During times of war, sometimes the simplest of words—”I love you” or “I miss you”—can mean so much. Sevgil Mutsaieva (2022 TIME100) knows this well than many. In an emotional toast she made at Wednesday’s TIME100 Gala, New York City, Sevgil Musaieva paid tribute these simple messages.
Musaieva is the leader of a Ukrainian journalist team that reports on war fronts in Ukraine. She shared her experiences as an editor-in-chief of Ukrainska Pravda, a Kyiv-based news website, about how it was dangerous to send reporters into areas of active attack.
“We didn’t even know if he was alive,” she said. “It is difficult to imagine this in 21st century—when we think about life on Mars and MetaUniverse. But this is the reality my country lives in after February 24.”
The designer was miraculously safe. His first message: “We escaped the occupation. I’m OK . I will be able to work again starting tomorrow morning.”
It was simple and straight-forward. Musaieva cried from joy for the first-time in nearly two weeks.
“After this horrible attack on Ukraine, journalism in my country—is essentially nothing more than the search for such words,” she said. “The most important words about our struggle and our grief.”
Musaieva shared another story, about a Ukrainian woman who lived for one month under Russian occupation in a Ukrainian border town. Her greatest challenge wasn’t to survive without food but losing touch with the latest news. “I know dozens of stories of people in the occupied territories breaking into communication or the internet and writing to their families, realizing that these may be the last words they will ever say to them.”
Returning after two years on pause, the TIME100 Gala is TIME’s annual celebration of the TIME100 list of the world’s most influential people, released this year on May 23. Gala participants include icons, leaders, change-makers and celebrities across all sectors and countries for an evening full of laughter and conversation. This year’s Gala features live performances from Miranda Lambert and Mary J. Blige, two honorees on the 2022 TIME100 list. Further attendees from this year’s list include actors Andrew Garfield, Ariana DeBose, and Amanda Seyfried, musicians Jazmine Sullivan, Jon Batiste, and Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, athlete Eileen Gu, director Taika Waititi, and legal activist Chase Strangio,
TIME and ABC are teaming up to offer viewers a unique television experience: the TIME100 Gala. TIME100: The World’s Most Influential People airs Sunday June 12, at 8 pm EDT, ABCThe film features Simu Liu as host, Quinta Brunson as director, Sevgil Musatieva, a Ukrainian journalist, and many other characters.
You can read the complete transcript of Musaieva’s toast at TIME100 Gala.
When Russian troops tried to seize Kyiv, this March, one of our employees lost touch for ten days with the Ukrainska Pravda designer.
Ten days passed before we got any news. We didn’t even know if he was alive. For 10 days he didn’t answer his phone or email. When we consider the life of a person on Mars or MetaUniverse, it is not easy to see this happening in 21st-century. However, this is where my country lives after February 24.
His first message was: “We escaped the occupation. I’m ok. I will be able to work again starting tomorrow morning.”
These simple words brought me joy for the first time after two weeks of war.
A couple of weeks back, I was speaking to a Ukrainian woman who lived for over a month under Russian occupation in a Ukrainian village near the Russian border. When she stated that it was difficult to survive without food, she cried. Being out of touch all the time with the news was what made it difficult.
Many stories have been told of people from occupied territories writing letters to loved ones and gaining communication over the internet.
What did they say to each other?
They wrote the simplest words in the world “I’m alive!” “I’m sorry for everything” “I love you. I miss you.”
And you know, after this horrible attack on Ukraine, journalism in my country—is essentially nothing more than the search for such words. These are the most significant words to describe our pain and our sorrow.
And I want to raise this toast to the simple and most important news we receive every day: “I am alive.” “Everything is fine with children.” “Parents are healthy.” “I love you.”
Or, “The war is over, return home.”
Ukraine: Glory. Peace for Ukraine
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