{"id":2583,"date":"2025-10-21T23:37:09","date_gmt":"2025-10-21T20:37:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/an.magicworld.com.ua\/?p=2583"},"modified":"2025-10-21T23:37:13","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T20:37:13","slug":"rozmova-z-nataliyeyu-garipovoyu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/an.magicworld.com.ua\/en\/interview\/rozmova-z-nataliyeyu-garipovoyu\/","title":{"rendered":"Conversation with Nataly Garipova"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/creators.spotify.com\/pod\/profile\/magicworld\/embed\/episodes\/--e38112q\/a-ac59hi1\"> <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-block-embed-spotify wp-embed-aspect-21-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: Nataly Haripova on humor, Ukrainian stand-Up, and jokes in wartime \u2734 Archetype of the Nation\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"152\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/episode\/6uwSCYm2ACCDhNws7VkCEN?si=qpSjFkaSRX-yK_5LYJEEnQ&#038;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Guest of the episode: Natalia Garipova \u2013 stand-up comedian, screenwriter, and producer.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Nataly Haripova on humor, Ukrainian stand-Up, and jokes in wartime \u2734 Archetype of the Nation\" width=\"1102\" height=\"620\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/SlxYyYJ1xSE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Transcript of conversations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>Nataly, what is humor for you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>For me, it\u2019s a way of being \u2014 a way of expressing what I think, what I like, and what I don\u2019t like. It\u2019s how I release tension. Honestly, humor was a survival tool for me when I was a kid, especially in complicated family relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It stayed with me ever since. With humor, I can smooth out any situation. It\u2019s also my profession \u2014 I\u2019ve worked in comedy all my life. Humor is how I connect with people, how I build closeness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And, really, it\u2019s part of my daily rhythm. If a whole day passes and I don\u2019t laugh with anyone \u2014 say, I\u2019m home alone, didn\u2019t watch anything funny, didn\u2019t joke with anyone \u2014 I start to feel uneasy, like something\u2019s off. I always need that exchange of energy, that back-and-forth of jokes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s like breathing for me. And if I stop for even a moment, I get nervous \u2014 it feels like something bad is about to happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>How did your sense of humor show up in childhood? Did you make others laugh, or did you laugh more yourself?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>Now I can compare my childhood with my daughter\u2019s. I see that my daughter\u2019s sense of humor isn\u2019t about survival \u2014 it\u2019s just about joy. She makes me laugh a lot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, we\u2019ll be riding in a taxi, and she says, \u201cThat\u2019s the fourth taxi driver I\u2019ve evicted.\u201d For her, it\u2019s a game \u2014 she thinks everyone lives like that. That everyone just naturally has humor in their life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For me, it was different. I didn\u2019t joke much as a child. I think it came from some childhood trauma \u2014 I had to learn to smooth things over, to use jokes to make things safer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s where humor became my tool. I realized that jokes could save situations. I started to use them everywhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We had KVN at school \u2014 that Soviet-style comedy competition \u2014 and environmental campaigns, where I was a scriptwriter and team leader. We\u2019d be thinking up ways to tell people to plant trees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And for some reason, even as a kid, I understood that if you add humor, people will actually listen. If you just tell them, \u201cPlant trees,\u201d no one cares. But if you make them laugh, they pay attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was intuitive. Like in modern TED Talks \u2014 everyone says that if you want to connect with people, start with a joke. It relaxes the audience, breaks the tension. I was doing that as a kid without even knowing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When I wrote essays, I\u2019d always slip in jokes \u2014 I\u2019d copy from the textbook, but rewrite it so people wouldn\u2019t get bored. And only later did I realize that was my thing. That I could actually write jokes, and that I loved it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When I\u2019m writing jokes, I get into a state of flow \u2014 and that\u2019s how I knew: this is my path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>When did you first realize you could make not just one person, but a whole audience laugh?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>It started during our ecological expeditions. Every evening we had a campfire, and we\u2019d tell stories or put on small sketches. I remember that laughter \u2014 it was addictive. When people laugh, it means they like you. And that, honestly, is the core trauma of all comedians \u2014 we need to be liked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That feeling helped me understand that I enjoy making people laugh. It\u2019s fascinating. And with every new performance, you add a bit more laughter, then a bit more, and it starts carrying you somewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For me, the first real stage was KVN \u2014 that old comedy competition format. I wrote my first jokes there. You step on stage and realize everyone around you lives for humor. You\u2019re not the odd one out anymore. You think, \u201cWow, this is a cartoon world where everyone\u2019s a comedian.\u201d Everyone there understands humor \u2014 there\u2019s no one who doesn\u2019t get it. You feel like you belong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then came different phases \u2014 team projects, various comedy shows. But eventually I understood that I enjoyed it most when I performed alone. I didn\u2019t have to adjust my jokes for anyone. I know exactly how my joke should sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If someone else performs it, I start worrying \u2014 will they do it right, will it land? When I\u2019m alone, it\u2019s simple: if I mess up, it\u2019s on me. No one else to blame, no one to depend on. That freedom is priceless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s when I started writing my own jokes. And then I discovered stand-up \u2014 a genre where people just talk about their own thoughts. You don\u2019t have to play a character or hide behind a sketch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before that, I was joking online \u2014 back when everyone used VKontakte. I\u2019d post ironic thoughts, small observations. They got likes, and I thought, \u201cOkay, cool \u2014 but who\u2019s going to pay me for this? Where does this kind of humor even belong?