Kurbas Theater, knows the recipe for making a dream come true: “You have to be afraid of inaction, not actions.” And one more thing: “It’s better to make mistakes than to do nothing.” She is considered one of the most influential women in Ukraine, although Miroslava Gongadze lives and works in Washington.

Everyone listens to her and listens to her - from fellow journalists and human rights activists to influential politicians. Informing rather than interpreting is one of the conditions for her success in the profession. Miroslava was lucky to have teachers and mentors, but she does not like and does not want to hide in their shadow. Miroslava Gongadze - selfmade.

In the American capital, among other things, it performs two functions: lobbying for the “Ukrainian” among officials, politicians, students and colleagues, and also promoting Western values ​​and principles among the Ukrainians themselves. And it seems that successful Ukrainian Miroslava Gongadze knows what she is doing.

Miroslava, please tell us about your family, where does it come from?

All my ancestors that I remember, and these are my grandmothers, grandfathers and great-grandmothers, were all peasants. I remember well my beloved grandfather Nikolai, my father’s father, Nikolai Petrishin. His wife died, and he was left with a small daughter in his arms. Then my grandmother Ekaterina was waiting for her newlywed from France, but she did not wait. My grandfather married her. Before the war, in 1939, they were moved from near the Polish border to the east and settled on a farm near Berezhany. They stayed there to live: without sewage water, electricity, gas and other benefits of civilization. They gave birth to and raised four children on the farm. One of them is my dad Vladimir. The grandmother said that after the war the “Soviets” came and again wanted to drive them further east. But she lay down on the floor, covered the children and said: “Shoot, I won’t go any further!” So they miraculously remained alive. They had a lot of land, livestock, and horses. When the collective farms began, everything was taken from them. But in order to survive, they left it to the farm.

Mom is from the village of Naraev, which is next to my father’s farm. Before the war it was even a town, but during the war all the Jews were exterminated, the town was deserted and became a village. Grandfather Mikhail was silent, gloomy, he went through the war to Berlin, his chest was covered in medals. But he never recovered from his leg wound; he limped all his life. My mother Olga was born after the war in 1949, 16 years after her sister.

- Miroslava, how did your parents find themselves?

My parents are both engineers. Both are good at mathematics. Both have phenomenal memories. My mother's favorite pastime is solving numerology crosswords. She even learned English, without any preparation, while she lived with me in Washington. She wrote better English than me. When I went to the supermarket, I calculated the cost of purchases in my head and knew down to the last cent how much I had to pay at the checkout. Dad recited “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” by heart, taught me Shevchenko as a child, I still remember “The Dream” from his words.

I grew up in a large family, the eldest among the children. I have a sister, Galina, who is two years younger, and a brother, Nikolai, who is 10 years younger. On big holidays - Christmas, Easter - we all gathered with one or the other grandparents. A huge table, carols, singing, it was very friendly and warm. Now I feel that my children are missing this, because it’s just the three of us here and we rarely see our family.

- Why did you decide to become a lawyer and not follow in the footsteps of your parents?

My mother pushed me to this decision. As a practical person, she wanted me to have a reliable profession. But as a creative person, I dreamed of theater, journalism, and, in extreme cases, the history department. I spent my entire childhood on stage. Reciting poetry, singing, dancing, acting - that was my element. But theater or cinema were out of reach for the girl from Berezhany. At least in my imagination. Therefore, after weighing my chances, I listened to my parents. I thought to myself that I would really get a prestigious profession, and then I’d get involved in creativity. Ultimately, this is what happened. Only creativity has become journalism.

I also dreamed about this as a child. We always watched the news, my parents subscribed to a whole bunch of newspapers and magazines, and I didn’t miss a single Sunday “International Panorama”. I watched it and dreamed of traveling the world and talking about life in other countries. Now I am happy that I received a legal profession. It taught me to think logically and constructively. At the same time, my creative talents help to reach people's hearts. Therefore, I firmly believe and teach this to my children - dreams come true when you really want something and work hard for it. All you need is courage and faith. Nothing is unattainable when we are open to the world and believe in our victory.

