Elena Romanenko

Elena Romanenko: Hello.

Artem Berman: Hello, Lena.

Elena Romanenko: Hello.

Artem Berman: Actually, I have three types of questionnaires – ‘I am currently employed,’ ‘I have never worked,’ ‘I worked before, but I do not work now.’

Elena Romanenko: The first option.

Artem Berman: I am currently employed. Well, let me open it.

Elena Romanenko: Did you think of all these questions on your own?

Artem Berman: Yes, of course, this is my Ph.D. All questions are mine. Can we start?

Elena Romanenko: Yes, I’ll be delighted.

Artem Berman: Great. Will you allow me to use your interview in my thesis, as well as to publish it on the site iemployed.org?

Elena Romanenko: Yes, I allow it.

Artem Berman: Perfect. Do you want to use your real name or a pseudonym?

Elena Romanenko: My real name.

Artem Berman: What is your name?

Elena Romanenko: Lena Romanenko.

Artem Berman: Your e-mail, phone number… Actually, I have them. The next question is your age.

Elena Romanenko: I am 33.

Artem Berman: Okay. The next one is your gender. Well, it’s clear.

Elena Romanenko: Yes, I am a girl.

Artem Berman: Okay. Do you live alone or with your parents, husband or children?

Elena Romanenko: I live with my husband, my child, and my grandmother.

Artem Berman: What kind of disability do you have, well, or injury, or disease…?

Elena Romanenko: The first group. I have a diver’s injury.

Artem Berman: I see. So, we are talking about spinal trauma now. We are talking about the cervical level – C5-C6 – and a compression fracture of the spine and traumatic disease of the spinal cord. What happened exactly?

Elena Romanenko: I dived unsuccessfully when I was just 16 years old, I didn’t know where the bottom was. That’s why it happened.

Artem Berman: Identical. Because I also dived at the age of 16. You have already answered what your age was. How did this unfortunate event affect your life in all its dimensions – personal life, professional life and so on?

Elena Romanenko: When I had the trauma at 16, I was attending the art lyceum. I was fond of creative work, art, and I entered this Lyceum without having to pass any entrance exams – just my works were evaluated. I dived and broke my neck, but I could not understand and realize how serious it was at first. Many people claim they know what spinal trauma means and that all our physical activity depends on the spinal cord. I didn’t understand that, so I asked to be sent home from the hospital, because it was time for me to study. It was August, and I was supposed to start studying in September. I told the doctors that I had already stayed there too long. They answered that I probably would not make it to school that year. In general, when everything became clear, the dreams of that artistic profession disappeared because you needed to do very delicate work with your hands. If you need to draw thirty identical butterflies in class, well, now, with fingers like these, it is far from perfect, but I strive for excellence. That’s it. I started to think about what else I could do. I was always fascinated by literature, grammar, writing texts. I decided to go into Russian language and literature. However, I was brought back down to earth by the women I had been in the hospital with when they told me to look at life realistically. Actually, would a Russian-language-related profession be competitive in a Russian-speaking country? I live in Kharkov, and you cannot hear the Ukrainian language here at all even now.
They asked me, ‘What are you going to do in this life?’ You won’t teach at school; it’s unrealistic to support yourself with the profession of a Russian language teacher in our country. Think about studying English… By that time I was already 17 years old, but I still did not know the English alphabet. However, I followed their recommendations.
I had a tutor. Well, I learned the English language in two years and entered the Foreign Languages School. I graduated from it, and I taught people at home. It was a successful self-realization in a financial sense. I had about nine pupils per day. I fully realized that I was in high demand almost at once. My district is quite popular, there are lots of children there, and everyone knows me. I liked to talk to children, but I did not consider this job to be the profession of my whole life. I was much more interested in other professions.

Artem Berman: Let’s take two steps back. How did your social rehabilitation start? What was the process of returning or coming back to society? What helped you? What were the obstacles?

Elena Romanenko: It’s not easy for an independent person to become dependent all at once, and considering that I could move only using a mechanical wheelchair, constantly being with someone, well, it was irritating.

Artem Berman: I see.