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">TV formats wanted simple, punchy jokes. But stand-up\u2026 stand-up was something else. When it finally came to Ukraine, I realized \u2014 that\u2019s it. That\u2019s my place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It let me talk about what really matters to me \u2014 what still hurts, what I can\u2019t deal with, what I want to share. All of that became part of my stand-up. It became my main way of expressing myself, the truest version of me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>You\u2019ve been in stand-up and humor for quite a while now. What topics or images never get old \u2014 what always works with the audience?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>Insults?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>I mean topics \u2014 the ones that always work, that always make people laugh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>Well, relationships, of course. Everyone has them \u2014 some people want to love, some are in love, some are already tired of it. That always resonates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When your audience is a bit older, another universal topic is kids. Practically everyone has children, or at least knows someone who does \u2014 it\u2019s always relatable and funny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then there are the broader things that really bother people. For women, it\u2019s often about how we look, about beauty trends, spirituality, self-care, therapy \u2014 all those things that shape our everyday lives. If you can pass those experiences through reflection and humor, it always lands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Men have their own stories too, of course. But in general, people respond to jokes about meaning \u2014 about what lies at the core of who we are. Like, what is democracy? What is freedom?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>Freedom-loving?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>Freedom, yes \u2014 though I\u2019m not sure how often people talk about it directly. It\u2019s more about the conversations we have at the kitchen table \u2014 about the past, the future, about how we live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s what stand-up should be \u2014 the things people actually talk about, but often don\u2019t dare to say out loud. It always has to be a little on the edge. First and foremost, on <em>your<\/em> edge, because you have to be completely honest with yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, my first stand-up routine was about not feeling sexy. Many people can\u2019t admit that publicly \u2014 that they don\u2019t feel desirable, or that they\u2019re hiding something from themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In my most recent set, I joked about libido during wartime, and about relationships when you\u2019ve been together for ten years. I even talked about modern children \u2014 how we love them so much, overprotect them, because we\u2019re afraid of giving them the traumas that we had.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And maybe that love itself will become <em>their<\/em> trauma someday. But at least they\u2019ll grow up, process it, and make jokes about it in their own stand-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>Are there topics, in your opinion, that shouldn\u2019t be joked about?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>Well, painful topics. And, in general, topics that you personally have no connection to. For example, if someone who has never served in the army starts joking about soldiers or war \u2014 it immediately feels wrong. If you\u2019re not there, if it\u2019s not your experience, then it\u2019s not your story to joke about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stand-up should always come from your own life. It\u2019s about what <em>you<\/em> have lived through. Otherwise, it becomes judgment \u2014 and that\u2019s when it hurts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are also topics that are still too raw. Because stand-up, in essence, is <strong>pain plus time<\/strong>. That\u2019s the formula.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When the pain is fresh \u2014 you can\u2019t joke about it yet. Take 9\/11, for example. When it happened, no one could imagine ever joking about it. But with time, when that pain began to fade and people needed to process it \u2014 the jokes appeared. Even <em>The Simpsons<\/em> joked about it. Comedy helped people digest the trauma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, we will definitely joke about the war too \u2014 but only <em>after<\/em> it\u2019s over, when some time has passed. Right now, the only thing you can joke about is living <em>through<\/em> the war \u2014 about how we adapt, survive, keep going. But not about the war itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s the same with personal pain. If someone in my family is sick \u2014 I can joke about it, because it\u2019s <em>my<\/em> story. My dad had cancer, and I\u2019ve joked about that. Not to mock it, but to ease the tension \u2014 for myself and for others. But I would never joke about that illness if it had nothing to do with me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s the line for me. Comedy can heal, but only if it comes from honesty and empathy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>The ability to joke about yourself \u2014 that\u2019s a real strength, isn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>It is. But it also takes confidence. I\u2019ve noticed \u2014 if I can\u2019t joke with someone anymore, it means the connection between us is already breaking. There\u2019s tension. That person will get offended \u2014 and that usually means we\u2019re no longer on the same wavelength.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I joke about myself constantly. My shows \u2014 it\u2019s an hour and a half of self-irony: my life, my child, my family. Everything that\u2019s mine. Because self-irony is a sign of inner strength. If you don\u2019t have it \u2014 it means there\u2019s still a lot of work to do inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>Ukrainian folklore also has that strong self-ironic tone. Our humor is often directed at ourselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>Exactly. Take our old folk songs \u2014 especially the playful, erotic ones. They show how easily Ukrainians once treated sexuality, flirting, love. It was open, relaxed \u2014 just a natural part of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now everything\u2019s more restrained \u2014 \u201cdon\u2019t talk about that,\u201d \u201cthere are kids,\u201d \u201cthat\u2019s 18+.\u201d But before, it was just life. Why should you hide it? Kids feel curiosity at ten, not eighteen \u2014 what are they supposed to do with it until then? Pretend it\u2019s shameful?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those old songs were full of humor, openness, and acceptance. I have a friend, Dmytro Mazuriak from the band <em>Kazka<\/em> \u2014 he\u2019s now in <em>Kulturnyi Desant<\/em>. He can sing those songs for ten hours straight, and not a single one will repeat. That\u2019s how many there are!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And that\u2019s amazing \u2014 because humor like that releases tension, especially around taboo topics. It\u2019s a shame that part of folklore faded, but I\u2019m glad artists like Pavlo Ohots and Dmytro Mazuriak are bringing it back into modern culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>You once became the first Ukrainian stand-up comedian to organize your own tour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>Yes, that\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>What inspired you to do it back then?