- What did the girl from Berezhan do when she became a student?

It’s hard to even call my student life a student’s life. I started working in my second year. First, in the Lviv State Administration as a legal consultant, then in the Post-Postup newspaper, then in the New Wave political bloc, where she headed the press service. She worked a lot. Passed exams on the fly

I remember how during the elections we were observers at a polling station in one of the villages in the Lviv region. Our candidate Taras Stetkov won. We returned home at 6 in the morning, and at 8 - the civil law exam. I went and passed it with a B, but I still spat because I thought I got an A. My student life was in the early nineties. Lvov was then in full swing with political and creative life. We slept little, from theatrical performances to political or musical performances - everything was mixed up, there was not enough time for anything! And when I met Georgy, life generally turned into a volcano crater.

So that you understand what Lviv was like. On my 21st birthday, the rock band “Dead Rooster” sang at a party in our house. A lot of people gathered from everywhere, they danced in the middle of the hut, they even had to turn the table upside down and put it on the sofa - there was simply no other place! Often we had no money, nothing to eat, but there was always Georgian cognac and wine. Then I got out of it like this: I’ll go to the market, buy the cheapest thing that can be found (some kind of cabbage, for example), pick apples from the garden, grate it all, pour it with mayonnaise - and on the table! It was funny because the guests praised it and wrote down the recipe. We had such gatherings almost every day: guitar, toasts, philosophical conversations. From time to time, on the roof, where there was another small room, Yura Prokhasko, Gena Glibovitsky and Irina Yakubyak, Andrey Shkrabyuk, and some other artists lived in turn. In a word, we were in a hurry to live.

- What were your favorite places in Lviv?

We didn’t miss a single performance of the Les Kurbas Theater, we went to all the events of the theater festival - it was my hobby. Before entering Lviv University, she had to study at a technical school in Chernivtsi for two years - gaining experience. So, I went to performances of the Lviv Youth Theater (the first name of the Lviv Academic Theater named after Les Kurbas) by night train from Chernivtsi. The performance ended, and I was off again to the train and to Chernivtsi. And when I moved to Lviv, Molodezhny became our Mecca.

Everything was new then. A young country, first love, youth. It's like Vakarchuk - my little independence. It was my personal little independence and the great independence of the nation that had just emerged, and few understood what to do with it all. We created ourselves and this country as our intuition told us.

- Was it also an intuitive decision to go into journalism? Did anyone recommend it?

I always knew that I would be involved in journalism in some way. I'm such a lawyer - I have no patience for details. I'm interested in the big picture of the world. However, a legal education helps me think structurally and logically, it makes my work easier, and it’s easier to guess the essence of processes.

…I started trying myself in journalism, publishing in Promotion with Georgiy. At first I edited his articles. More precisely: he dictated to the Ukrainian-Russians, and I was already bringing his thoughts to fruition. This lasted for a year or two until he learned Ukrainian. Then he began to write himself, and I became brave enough to publish my materials.

What principles, both in journalism and in life, did you adopt from George? What did he teach you, and what did you teach him?

George loved people, he sympathized, helped, shared, he was a very sincere soul. He lived today, he lived every moment - not yesterday, and not tomorrow, but now. This is what I tried to learn from him. He was very open to people - often to his detriment, and here I tried to restrain him from some imprudent steps of generosity.

As for the profession, neither he nor I were trained journalists. This was a calling for both of us, and we learned to realize it together. When we met, Gia was working as an English teacher, and I was working as a legal consultant in the state administration. I think it was creativity that connected us. Georgy was such a generator of ideas, I designed them into realistic projects. As for advice, Gia always said, never step back, don’t look back, even a small step forward is a victory.

Miroslava, what are your plans for the future? Are you planning to return to Ukraine? Under what circumstances might this happen?

You know, although I live in the USA, I have never left Ukraine informationally and emotionally. My children and the good of Ukraine are two things that worry me and for which I live every day. As for the return, we'll see. I will live and work where I feel useful. My first responsibility is my daughters. I will release them into the world, and if I see that I can be useful in Ukraine, I will return.

