Katheryn Winnick in Kyiv: On War, UNITED24, Ukrainian Roots and Favorite Dish

Hollywood actress, director, and UNITED24 ambassador Katheryn Winnick returned to wartime Kyiv on the eve of the country’s Independence Day. In an exclusive interview with Kyiv Post, she shares her raw impressions of spending nights in bomb shelters under ballistic missile strikes, discusses her humanitarian work with the Winnick Foundation, and explains why the world must not give in to war fatigue. Winnick also opens up about honoring her Ukrainian heritage, the unbreakable spirit of ordinary Ukrainians, and the urgent need to correct historical distortions about Kyivan Rus in global pop culture. Kyiv Post: Katheryn, it’s great to see you in Kyiv on the eve of the 35th anniversary of our Independence Day in Ukraine. Let’s start with the main event – you have received a state award from President Volodymyr Zelensky. What does this award mean to you?JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Katheryn Winnick: Well, first of all, I’m really honored to be herein Kyiv on the eve of independence – 35 years we’re celebrating. And it’s such an incredible thing to come back. This is now my third time here in Kyiv, and to see the resilience of the Ukrainian people is really inspiring. We had the summit for UNITED24 the other day, and I was surprised and greatly honored that President Zelensky offered me an award. But, more importantly, I felt that he is the one that deserves an award for being the voice of the Ukrainian people and everything that he’s going through on a day-to-day basis. And to the people of Ukraine, your strength and your courageous outlook on things are very inspiring to the rest of the world. And please know, as hard as these times are, don’t give up. We all think of you, and we all stand with you. Other Topics of Interest Vikings Star Katheryn Winnick Ran to a Shelter in Kyiv: ‘No Right to Be Tired’ Hollywood star and UNITED24 ambassador Katheryn Winnick (Vikings) sits down with Kyiv Post for an exclusive, raw interview in the heart of wartime Kyiv. You actively support the United 21st platform. When you see the concrete results, which project has impressed you most during this time? UNITED24 is an incredible platform in so many different ways. It not only works with women and children on a humanitarian basis, but also helps with their education and culture, bringing back the children [taken by Russia], and keeping Ukrainian traditions and legacy alive. Right now, I’m heading to a children’s hospital to get a chance to meet the children directly. I will also be touring Kyiv later on today to see what’s been going on and to see how the impacts of the strikes are affecting people day to day. I’m honored to be part of UNITED24. Its ambassadors from around the world are very courageous but also have a voice. And that is something that we can’t give up on as public figures and even as civilians. We all have to speak up and do what’s right and stick up for humanity and try to end this war as fast as possible. Katheryn Winnick (Photo by Dmytro Serhiienko/Kyiv Post) What has changed in your perception of Kyiv and Ukraine overall compared to your previous visits? I was [first] here before the war as a guest of President Zelensky and the First Lady and had a chance to celebrate Independence Day then. And obviously, a lot has changed since the war began. I also came after the first year and seeing the courageous fight and resilience from the Ukrainians of getting to the front line and going to the battlefield. But what has really surprised me during this trip is to see the resilience in the everyday, seeing the people live their lives through these airstrikes. I’ve been here less than 48 hours and had to go down to the shelter last night, probably four times because of the ballistic strikes. And I’m not only infuriated that we are going through this, but also inspired by the Ukrainian people who still live their day-to-day lives and not have this break them. It’s becoming very difficult to raise money for Ukraine because of so-called global war fatigue. Have you been able to do or change anything to make people start to invest? Has anything changed in your approach? Right now we’re experiencing a fatigue about war, and that is something that we can’t ignore. And I think it’s important to be able to share the story of what’s happening with Ukraine and find different narratives to be able do it. You don’t need to be Ukrainian to care about keeping your children safe. You don’t need to speak Ukrainian or have Ukrainian blood to understand what it is to fight for your freedom and fight for your future. So, I believe that it’s a human issue and a human... response for everybody to stick up for what is right on a human level. And we have to find different ways to be able to tell that story. It’s a matter of putting a face to what the soldiers are going through every day, it’s a matter of hearing how women are going through and losing loved ones and having the family split apart. These stories need to be told. And there’s no shortage of them. If anything, resilience is across board, and we need to find ways of sharing that to the rest of the world so we don’t get fatigue. As everybody else coming from America, I understand why they are exhausted with it, but Ukrainians don’t have that luxury for fatigue. They have to live through this every single day. Katheryn, please tell us about your impressions of this day. I have seen how things have changed since the war. I was honored to spend my morning with Bring Kids Back, Voices of Children, and seeing what the organization was doing to help children who have been occupied by Russia and that came back. And it’s incredible to see how much support they gave them through psychology and therapy, and also through art therapy and creating a safe place for them to be able to process their feelings and to create a sense of safety. And I think it’s important to be there for our children of Ukraine and give them the support they need to flourish. Being an ambassador of UNITED24, I went to see some of the destruction that has been happening around our city in Kyiv. I went to a bookstore that had been completely decimated and it was heartbreaking to see the culture of our books and Ukrainian literature completely abolished for no reason other than trying to erase Ukrainian heritage. I saw one of the biggest, largest attacks next to a metro station… also seeing the destruction right there of residential buildings… was heartbreaking to see. Katheryn Winnick (Photo by Dmytro Serhiienko/Kyiv Post) I started the Winnick Foundation several years ago with my mother specifically to help women and children around the world that have not had a voice or a platform. And Ukraine has been my initiative. Through the pain and sorrow and heartbreaking times, I think it’s important to remember the strength and the courage of the Ukrainian people and their resilience. And the plan moving forward is finding ways to be able to help using the platform, using my voice to tell the stories