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>I realized I finally had enough material. Around that time, I was working with two directors \u2014 the Volkovinets brothers, everyone called them \u201cthe Jews.\u201d They suggested we record a big solo show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Back then, no one did solo concerts in Ukrainian stand-up. It wasn\u2019t even seen as a thing. But we thought, \u201cWe\u2019ve got an hour of material, let\u2019s record it.\u201d So we did \u2014 filmed it with cameras on rails, a proper shoot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then we thought, why not perform it live \u2014 take it to the cities where I\u2019d already done 15-minute sets? So we turned that hour into a tour. Maybe it wasn\u2019t a full hour \u2014 maybe 50 minutes \u2014 but still, it was strong material.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We even made a bold, cinematic promo video. We filmed in a pavilion, with lights, makeup, costumes \u2014 my friends helped, my girlfriends were in it, we did everything ourselves. It looked amazing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And that became the first real stand-up tour in Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Well, yes \u2014 there have definitely been bad performances. Mostly at corporate events. Corporate gigs are the worst place for stand-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But comedians still go there because, well\u2026 it\u2019s money. Usually, if you perform in a bar with five other comedians, you might get two or three thousand hryvnias. For me, two thousand is basically the cost of a taxi to the village where I live now. So, you need those corporate gigs \u2014 they pay real money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But they\u2019re tough. Because people come to a corporate party to celebrate something personal, not to listen. If it\u2019s colleagues, they\u2019re already tipsy, gossiping, wondering who\u2019s going to dance with whom \u2014 they don\u2019t care what\u2019s happening on stage. It\u2019s like performing at a wedding or a birthday where everyone\u2019s already drinking \u2014 no one\u2019s interested in long monologues about life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Unless it\u2019s an interactive format, like a host warming up the crowd \u2014 fine. But pure stand-up, where you just talk about yourself? Nobody needs that at a corporate party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The best corporate gigs I\u2019ve ever done were bachelorette parties. Stand-up works perfectly there. I love performing for women \u2014 women\u2019s circles are so open, so responsive. It\u2019s easy, natural, and always fun. So yeah, I adore bachelorette parties. Everything else \u2014 not so much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>And what about the stereotype that audiences are more skeptical of female comedians than male ones? Do you feel that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>That used to be true \u2014 but not anymore. Now, absolutely not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Look, Lera Mandziuk is selling out the October Palace. Nastya Zukhvala is touring Europe and Ukraine with full houses. There are tons of girls on stage now, confident, talented, powerful. They\u2019re not coming in from a weak position \u2014 they\u2019re coming in strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, I recently announced a comedy showcase with Nastya Korotka, Dasha Bilotserkovets, and Inna Gordeeva. All the tickets sold out in seven minutes. And the lineup is entirely female.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, the balance has shifted. You can\u2019t even compare it to how it was before. And honestly, in stand-up, gender doesn\u2019t matter. The only thing that matters is whether it\u2019s funny or not. It doesn\u2019t matter if it\u2019s a man, a woman \u2014 or even a dog. The rule is simple: be funny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>So, would you say the gender balance in comedy has really improved?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>Absolutely. And that\u2019s thanks to the women who started out early, who paved the way \u2014 the first girls in stand-up. We did that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>Can humor be funny but toxic? The kind that hurts rather than heals?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>Humor is aggression. It just is. The question is how you handle it \u2014 whether you can balance it or if it comes out lopsided. Because passive aggression is very easy to wrap inside a joke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sometimes it\u2019s funny, but sometimes it\u2019s just not pleasant to hear. There are clean jokes, and there are sharp ones. Personally, I really respect <em>clean<\/em> humor \u2014 like Vasya Baydak\u2019s stand-up. His comedy is pure, light, kind. Thank God he\u2019s doing it; otherwise, he\u2019d probably already be canonized somewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But seriously, what he does is a very complex genre. Clean, good stand-up \u2014 that\u2019s the hardest thing to write. It\u2019s where you don\u2019t step on anyone, don\u2019t humiliate, don\u2019t provoke just for the sake of it. You simply observe life and make people laugh without cruelty. That\u2019s real mastery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Anton Tymoshenko also comes to mind \u2014 his political humor is smart, measured, intelligent. I love when comedians manage to keep that purity of the genre, when humor lifts instead of crushes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>Was there ever a moment when you wanted to give up humor altogether?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>Yes, a few times. Usually when I just couldn\u2019t make ends meet. You know, stand-up doesn\u2019t always pay enough to live on. I had to take on heavy projects to survive \u2014 like TV shows, with crazy deadlines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And I knew if I worked on a show like that, I wouldn\u2019t have the time or energy left for stand-up. So I chose money, because I lived alone \u2014 I had to pay rent, buy food, clothes. I took a \u201cpause\u201d for a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But after a while, I looked around and thought \u2014 what am I doing? I\u2019m writing TV shows\u2026 for whom? Why? It wasn\u2019t mine. I realized I hadn\u2019t done what I <em>love<\/em> for a whole year. So I left television and came back to stand-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then, when the war started, we went abroad \u2014 lived in Berlin for a while. I performed there too: <em>Good Evening from Ukraine<\/em>, small charity concerts, tours with Dantes and Yura Kragodin. It kept me going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But when I came back to Ukraine\u2026 everything hit me. The war, the depression, the heaviness of everyday survival. I just couldn\u2019t write anymore. I had no strength to go on stage and talk about anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So I switched to production work, screenwriting \u2014 just something stable, something that didn\u2019t require emotional exposure. And then, slowly, I returned again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Life is long \u2014 you can step away and come back. That\u2019s normal. Because humor depends on what\u2019s inside you. Sometimes you simply have nothing to say. And it\u2019s better to be honest and take a break than to go on stage and talk nonsense just to fill time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>And when you create humor \u2014 can it become a way to work through your own pain and fears?