President Petro Poroshenko handed over the Order of the Hero's Star to the widow of murdered journalist Georgy Gongadze Miroslava, the press service of the head of state reports.

“Almost 16 years after the tragic death of Giya, I have the high honor and great responsibility to hand over to you and your family the gold star of the Hero of Ukraine - the highest state award, which rightfully belongs to Georgy Gongadze,” Poroshenko said.

The President noted Gongadze’s contribution to the development of independent Ukraine, the fight for freedom of speech and the development of independent media. “George gave his life for Ukraine. He is an example of what a real Ukrainian should be,” Poroshenko said.

P. Poroshenko also noted that today the title of Hero of Ukraine in a warring country has acquired its true value and over the past two years, only a few dozen Ukrainians have been honored to wear it.

In turn, Miroslava Gongadze noted: “Giya was always ready to give his life for Ukraine. And if he were alive today, he would be there - on the eastern borders. If he were alive, he would be proud of this award.”

The President thanked the journalist’s widow for not breaking ties with Ukraine and, in fact, working as a goodwill ambassador, strengthening the strategic partnership between Ukraine and the United States through public diplomacy.

Let us note that the title of Hero of Ukraine was posthumously awarded to Gongadze by President Viktor Yushchenko on August 23, 2005.

Gongadze disappeared in Kyiv on September 16, 2000. In November of the same year, a headless corpse was discovered in a forest in the Kyiv region, which, according to experts, could belong to the journalist. In 2009, the remains of a skull were found in the Kyiv region, which, according to the Prosecutor General’s Office, belonged to Gongadze. However, the body has not yet been buried, since the mother of the journalist Lesya Gongadze refused to admit that the found remains belong to her son.

The widow of the murdered journalist left Ukraine with her children for the United States eight years ago. Now she is saving on things and thinking about a political career in her homeland

In April 2001, Miroslava Gongadze, not knowing a word of English, and her two three-year-old daughters left for permanent residence in Washington - the United States granted her political refugee status. Although Miroslava’s decision came as a surprise to many of her acquaintances and friends, it was nevertheless accepted with understanding. The murder of her husband, the famous journalist Georgy Gongadze, in the fall of 2000, caused a public outcry not only in Ukraine, but throughout the world. “In Ukraine, I was constantly afraid that they would point fingers at the children, but here they are ordinary children, and this is better for their psyche,” Miroslava explained her action in one of the interviews. “FACTS” contacted Miroslava Gongadze and asked to tell her how she and her daughters live in the southern suburb of Washington, the city of Arlington, and whether she plans to return to Ukraine.

“Believe me, when I came here, I was nothing - an ordinary refugee who only knew “hello” in English.”

Miroslava, why did you decide to settle in Arlington? I associate this city with a cemetery where American soldiers killed in wars and armed conflicts are buried.

I think many people have the same association. In fact, this is a town directly adjacent to Washington, practically one of the districts of the American capital. You cross the Potomac River over one of the bridges and you are in Arlington, Virginia. I chose this place mainly because of the school. After all, Arlington public schools in the public free education system are considered one of the best in America. My salary simply would not be enough for a private school for my children. After all, education there costs about 30 thousand dollars a year per child. Secondly, Arlington is a beautiful, quiet and safe town in which you almost don’t feel the proximity of the capital. Here, neighborhoods with private houses intertwine with enclaves of high-rise buildings, restaurants and shops. Now the cherries have blossomed, and everything around has become incredibly beautiful: the smell of flowering trees and the singing of birds. Nearby, in the middle of the Potomac River, is Roosevelt Island, where traffic is prohibited. So you can walk and enjoy nature right in the center of the capital. By the way, in Arlington, unlike many suburbs of big cities, it is quite possible to walk, buy groceries and get to work without a car. The metro is nearby, ten stops - and I’m in my work office near the Capitol (US Congress building - Author). So living in Arlington is very convenient for me.

What difficulties did you face in a foreign country? What surprised or still surprises you most about the American way of life?

