San Francisco Frontiers - Nationalist raves galvanise traumatised Ukrainian youth

The party raised funds for the Third Assault Brigade, a controversial unit which has gained countrywide name recognition thanks to its military feats and marketing.

"I knew it was a charity event with people that I respected, so I could come and let my emotions run wild for just a day," Lukyanchuk said, showing a photo of her dad with a broken heart emoji on her phone screensaver.

"There is still life in Ukraine. Life pulsates. Blood pulsates," the 23-year-old said, shouting over the loud bass.

The Saturday night rave featured a combat drone simulator and merchandise from the Third Assault Brigade.

It was also attended by members of a linked nationalist youth group, Centuria.

The mix of party and military reflected the split reality of young Ukrainians, whose attempts to enjoy life are constantly marked by grief, air raid alerts and strikes.

It showed the efforts being made to galvanise young people exhausted by the war as the Russian invasion nears the three-year mark.

- 'Gently involve young people' –

Around 80 percent of Ukrainians have a close relative or friend who has been wounded by Russian forces, according to a survey from the Kyiv Institute of Sociology.

To process the violence against their country, some young Ukrainians find a sense of purpose and camaraderie in nationalist military organisations.

Lukyanchuk came to the rave with friends she met at workshops teaching civilians to handle rifles and use tourniquets, life-saving devices to staunch massive bleeding.

"There are conscious people here," she said.

She worried that others were forgetting the war.

The patriotic fervour of the beginning of the war has subsided, leaving brigades short of funding and recruits.

In that struggle, the Third Assault Brigade, created by far-right politician Andriy Biletsky, has distinguished itself with its Instagrammable branding.

A neon orange logo in support of the brigade lit up the drone simulation room, which looked like a gamer's den filled with teenagers slouched on a couch.

Some watched the drone flight simulator on a large computer screen, over which hung the white neon logo of Centuria.

Centuria says it "despises the modern cult of weakness" and aims to raise "strong and proud Ukrainians".

The group boasts over 16,500 followers on Instagram, where it posts about a variety of events ranging from lectures to knife fights.

The blend of genres serves a purpose, said rave organiser Viktor Mazur.

"We gently involve young people. We don't do it harshly with heavy propaganda but rather through entertainment, and that way we develop their loyalty," the 29-year-old said.

Sofia Tabatska was surprised how quickly she worked out how to fly the drone under the guidance of an instructor.

"It's like playing a computer game, like Grand Theft Auto," said the 24-year-old.

"It would be nice if I could use it in some way in the future," Tabatska said.

But she ruled out joining the army any time soon, describing herself as a pacifist.

- 'Children of the war' -

Marianna Tkalych, a psychologist, said some militarisation of Ukrainian society was inevitable following the Russian invasion.

But she believes the effect may not be lasting and the real test will come when the war ends and Ukraine's political process, frozen by martial law, resumes.

The popularity of patriotic and militaristic organisations after the war, she said, will hinge on Ukraine's capacity to deal with a traumatised generation.

"There will be some young people who have not found their purpose in any other sphere and who haven't experienced normal life," said Tkalych, who also heads the research platform Rating Lab.

"The generation growing up right now are children of the war."

Fourteen-year-old Yury was just a toddler when Russian-backed forces launched a first armed aggression in eastern Ukraine in 2014.

He can hardly remember a life outside the conflict that escalated in 2022.

The teenager says he plans to enlist if the war is still ongoing when he turns 18.

He is already preparing with Centuria.

"I found myself there," he said, mentioning classes on using assault rifles and fighting.

He said he thought his family would support his plans.

"My mum knows. I hope it will be okay."

A.Evans--SFF