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>Humor is psychotherapy. You don\u2019t even have to invent anything \u2014 you just take what you\u2019ve uncovered in therapy and turn it into material. For example, you realize, \u201cI\u2019m not confident in myself,\u201d or \u201cI feel undervalued.\u201d There \u2014 that\u2019s your premise. You can write ten minutes of jokes from that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Through humor, you release the tension from whatever state you\u2019re in. That\u2019s why comedy works \u2014 it\u2019s self-therapy disguised as entertainment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>Is it true that people who make others laugh are often sad inside?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>Not me. I\u2019m genuinely a cheerful person. I love life. I love kids, I love spending time with them. I love to laugh, I love fun people. I\u2019m not a gloomy hater type at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Of course, some comedians really <em>do<\/em> write from pain \u2014 something inside drives them to turn it into jokes. And those jokes can be even more interesting, deeper, more layered because of that pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I also have my own problems, like everyone else, but I see life as a wonderful adventure. So, for me, humor is a way to enjoy that adventure, to keep finding something funny in it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>Why do you think Ukrainians keep joking \u2014 even in the hardest, most tragic times?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>Because that\u2019s how we survive. It\u2019s completely logical \u2014 the harder the times, the more jokes appear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Like, when something happens, memes pop up not the next day, but literally in minutes. Remember when that drone flew into Poland? I woke up to see people online saying, \u201cDamn, I just woke up and already missed all the memes about the drone \u2014 and I\u2019m <em>in<\/em> Poland!\u201d The drone flew in at three in the morning, and by eight there were already thousands of memes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s us. We process fear, shock, absurdity \u2014 through humor. We have this need to laugh and to share something funny, especially when everything else feels unbearable. That\u2019s why memes are so popular now \u2014 they help us stay connected and remind us we\u2019re still alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s not like American stand-up, where they\u2019re <em>still<\/em> talking about Covid. I watch those specials and think, seriously? Covid? We\u2019ve lived through a full-scale war since then! We\u2019ve got bigger absurdities to face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Like now \u2014 Ukrainian soldiers are learning to protect the skies <em>over Europe.<\/em> Three years ago, we were begging the world to \u201cclose the sky.\u201d And now we\u2019re doing it. That\u2019s absurd. That\u2019s <em>surreal.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And when life turns into pure absurdity \u2014 what else can you do? You write jokes about it. Humor helps us deal with this surreal reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>Would you say humor sometimes becomes a cover \u2014 a way to avoid deep conversations or self-reflection?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>Sometimes, yes. It depends on the person. Some people use humor to hide, and it\u2019s visible when they do. But others use it to <em>go deeper<\/em> \u2014 to joke about real pain, real fears, real contradictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re mature enough, you can always tell the difference. You can feel when someone is hiding behind jokes \u2014 and when someone is using humor to open up. The best part is when you can laugh <em>and<\/em> talk about serious things at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>Today in the studio of the \u201cArchetype of the Nation\u201d project, we\u2019re talking about humor with Nataly Garipova. Now, a more philosophical question \u2014 what is the power of humor?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>The power of humor is that it divides people \u2014 into those who <em>get it<\/em> and those who don\u2019t. Real humor, true humor, is only possible for thinking people. For the well-read, the curious, those who observe and understand context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It also divides humor itself \u2014 into primitive and intelligent. But regardless of level, humor simply makes life better. You laugh \u2014 and suddenly you feel lighter. That\u2019s not a metaphor, it\u2019s physiology. As they say, laughter prolongs life \u2014 and it really does.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When you laugh, your whole body works. You breathe deeper, your muscles relax, endorphins flood your brain \u2014 dopamine, serotonin \u2014 all of it. It\u2019s the easiest, most natural therapy there is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Think about it: someone watches <em>Friends<\/em> and laughs out loud \u2014 that\u2019s already a healing reaction. But another person watches the same show and doesn\u2019t even smile. The ability to laugh \u2014 to let yourself feel joy \u2014 that\u2019s what makes the difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You don\u2019t always need a sanatorium or a psychologist to feel better. Sometimes all you need is a good stand-up show or a warm, kind series like <em>Ted Lasso<\/em> \u2014 something that makes you laugh and reminds you that life is still beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>By the way, there\u2019s an old saying that laughter prolongs life for those who laugh \u2014 but shortens it for those who make others laugh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>Yes, I\u2019ve heard that. I think it comes from the times of jesters \u2014 when if your joke didn\u2019t land, they could literally feed you to the dogs. Or in those old underground theaters where they mocked the king \u2014 if you got caught, it could cost you your head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now it\u2019s easier, of course \u2014 no gallows for a bad punchline. But still, making people laugh is risky. You expose yourself every time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>What traits of Ukrainians, as a people, do you see reflected in the way we joke \u2014 or in how we laugh?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>I think Ukrainians are naturally inclined to laugh. If you go to a village feast \u2014 there\u2019s laughter, singing, teasing. But when it comes to public settings, like concerts, it\u2019s different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Ukraine, people come to a comedy show with this attitude: \u201cOkay, let\u2019s see if you can make me laugh. Go ahead, impress me.