If I had known what problems I would have to face here, most likely I would not have decided to leave Kiev. After all, we had to start almost everything from scratch, without knowledge of the language and system. For the first three months of our stay in the USA, I was given a small place to live, where I settled down with the girls. If you remember the film “Moscow Doesn’t Believe in Tears,” then I felt like Katerina, only it was no longer a movie, but the drama of my life. Thanks to old acquaintances in Kyiv, I managed to get a small contract to edit a book for the International Republican Institute. I worked at night, ran around during the day with two three-year-old children - looking for work, filling out an endless pile of documents. When I now look at how Americans carry their four- and five-year-old children in strollers, I am amazed. Nana and Salome walked miles around Washington with me when they were not yet four years old. After all, I left the strollers in Kyiv and didn’t buy new ones anymore. Believe me, when I came here, I was a nobody - an ordinary refugee who only knew “hello” in English. I had no money or friends in the USA. And we had to make extra efforts to create more or less comfortable conditions for ourselves and the children. I had to learn the language, learn to plan my life, which I still can’t get used to. Leave notes on answering machines, pay bills on time, set time to play with children and meet with friends a week in advance, plan a trip to the sea a year in advance, calculate how much to save from your salary so as not to end up on the street in old age In America everyone should rely only on themselves. Of course, they will help you not to die of hunger, but if you don’t pay your loan or apartment rent on time, you’re on the street and, as they say here, that’s your problem.

Did you manage to find a job in your specialty right away, or did you still have to wash dishes in a restaurant for some time?

Basically, I'm not afraid of any work. I was ready to wash the dishes and the windows. But, thank God, I didn’t have to do this. I had many letters of recommendation from my previous employers in Kyiv, and they helped me a lot. Shortly after arriving, I began working part-time at Radio Liberty while also being a researcher at George Washington University and a fellow at the National Endowment for Democracy. And in 2004 I was invited to work for the Voice of America. So I did without washing dishes in restaurants, but at home I still wash plates by hand - I can’t get used to the dishwasher.

“Fate gave me great love, from which amazing children were born”

Do you celebrate holidays as you used to at home or as is customary in the USA?

We celebrate both American and Ukrainian holidays. When the children were younger, this meant double gifts for them. The girls are very fond of Halloween, prepare their own costumes and go door to door with friends, begging for sweets. American holidays still don't have the same meaning for me that they did for my children. I don't like calendar holidays at all. You should look for a holiday not in the calendar, but in your soul.

How are you spending your weekend?

We love active recreation and try to travel as much as possible. If you drive two hours west from Washington, you'll find yourself in the magnificent mountains of West Virginia, and three hours east you'll find yourself on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. We try to use any convenient time to get out into nature. The capital itself has wonderful museums, exhibitions, and interesting lectures. So there is always something to do in Washington.

Nana and Salome, if I'm not mistaken, are already 11 years old. How do they learn? Who looks after them when mom is at work?

Yes, the girls will turn 12 this year. They are already as tall as me. Both study well in the group for humanitarian gifted children. Salome draws very well, our whole apartment is hung with her works, Nana loves to write more. Girls read a lot - it's their favorite pastime. We live next to the library, so they read five to ten books every week. Salome recently decided to master Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace. True, it didn’t last long, but I think that in a few years she will definitely return to this work. And a nanny costs a lot of money, and somehow I’m afraid to trust my children to a stranger. So the girls look after each other themselves. My mother lived with us for several years and helped. After all, at first it was simply unbearably difficult. I was with the children myself and after a month I realized that I couldn’t stand it. I had to work and go on business trips, so my mother came and took on the entire burden of household chores. Now she has already returned to her native Berezhany, in the Lviv region. So now the girls and I can only rely on ourselves.

Have the children forgotten their native Ukrainian language?