Elena Romanenko: And back then, in 2000, I did not have an electric wheelchair, and I was not able to take it with me, so it turned out that I was constantly dependent on some person.
My friends told me, ‘Come on, let’s go out,’ but it was difficult for me to believe that I would ride around in a wheelchair in the area where every person knew me, where I used to walk in high-heeled shoes and a mini-skirt before.
Anyhow, my friend told me to stop sitting at home; it was time to go for a walk. She made me go out. We covered a long distance at once. It was almost the city center. Of course, everyone was staring at me back in 2001. She turned out to be a bit rude; she was yelling at them, ‘Keep away from her.’ People seemed to be smiling, but indeed, I was out of shape. I’m looking at my pictures of that time now – of course, I was far from being perfect.

Artem Berman: Got it.

Elena Romanenko: Nevertheless, it was the support I needed until I went to a sanatorium and saw that I was not the only one.

Artem Berman: This is what helped you. My understanding is that during that trip to the sanatorium you saw that there were lots of people like you, you communicated with them, you understood that you could move on. Great. What were the obstacles?

Elena Romanenko: Actually, I believe that out of every bad situation comes something good. There are many good things even in my situation. For example, we have a large courtyard, and it is only in my entrance hall that there are no stairs to the elevator, no stairs at all. I could, and I can, always go out. Well, I have never had any problems. As for the general accessibility of the city – yes, it is a challenge. But I’m working now to change it.
Artem Berman: The next question is your education. Basically, did you have any education before the trauma, before the accident?

Elena Romanenko: I finished nine years at school, and then I entered the 10th grade. And I suddenly realized that I should not study in the 10th grade; officially, I attended it, but in fact, I was at the Lyceum of Arts.

Artem Berman: So, the next question, ‘Have you got any education after the trauma?’

Elena Romanenko: Well, yes. I graduated from university. Then I was always completing something – different courses simultaneously. I have a diploma as a personal stylist. I got it several years ago. I’ve recently completed a marketing course. This is my work now. Well, I really like it now. I have also founded a public organization that helps me to make the city more comfortable for people in wheelchairs. I have three cool projects in which people take part enthusiastically. I’m really amazed at why everything takes so long all the time. If you give people the correct information, then they are ready to join. People are ready to get involved and to be active participants.

Artem Berman: Well, the university – what was the faculty, what was the specialization?

Elena Romanenko: That was the Pedagogical University, the faculty of English Philology. The profession of a tutor can be a lucrative career.

Artem Berman: Okay. The next question is what influenced the choice of this university? Well, it can be anything – accessibility, proximity – any factor.

Elena Romanenko: There is no factor at all. It was far away. The university was very uncomfortable. I was always carried in someone’s arms, well, not in their arms, but in a wheelchair. I do not know why I chose that university. Thinking about it… I’m just surprised. You know, I see that we have a good university that is located much closer. Why did I enter that one?

Artem Berman: In any case, we have results. What kind of degree do you have? Bachelor’s? Master’s?

Elena Romanenko: I have a bachelor’s degree. A bachelor’s degree was quite enough. That was the extramural mode of study. I didn’t attend the university every day. So, that was enough. It’s because I didn’t plan to devote my life to education.

Artem Berman: Okay, I hear you on that. The next question, ‘Do you have any help related to your condition, your trauma and its consequences, from the organization in which you are currently working? Well, and what kind of help do you have?’

Elena Romanenko: I officially work for a company; it is the representative office of an English company in our city. They develop software, and I am a remote translator there. They give me all sorts of job descriptions and various safety papers to translate. They have my employment record. There is practically not much to do there. I have a couple, maybe, five documents per month. They need me by law, and it’s good for me to be with them too.

Elena Romanenko: But other than that?

Elena Romanenko: But other than that, of course, I am a freelancer. I do everything – I am also a stylist. People come to me. I create a style, looks, and take images. I am taking four different projects now. Well, in addition to this, I work for a non-profit organization I founded.

Artem Berman: Well, nevertheless, did this organization or any others do something at some point? I mean, did the employer ease working conditions for you? Well, I mean, from ramps to a flexible schedule, to remote work, anything.

Elena Romanenko: Well, they immediately suggested that I work remotely. I think this is very comfortable. Maybe, if I wanted to come in, well, this company has had a ramp from the start. It is a new building, a business center; everything is comfortable there.

Artem Berman: I see.

Elena Romanenko: There was no need to create…

Artem Berman: I hear you on that. Well, it is quite good in the realities of Ukraine.