\u201d You have to <em>earn<\/em> their laughter. They sit there with crossed arms \u2014 skeptical, waiting to be surprised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In America, it\u2019s the opposite. I performed at the legendary stand-up club <em>The Laugh Factory<\/em> \u2014 people there arrive <em>ready<\/em> to laugh. You tell even a small joke, and they respond warmly \u2014 clapping, laughing, encouraging you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s cultural. Americans are very open; they\u2019ll compliment you in the street, tell you your shoes are great or your hair looks nice. That doesn\u2019t really happen here. We\u2019re a bit more closed off, reserved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But humor requires openness. If you\u2019re open \u2014 you\u2019ll laugh. If you\u2019re closed \u2014 you\u2019ll sit there thinking, \u201cWell, it was funny, but not that funny.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I remember back in the early days of the stand-up community \u2014 we\u2019d perform every weekend. I\u2019d hear the same jokes from other comics a hundred times. But you know what? Some of them made me laugh every time. Because a good joke <em>lives<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even with the same words, it feels different each time \u2014 new audience, new energy, new rhythm. That\u2019s the magic. It\u2019s only dead if it\u2019s repeated at the dinner table by your dad for the tenth time. But in a live show \u2014 it breathes again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>You mentioned that in our own circles \u2014 at family dinners or parties \u2014 we laugh easily, but in public we expect others to entertain us. Why do you think we\u2019re so much more open at home than among strangers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>I think it\u2019s a kind of inherited trauma \u2014 this need to <em>keep face<\/em>. To always look proper in public, though no one really knows <em>for whom<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At home, you can finally relax \u2014 even if that means Gosha can get drunk and crawl into bed. But outside, you have to act composed, because \u201cpeople are watching.\u201d There\u2019s this ingrained social rule: don\u2019t lose face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>That actually connects to one of the core Ukrainian values \u2014 family. Family is sacred to us. Inside the family, we can be open, authentic, vulnerable. Outside \u2014 we keep control, because, as we often say, \u201cWhat will people think?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>Yes, maybe that\u2019s true for many. Though honestly, not really for me. My mom, for example, doesn\u2019t joke much \u2014 and when I do, she doesn\u2019t really get my humor. So I don\u2019t even try to joke at home. It\u2019s the same with my brother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But my friends \u2014 that\u2019s my <em>chosen family<\/em>. Those are people who match me, who share my sense of humor. With them, I can be completely myself. And among friends, jokes can get <em>dark<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Really dark \u2014 \u201cdone to a corpse\u201d dark, as we say. But that\u2019s okay, because you trust these people. They understand you, no one\u2019s judging. You laugh \u2014 and it releases something deep inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We live through a lot of darkness, so those jokes become a way to let it out, to process it. Of course, you can\u2019t tell those jokes everywhere. But in safe company \u2014 it\u2019s healing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>Today we\u2019ve talked about good humor and not-so-good humor. There\u2019s a fine line between humor and ridicule. How do you stay on the right side of that line? Does it depend on the comedian, or are there any rules?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>I don\u2019t know about strict rules. I think it\u2019s simple: a good person won\u2019t make fun of another person. That\u2019s it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>So it depends on the person?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>Of course. A mean person will always ridicule others. Usually out of insecurity. Cruel humor is almost always a reflection of inner weakness or anger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And yes, humor <em>is<\/em> a weapon \u2014 but it\u2019s a defensive one. It protects us. It helps us stay sane when the world is collapsing around us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When everyone worries about Ukrainians, we answer with a billion memes about drones in Poland. That\u2019s our safety net \u2014 our way to say, \u201cWe\u2019re still here. We\u2019re still laughing.\u201d Humor protects us from despair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>But can humor ever turn into propaganda \u2014 or be used <em>as<\/em> propaganda?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>And what\u2019s so bad about that? It depends on the <em>kind<\/em> of propaganda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If it\u2019s propaganda for education \u2014 great. If it\u2019s propaganda to protect our people \u2014 even better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Humor works wonderfully in social campaigns. A public service video about inclusion \u2014 with humor \u2014 will hit deeper. A video teaching how to communicate respectfully with veterans or people with disabilities \u2014 with humor \u2014 will reach hearts faster than any lecture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We\u2019re so afraid of the word <em>propaganda<\/em>, but what does it really mean? Promoting something important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Why not the <em>propaganda of the Ukrainian language<\/em> in Ukraine? Hardly anyone funds that, but we need it desperately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And we need to do it not superficially, but deeply \u2014 to touch people\u2019s emotions, their inner \u201cmuscles,\u201d to make it truly resonate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If someone takes that seriously, then yes \u2014 let there be <em>this kind<\/em> of propaganda. Humor will only make it stronger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes, absolutely. The word <em>propaganda<\/em> itself isn\u2019t evil \u2014 it\u2019s just been demonized. Everything today, if you think about it, falls somewhere between propaganda and anti-propaganda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There\u2019s propaganda of Ukrainization \u2014 of speaking our language, living freely in our own country. And there\u2019s anti-propaganda \u2014 the pushback against the propaganda of Russification. So really, all content now lives somewhere on that spectrum. It\u2019s just a matter of what values you\u2019re promoting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>What do you remember most from the concerts you\u2019ve done during the war \u2014 maybe some recent ones from the past couple of years?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>Oh, there was a really funny one in Zaporizhzhia. There\u2019s this basement venue \u2014 I can\u2019t remember its name \u2014 but it hosts <em>everything<\/em>. Ballroom dance competitions, cooking shows, stand-ups, school graduations \u2014 all in that same basement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And during air raids, it also serves as a shelter. So I\u2019m performing there one evening, the audience is seated, everyone\u2019s laughing, and then suddenly I see some movement in the back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">My manager Vika quietly tells me, \u201cSorry, but people are coming in \u2014 the venue is working as a shelter now.