No, but it turned out to be a difficult task. The girls love history, so we read world history together in Ukrainian. Salome even tries to copy the page of text from the book she has read into her notebook. But, of course, they speak English among themselves. And when I address them in Ukrainian, they still answer me in English. At one time I was afraid, I thought that they had completely forgotten their native language. But last year, when we arrived in Ukraine, on the second day they completely switched to their native language. And they were even offended when someone asked if they spoke Ukrainian. The children really liked it in Ukraine. They, however, drew attention to the fact that many historical places are not well maintained and are not protected by the state. There is dirt, graffiti, and broken bottles everywhere. Nevertheless, Salome plans to organize an expedition to Ukraine in order to study the history of our country in more detail; she dreams of conducting excavations; she is especially interested in the Carpathian region.

When children are asked about their father, what do they answer?

They don't like to talk about it. There is a memorial to fallen journalists at the News Museum in Washington. There is also a portrait of Gia, his name is carved. We go there from time to time to remember our father.

Daughters have their own friends, girlfriends, their own interests Don’t you feel lonely?

Now my life is still largely determined by my children's schedule. And I get great pleasure from it. I'm interested in spending time with my daughters. They are already individuals who make me laugh and amuse me, amaze me and give me a lot of love. I don’t have a man with whom I would like to connect my life. Fate gave me great love, from which amazing children were born. God gave me the strength to survive the tragedy, and now this love remains in my children.

“American food service is murder. It's better to stay away from him."

Do you live in your own home or rent?

I rent an apartment in a multi-storey building, 90 square meters, two rooms. My daughters have already given me an ultimatum: they want separate rooms. But so far our desires do not coincide with our possibilities. I really want to buy a house, but I don’t have enough money. I pay a little more than half of my salary for rent. We don't have a car. It's easier and cheaper to take the metro.

What is the main expense item in your family?

Most of the money goes to paying for apartment rent, piano lessons, tennis, drawing, and theater arts. We also spend a lot on drawing materials - paints, canvases, frames, easels - and children's camps. About twenty to twenty-five percent is spent on groceries. In addition, I opened special bank accounts for the girls for their future education. I want them to study at a good university. Although it is very expensive, especially when you have to pay for both daughters at the same time. We spend the least on clothes. By the way, I buy the clothes in which I appear in the studio of the “Chas-Time” program myself, as well as cosmetics. I also do my own makeup and hair styling. The Voice of America does not provide this.

Are ordinary Americans feeling the financial crisis? How much are milk, bread and eggs in America today?

In our area, the crisis is not very felt, since mostly civil servants with stable incomes live here. Real estate, prices for which have fallen almost all over America, in Arlington and prestigious areas of Washington, on the contrary, have risen in price. A loaf of good bread costs five dollars. It lasts us a whole week. Eggs cost three to four dollars per dozen, one and a half liters of milk cost four dollars. At one time I try to buy exactly as much food as I need for the week. American financiers recommend having savings in the bank that would be enough for eight months in case of job loss. I try to follow their recommendations. By the way, my daughters can’t believe it when I tell them that ten years ago I lived in Milan for a whole week on one hundred dollars and still managed to buy a bag and a suit, the jacket from which I still wear. So I know how to save, and I have to. Of course, I try to buy natural products for my children, I cook them at home myself, it’s healthier. I also try to give my children homemade lunches at school. American food service is murder. It's better to stay away from him. By the way, during my first stay in the USA I gained twenty kilograms. Stress and food that was new to me took its toll. But morning jogging, work and daily broadcasts helped me get back into shape. As for the crisis, the general nervous state affects everyone. So, I buy fewer things now. We spent the last winter holidays at home, although before we always went skiing.

Miroslava, I know that after the Orange Revolution you wanted to return to Ukraine and even packed your bags. Why did you change your mind?

True, I packed my bags and came for two weeks to feel the changes before bringing the children. I was offered a job in Kyiv, and I seriously considered the possibility of returning. But I couldn't risk the children. In Ukraine, the investigation into Georgy’s murder has not been completed. And the European Court of Human Rights was still considering a case regarding violations during the investigation into the murder of my husband. I thought that all this could harm the children. And now I understand that I made the right decision then. I hope to return a little later. I do not rule out a political career in Ukraine. I think that my knowledge, energy and international experience that I have gained in recent years can be useful to our country.