of the people, of the ones that are in the front line or at home and going through their everyday life, dealing with air strikes. Last night was my first night in Kyiv [on this visit] and it was one of the toughest nights I’ve ever had. To be woken up in the middle of the night with my phone alert going off and having to run to the shelter in less than two minutes for a potential ballistic missile strike, it was so hard to imagine that my heart was coming out of my chest. This is what Ukrainians have to go through every single day and live through this and not knowing if it’s going to be a ballistic missile coming and you have two minutes, or if it’s a drone attack. The last parting words the locals would give me is “Have peace tonight.” And that’s something that I have never heard before. You just say “Good night, I’ll see you again”. And now they’re saying, “Have peace tonight.” And... I want the American people to see that and the world to see that peace can’t be taken for granted because Ukrainians don’t have that right now. What is your foundation’s future plans? The future plans for the Winnick Foundation are to continue to be a platform for people to donate in a way that they can trust, knowing that the money, that every dollar is going to go into the right hands to help Ukraine right now, to help women and children and other platforms we help to move forward as well. And I, being not only Ukrainian, but also who I am as a person, I’m pretty transparent about where the money goes. I think there’s a lot of people, a lot of NGOs that you don’t really know where the money is going, but this is at least coming, is built for my family and is built with values. What do you consider your best achievement? I’m not sure if I have one specific personal and greatest achievement. For me, it’s about speaking about what’s happening in Ukraine, coming to visit a place right now that is under constant attack and seeing what it takes to live here every single day. And I think it’s coming back with the stories and hearing how everyone’s living every single day. Just yesterday, I had a conversation with one of the locals. Her husband was brought back as part of a Prisoner of War exchange. Her husband is only 104 pounds, and I heard how post-traumatic stress has been affecting her… But through their marriage, she has had to deal with it. There are so many stories, and I think it’s important that we don’t forget. But I will tell you this: the spirit of Ukrainians is unbreakable. I know I’m not from here and wasn’t born here, but I am of Ukrainian heritage, so I will say I am proud to be Ukrainian. Katheryn Winnick (Photo by Dmytro Serhiienko/Kyiv Post) What are the biggest myths about Ukraine and the war that you have to debunk? I think there are a few myths. One of the biggest is that Ukraine is a faraway place and that the war is unrelatable and not their problem. I think it’s important for the American people and the world really to realize that… you don’t have to be Ukrainian to care about the safety of your children and taking them to school, you don’t have to speak the Ukrainian language to be able to fight for or understand the importance of fighting for your freedom and your future, for your children, your grandchildren. I think that’s a universal issue and it’s a human issue, and I think everybody can relate to that. So, we cannot get fatigue from the war or the news. We need to find different narratives and different ways to tell a human story, which is a story that is relatable to all, all cultures, all countries. This is an issue that we need not to silence but to address, and hear the stories of the people of Ukraine. Everyone can relate to that. Which Ukrainian initiative or volunteer movement has surprised you or your Western friends the most? What surprised me the most is the number of artists coming to the forefront right now. Ukrainian poets, musicians, painters and singers – the Ukrainian culture is so rich and beautiful. And if it’s through active expression through food or through song or dance, this is what people need to see about Ukraine. War has heartbreaking stories, but it’s also important to remind everyone of how inspiring and courageous and beautiful and poetic the traditions and culture are. What is your favorite place in Kyiv? The place you love to come back to, where you feel you have a connection and have roots to? I have one favorite place in Kyiv... This is my third time. Every time I go back, my heart gets more full. And that is the statue of the Motherland where we had the summit the other day. Standing underneath this beautiful statue of a woman who’s made of steel and holding up that sword and carrying that shield with the Ukrainskiy trysub, the trident. It’s so beautiful to see. And that alone is so powerful. And I feel inspired every time I see that with the Ukraine flag in the foreground. I actually heard that it’s lit up right now during Independence Day. I’m going to go there tonight and see the statue being lit up. I’m very excited to see that. What’s your favorite Ukrainian food? Oh, my favorite Ukrainian dish! So, I grew up having lots of borscht. We actually have a family borsht recipe. Yes, my baba [grandmother] gave it to me and as we have that, obviously … I grew up with pyrohy, and varenyky, and obviously, I would say borsch. It has to be borsch. But the cream, sour cream, it’s so good. I’ve actually learned how to make it myself, and I enjoy making it, because it’s an act of love. And it reminds me of my grandmother. For our Ukrainian readers, you are mostly known as Lagertha from “Vikings.” It’s not a secret, but the way that screenwriters showed Kyivan Rus, it was terrible because it was a grotesque copy of Moscow, Russian culture, and there was nothing in common with the real story. It’s funny you brought that up. I remember reading those scripts, speaking with Michael Hurst and questioning the authenticity, him being a historian. We spoke about the validity of that, depending on what story he read in history. So, I can’t speak too much about that, but I do feel that it is time for Ukrainians to tell their story on their history and make sure that the world understands what we’re fighting for – for freedom – and how important this democracy is and how important it is for the Ukrainian people to keep this culture and legacy alive. I think we need a mainstream Hollywood Ukrainian movie. I think we need several of them. There are so many stories to tell and we need a great director, producer, actor to be able to bring the Ukrainian stories on a mainstream level. Of all the famous Ukrainian women, which character would you most like to play? There’s one strong female character [whose story] needs to be told. And that is the story of Queen Olga. You need to understand and show the world how powerful she really is. Playing Lagertha, I think I can tap into her. Watch the video interview with Katheryn Winnick on the Kyiv Post YouTube channel. The author is grateful to the UNITED24 communication team for their assistance in organizing the interview.