\u201d I\u2019m like, what? And sure enough, during the set, people start coming in from the street, sitting down, taking off their jackets \u2014 because there\u2019s an air alert outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So in the middle of the show, the comedy club turned into an actual bomb shelter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And the best part \u2014 people just kept laughing. Like, imagine: outside, air raid sirens, and inside, people laughing so loudly you could barely hear them. At the end, I asked, \u201cSo how did you like it?\u201d And they said, \u201cIt was great \u2014 and it\u2019s good to know we can come here during the next alarm too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s what our concerts are like during the war \u2014 a mix of absurdity and resilience. You\u2019re performing in a shelter, people are literally hiding from missiles, but they\u2019re laughing anyway. Because they need it. Because we all need it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Well, it\u2019s actually quite hard to define what exactly <em>Ukrainian humor<\/em> is \u2014 because, in my opinion, we don\u2019t have a single, uniform style. It\u2019s incredibly diverse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We\u2019ve got everything \u2014 from <em>Dovhonosyky<\/em> to Vasya Baydak, from the old <em>Gentlemen Show<\/em> to cheeky folk songs and toasts, from Grandpa Panas to Anton Tymoshenko, from <em>The Shelter<\/em> to <em>Dzyzyk Show<\/em>. All of that \u2014 completely different in tone and form \u2014 is still Ukrainian humor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So to sum it up as one distinct style is almost impossible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>Are there jokes that Ukrainians would definitely laugh at \u2014 but foreigners probably wouldn\u2019t?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>Right now, yes \u2014 of course. Mostly jokes about the war, about how we live now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, when I worked as a producer on the show <em>Leg Dump<\/em>, we often included very dark, specific jokes \u2014 about amputations, prosthetics, the loss of limbs. Harsh jokes, but deeply human.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And the only people who can <em>really<\/em> laugh at them are those who\u2019ve lived through it. It\u2019s for them. Because they <em>can<\/em> laugh about it \u2014 that laughter is part of healing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But for someone abroad, far removed from this experience, it would probably look strange, even shocking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>And if we look at earlier periods \u2014 before the war \u2014 was there something in our culture that was funny to us but not to others?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>Hard to say. Because, for example, I find Wodehouse hilarious \u2014 though it\u2019s very English and not about our world at all. Humor translates when it\u2019s smart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Maybe someone just needs to do a proper experiment \u2014 take Ukrainian jokes, translate them literally, and test them abroad. Would they laugh or not?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because, say, take George Carlin \u2014 he\u2019s still funny decades later. His thoughts cut deep. He was sharp, direct, fearless \u2014 about racism, chauvinism, war, everything. And he\u2019s still relevant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, yes \u2014 I find foreign comedians funny. But would foreigners find <em>us<\/em> funny? That\u2019s the question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although, Anton Tymoshenko did stand-up in English \u2014 and talked about the war \u2014 and it worked. The audience totally got it. So I think, if it\u2019s truly funny, it\u2019s funny. Humor translates when it\u2019s real.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>And how do you see the future of Ukrainian humor? Do you think we\u2019ll reach the point where \u201cUkrainian humor\u201d becomes recognizable worldwide \u2014 the way people talk about \u201cEnglish humor\u201d?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>I\u2019d really love that. But honestly \u2014 if you think globally \u2014 is there even \u201cFrench humor\u201d? \u201cGreek humor\u201d? It\u2019s hard to pinpoint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moldovan humor, for example \u2014 they have a lot of jokes, little anecdotes. But would those be funny abroad? Who knows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If our stand-up starts reaching the global level \u2014 translated into English properly \u2014 then yes, it could absolutely work. Because funny is funny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I\u2019ve already written three or four solo specials. And when I look back, I can see overlaps \u2014 the same jokes, same themes. But people still laugh. That means the humor is universal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The real issue is exposure \u2014 foreigners just don\u2019t have access to Ukrainian humor yet. There\u2019s no demand for it, no distribution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But look \u2014 once Ukrainian films like <em>Luxembourg, Luxembourg<\/em> make it to Netflix and get translated, that\u2019s already a huge step. Even if they don\u2019t get every joke \u2014 that\u2019s fine. It\u2019s very Ukrainian, very local, but still emotionally understandable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I would honestly love to see Ukrainian stand-up performed for foreign audiences \u2014 just to hear their reaction. That would be fascinating. To see how they perceive our humor \u2014 and what they find funny in us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If we stop joking and laughing? Oh, we\u2019ll all get sick. Seriously. We\u2019ll just start decaying from the inside out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">First, we\u2019ll get terribly sad. Then life will turn gray and pointless. That\u2019s just not our way of living.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If we take two extremes \u2014 total absence of humor or constant joking \u2014 I\u2019ll always choose the jokes. Constant jokes. Let them be stupid sometimes, but they\u2019ll keep us alive. The absence of laughter would be an absolute catastrophe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>You mentioned singers earlier, but there\u2019s also another interesting folklore genre \u2014 <em>nebelitsy<\/em> \u2014 those absurd, exaggerated tales. If we were to compare stand-up comedy with a folklore genre, which one would it be closest to?