Elena Romanenko: Exactly.

Artem Berman: The next question, ‘Have you ever been promoted in the organization where you work now or where you have ever worked? Do you see a career path for yourself? Do you consider yourself a worthy person for promotion? If so, why? If not, why?’

Elena Romanenko: Of course, I think that I am a worthy person. We should evaluate a person by what is on the inside. Therefore, I do not believe that people in wheelchairs can be less successful than ordinary upright people.

Artem Berman: It is not even about a wheelchair. Maybe, a woman wants to be a mother and a wife. Maybe, a man wants to lie on the sofa and drink beer. There should be an expanded interpretation of this question.

Elena Romanenko: So, if we talk about my promotion, if we compare what I could afford two years ago and now, then my income has grown many times over. Therefore, I believe that my career path is becoming more successful, and I am becoming more successful as well.

Artem Berman: Okay. Got it. What are the main difficulties or challenges you have in your work – from public charitable activity to freelance and including official employment? What kind of difficulties were related to your disability, to the wheelchair, to your health problems?

Elena Romanenko: Well, I believe that the 21st century gives us a free hand in all things. In addition to this, any intellectual work can be dealt with remotely. This has enabled millions of people, including people with disabilities, to realize themselves almost without leaving their beds. Accordingly, if you do not work at a factory machine and you do not necessarily have to be in the office, then, finally, you can easily realize your potential by completing courses. You only need access to the Internet and a phone. Therefore, since I’m a freelancer, I work remotely, and I have no problems. However, as far as the public organization is concerned, I often have to go out. Well, in general, it is in the context of the project ‘Business with soul’ that I have, where I propose that business people adapt the entrances to their own buildings. Then we mark them on Google Maps, in accessibility guides, and they are publicized and advertised in every possible way. Of course, to get to a certain place, I need to cross half of the city; it’s good that I have an electric wheelchair, because I have not sorted out a taxi yet, it’s still only in my plans, and adapted public transportation doesn’t exist in Kharkov, and my husband works.

Artem Berman: Good. The next question is what were the main reasons for you to start working and continue to work?

Elena Romanenko: When I was studying, I lived with my mother and my grandmother; my mother was with me during the leave-of-absence period. She had to leave her job, as it was the only way… The money I earned, I brought to the family. It was helpful for all of us during the period when I was in the hospital for several months, and all the money had been spent. That’s it. Well, in general, I am one of those people who do not like to live on someone else’s salary but want to be able to afford things: to buy, to go, to travel. Well, after some time, after starting a family, when you start traveling outside Ukraine and see a different reality, how people live, then, of course, you want to work to be able to show your child this world so that he/she could study in another country, for instance. All the hobby groups, everything has its price. No, I’m not saying that my husband does not make money, but I like to be a part of everything. Therefore, I would never be able to live on a pension.

Artem Berman: Okay. Got it. You have already answered the next question with that last phrase, but I will ask it anyway, ‘Can you imagine yourself not working, and what would be the consequences of such a decision?’

Elena Romanenko: There you have it. For example, only if my brain turns off. Even if I cannot get out of bed, I will still know how to generate ideas and how to organize people who would bring in money.

Artem Berman: I see, great. If we omit the financial matter, well, I mean a certain level of income, could you not work, or would you be bored anyway?

Elena Romanenko: No, I would still do something. Well, even if you lie on the beach, it is possible to create something interesting in parallel.

Artem Berman: Okay. The following question, ‘Do you perceive a job as an important means of rehabilitation and integration into society?’

Elena Romanenko: Yes, exactly. I mean, everyone who writes to me, for example, people in wheelchairs, ‘And what? What should I do? We don’t know what to do.’ Actually, yes, probably we have a lack of information, but it’s also possible that people look for it in the wrong place. There are lots of possibilities, and people who work feel different, they understand their importance, significance – that the wheelchair is not the end of life and you can realize yourself the same way as you did before. On the contrary, you have a fresh impetus, new potential, you notice things that you didn’t notice before. Therefore, such people absolutely should work, not shut themselves off, and try their best to get out of this inner world.

Artem Berman: The place where you work now is not your first job, is it? What were the reasons for changing jobs?