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>Probably <em>nebelitsy<\/em>, yes. Maybe not completely, but close \u2014 because stand-up is still based on real life. It\u2019s about what really happens to me, what I\u2019ve lived through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Though Vasya Baydak, for instance, has a lot of hyperbolic, fictional, absurd humor \u2014 and that\u2019s definitely <em>nebelitsy<\/em>-style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But you know what else comes to mind? It\u2019s also folklore \u2014 <em>games for the dead<\/em>. Have you heard of that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>Yes, there\u2019s such a tradition in Western Ukraine \u2014 literally <em>games for the dead<\/em>. When someone died, especially in rural communities, children or young people \u2014 usually from other families \u2014 would play games right next to the deceased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And the point was to transform fear into laughter. To help the family cope with loss. These could be simple games \u2014 running games, something like early \u201ctwister,\u201d even just joking around, telling funny stories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was all about processing grief through laughter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>That\u2019s fascinating. You know, I\u2019ve actually been to funerals where that transformation happens naturally \u2014 where at some point, grief gives way to stories and laughter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I love that moment. Because people don\u2019t really hold on to the day someone died \u2014 they hold on to funny memories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once, my friend Lesha passed away. He was young, and there were maybe two hundred people at his funeral \u2014 all his friends. And he had done so many funny, crazy things in his life that from two in the afternoon until almost eleven at night, people took turns at the microphone just telling stories about him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The whole hall was laughing. All day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And I remember watching his mother \u2014 she was still grieving, but you could see her face soften. It actually helped her. Because those funny stories said so much about him \u2014 about who he was, how he lived, how he made people feel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s the power of laughter \u2014 even in mourning, it brings life back for a moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Of course you can take themes from folklore for stand-up. There\u2019s so much material there! Fairy tales, for example \u2014 or proverbs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Like, take a saying: \u201cThree mushrooms per spoon.\u201d How did that even come about? What mushrooms? Why three? Why a spoon? You start digging into it, and suddenly there\u2019s a whole absurd story hiding in that one line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Or fairy tales \u2014 you can totally reinterpret them. Most of them are honestly wild. I mean, when I was a kid, people read me Russian folk tales, and they were horrifying. Ivan, Emelya \u2014 someone\u2019s always burying two brothers in a pit or killing a dragon every five minutes. It\u2019s all murder, tragedy, trauma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even the \u201cgentle\u201d ones \u2014 like, Masha lives with her grandparents because her parents are dead, someone\u2019s always cursed, someone\u2019s missing. All tragedy! So yeah, there\u2019s endless material. You can take those stories and say: \u201cOkay, this is what I grew up with \u2014 and now I\u2019m reading fairy tales to my daughter, and I just can\u2019t.\u201d You start unpacking what those stories actually mean and how they translate into our lives now \u2014 and it becomes stand-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>Another important part of folklore is the tradition of mocking enemies \u2014 and it\u2019s still relevant today. What\u2019s that about?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>It\u2019s about humiliation \u2014 but in a healthy way. You ridicule the thing that scares or oppresses you. You rise above it by laughing at it. That\u2019s how we take power back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>And it\u2019s really effective, isn\u2019t it? If we remember Soviet times, there was also a genre of jokes \u2014 political anecdotes. But you rarely hear that kind of humor now. Why do you think that is?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>Because the form is outdated. Those \u201ca Pole meets an American\u201d setups \u2014 they just got boring. And most of them were about Soviet life anyway \u2014 mother-in-law jokes, drunks, scarcity, queues. That was everyone\u2019s shared reality, and that\u2019s why it was funny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now life has changed. Humor has evolved. Those old anecdotes have basically turned into memes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Memes have it all \u2014 absurdity, timing, brevity. The perfect form for our fast world. No one\u2019s going to listen to a five-minute setup anymore. Not everyone can tell a long joke, but anyone can share a meme \u2014 quick, visual, immediate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>There\u2019s an opinion that all folklore forms tend to compress over time \u2014 like long fables once turned into short jokes, and now everything\u2019s compressed into memes or short sayings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>Yes, exactly. Everything gets shorter. Though, thankfully, the interview form still exists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>Yes, and that\u2019s great \u2014 because we have the chance to actually talk. People can watch, listen, and share their thoughts in the comments. Modern technology gives us that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another question \u2014 about humor and power. Historically, jokes were often directed at authority. When we joke about politicians \u2014 is that a sign of democracy and freedom of speech, or is it more a sign of distrust toward authority?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>It can be both, of course. But if there are <em>no<\/em> such jokes \u2014 that\u2019s when you should really worry. That\u2019s the sign of a regime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Look at what happened recently in the U.S. when one of the late-night shows was canceled \u2014 people panicked, because that\u2019s a warning bell. When satire disappears, totalitarianism starts creeping in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As long as we can laugh at power, we still have freedom of speech. And that means we can still change things, build the kind of country we want to live in \u2014 for ourselves and for our children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because if freedom of speech dies, if corruption suffocates everything, people will leave. Everyone wants their children to live in a free country \u2014 and humor is one of the ways we keep that freedom alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>On the one hand, there are public jokes \u2014 the ones told on stage or online \u2014 and on the other hand, there are those private \u201ckitchen\u201d jokes, like during Soviet times, when people joked quietly among friends, passing those stories around about the government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So here\u2019s the question: if people <em>don\u2019t<\/em> joke about politicians at all \u2014 does that mean they actually like that politician or government representative?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>Hmm\u2026 Since I rarely spend time in other circles, it\u2019s hard for me to say whether people still joke about politicians \u201cin the kitchens.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In my circle, we practically don\u2019t talk about politics at all. We talk about what <em>we<\/em> can change. Because if there\u2019s something you can\u2019t influence \u2014 why waste your energy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, jokes about politicians \u2014 they\u2019re basically absent in our community. But if you get a bunch of taxi drivers together somewhere, I\u2019m sure they\u2019ll have plenty to say and plenty to joke about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>Let\u2019s finish with a short blitz round \u2014 seven quick questions and seven short (or not so short) answers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What character trait do you value most in people?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>Kindness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>And what do you consider the worst?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>Envy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>What inspires you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>Everything beautiful.<br>Love inspires me. Nature inspires me. People\u2019s emotions inspire me.<br>Devotion, friendship, art \u2014 all of it.<br>Music, painting, everything that belongs to art \u2014 I can draw energy from that endlessly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>What scares you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>War. Death. The death of loved ones.<br>And the thought of not seeing a bright future for our country \u2014 that really scares me too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>What helped you hold on through the hardest moments in your life?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>A sense of humor \u2014 and meditation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>What would you say is the main goal or mission of your life?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>That\u2019s a tough one. But I think everything I do now flows from one space \u2014 the space where time disappears, where I can give people humor, share the awareness that\u2019s passed through me, and make someone a little happier, even for a moment.<br>That, I think, is my mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>If you had to choose three words that best describe Ukrainians, what would they be?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>Strong. Desperate. And cheerful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>Thank you very much for this conversation \u2014 it was fascinating. I wish you all the best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nataly Garipova: <\/strong>Thank you \u2014 and the same to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nik Lysytskiy:  <\/strong>Let me remind our audience that you can watch the episodes of <em>Archetype of the Nation<\/em> on YouTube, listen to them on your favorite podcast platforms, or read them on <strong>magicworld.com.ua<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There, you\u2019ll also find popular-science essays by folklorist <strong>Maryna Demediuk<\/strong>, as well as recordings of folklore performances by well-known Ukrainian actors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thank you for watching \u2014 and see you next time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Guest of the episode: Natalia Garipova \u2013 stand-up comedian, screenwriter, and producer. Transcript of conversations Nik Lysytskiy: Nataly, what is humor for you? Nataly Garipova: For me, it\u2019s a way of being \u2014 a way of expressing what I think, what I like, and what I don\u2019t like. It\u2019s how I release tension. Honestly, humor [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2428,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[125,121],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2583","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interview","category-sense-of-humor-en"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Conversation with Nataly Garipova - \u0410\u0440\u0445\u0435\u0442\u0438\u043f \u043d\u0430\u0446\u0456\u0457 - \u043c\u0443\u043b\u044c\u0442\u0438\u043c\u0435\u0434\u0456\u0439\u043d\u0438\u0439 \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0454\u043a\u0442 \u043f\u0440\u043e \u0443\u043a\u0440\u0430\u0457\u043d\u0441\u044c\u043a\u0443 \u0456\u0434\u0435\u043d\u0442\u0438\u0447\u043d\u0456\u0441\u0442\u044c<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/an.magicworld.com.ua\/en\/interview\/rozmova-z-nataliyeyu-garipovoyu\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Conversation with Nataly Garipova - \u0410\u0440\u0445\u0435\u0442\u0438\u043f \u043d\u0430\u0446\u0456\u0457 - \u043c\u0443\u043b\u044c\u0442\u0438\u043c\u0435\u0434\u0456\u0439\u043d\u0438\u0439 \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0454\u043a\u0442 \u043f\u0440\u043e \u0443\u043a\u0440\u0430\u0457\u043d\u0441\u044c\u043a\u0443 \u0456\u0434\u0435\u043d\u0442\u0438\u0447\u043d\u0456\u0441\u0442\u044c\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Guest of the episode: Natalia Garipova \u2013 stand-up comedian, screenwriter, and producer. Transcript of conversations Nik Lysytskiy: Nataly, what is humor for you? Nataly Garipova: For me, it\u2019s a way of being \u2014 a way of expressing what I think, what I like, and what I don\u2019t like. It\u2019s how I release tension. Honestly, humor [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/an.magicworld.com.ua\/en\/interview\/rozmova-z-nataliyeyu-garipovoyu\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"\u0410\u0440\u0445\u0435\u0442\u0438\u043f \u043d\u0430\u0446\u0456\u0457 - \u043c\u0443\u043b\u044c\u0442\u0438\u043c\u0435\u0434\u0456\u0439\u043d\u0438\u0439 \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0454\u043a\u0442 \u043f\u0440\u043e \u0443\u043a\u0440\u0430\u0457\u043d\u0441\u044c\u043a\u0443 \u0456\u0434\u0435\u043d\u0442\u0438\u0447\u043d\u0456\u0441\u0442\u044c\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-10-21T20:37:09+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-21T20:37:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/an.magicworld.com.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ngaripova_website.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"ancontent\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"ancontent\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"39 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/an.magicworld.com.ua\/en\/interview\/rozmova-z-nataliyeyu-garipovoyu\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/an.magicworld.com.ua\/en\/interview\/rozmova-z-nataliyeyu-garipovoyu\/\",\"name\":\"Conversation with Nataly Garipova - 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\u0410\u0440\u0445\u0435\u0442\u0438\u043f \u043d\u0430\u0446\u0456\u0457 - \u043c\u0443\u043b\u044c\u0442\u0438\u043c\u0435\u0434\u0456\u0439\u043d\u0438\u0439 \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0454\u043a\u0442 \u043f\u0440\u043e \u0443\u043a\u0440\u0430\u0457\u043d\u0441\u044c\u043a\u0443 \u0456\u0434\u0435\u043d\u0442\u0438\u0447\u043d\u0456\u0441\u0442\u044c","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/an.magicworld.com.ua\/en\/interview\/rozmova-z-nataliyeyu-garipovoyu\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Conversation with Nataly Garipova - \u0410\u0440\u0445\u0435\u0442\u0438\u043f \u043d\u0430\u0446\u0456\u0457 - \u043c\u0443\u043b\u044c\u0442\u0438\u043c\u0435\u0434\u0456\u0439\u043d\u0438\u0439 \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0454\u043a\u0442 \u043f\u0440\u043e \u0443\u043a\u0440\u0430\u0457\u043d\u0441\u044c\u043a\u0443 \u0456\u0434\u0435\u043d\u0442\u0438\u0447\u043d\u0456\u0441\u0442\u044c","og_description":"Guest of the episode: Natalia Garipova \u2013 stand-up comedian, screenwriter, and producer. Transcript of conversations Nik Lysytskiy: Nataly, what is humor for you? Nataly Garipova: For me, it\u2019s a way of being \u2014 a way of expressing what I think, what I like, and what I don\u2019t like. It\u2019s how I release tension. 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