Elena Romanenko: This is just my next place of work because, I think, I probably haven’t yet found the thing I want to devote my life to. Therefore, I am going to go to the Youth Business Department in autumn, and I want to finalize it because I like being in public life, but since this is a non-profit organization, you need to draw resources from somewhere, so, accordingly, you probably need to branch out. I changed places because … It was, probably, because I understood that I couldn’t do this anymore, the interest had faded away. That is probably how it is.

Artem Berman: Got it, ‘What does your family think about your work?’ I mean, whether they support you or not.

Elena Romanenko: Of course, all of them are very proud of me. Grandmother, mom, relatives on my mother’s side think that I take on a lot, I sit too much, there is too little massage in my life, and in general everything is too much.

Artem Berman: I understand, well, it’s like the other way around! In the sense that in their opinion, you are hyperactive.

Elena Romanenko: Yes.

Artem Berman: Okay. Well, they support you, right?

Elena Romanenko: Well, yes, they support me. They always say in a conversation with someone,
‘What are you talking about?! You complain. You should know what Lenka can do!’

Artem Berman: Is your work connected with your education? Has the fact that you have had a university education influenced the possibilities, the wider range of jobs that you can do? How do you maintain your level in the profession?

Elena Romanenko: Well, let’s just say, now, I think my level is far from the one I had at the time I was studying. At the level of communicating with people in English, then yes, I can communicate, explain something, but after all this time I would not be able to teach anymore. But then again if you ask whether higher education has influenced and whether higher education is needed, then, looking around, seeing how dynamic the world is, that in the conditions of the 21st century spending five years on training – well, we cannot afford that much time for studying. Now it’s enough to find resources and study them for six months to get high-level specialists; now we are looking at people who write computer programs and are generally self-taught. The coolest games win world awards. These are people who did not go to college at all, but they, in general, are successful businessmen, gamers, well, in general. Of course, these are creative professions. Maybe, if you are an assembler of some rocket boards, then you need to study. However, in principle, I notice this, and I will not tell my child that higher education guarantees you some better job, the way our parents told us.

Artem Berman: Well, yes or no. Everything pretty much depends.

Elena Romanenko: Yes.

Artem Berman: Well, we are changing the angle a bit. Do you have any financial support from the state?

Elena Romanenko: Yes.

Artem Berman: Well, yes, it’s classic. Let’s move on, no need to tell me the exact figures. I will formulate it like this – is this pension a considerable part of your total income, or is it not considerable? For example, you can only pay for a mobile phone with it.

Elena Romanenko: It’s not considerable.

Artem Berman: Yeah. Well, are you satisfied with the level of income that you have today? I mean everything – a pension, freelance and other things.

Elena Romanenko: Of course, I want more. It is more than it was, which means that we are improving ourselves, but my plan is grandiose. Therefore, I want more.

Artem Berman: In general, we have moved on to the last question. It is philosophical and open. There will be a story like this: you need to describe yourself in your own words. To do this, I will ask you to finish some phrases. Well, for example, there will be only six of them. The first phrase is ‘I …’. Well, that is, whatever runs through your head. Finish ‘I …’

Elena Romanenko: Yes, got it. I am a good friend, mother, wife and successful woman.

Artem Berman: Okay. The next one, ‘Before the trauma I …’

Elena Romanenko: I could do a lot of smart things. No, I could do fewer stupid things.

Artem Berman: Okay. ‘I can’ or ‘I am capable of …’

Elena Romanenko: I can do almost everything, and I can make many people happy.

Artem Berman: I see. ‘In future I …’, well, or ‘In the future, I would like to …’, or ‘In future I see myself …’

Elena Romanenko: In the future, I would like to be able to work remotely in any country in the world, to have a job that is non-location dependent. In general, I would like to have the possibility to work while traveling.

Artem Berman: The last two questions. ‘I’m afraid…’

Elena Romanenko: As Zemfira sang, ‘I’m afraid of not having time to do at least something.’

Artem Berman: And the last one, ‘I want …’

Elena Romanenko: I want to leave some meaningful trace behind me. I want, at least while I live in this city and this country, well, I want to try to make life much more comfortable for the residents of this city, for people like me. I want to have balance and love in the family, to see my loved ones healthy, I want things to be good.

Artem Berman: Well, in fact, we have reached the end of the interview. Thank you.

Elena Romanenko: Thank you.