Bikovic tells Telegraf.rs after Ukraine ban: "My picture is on the 'state enemies of Ukraine' site"

Serbian actor Milos Bikovic (31) has been banned from entering Ukraine, without any public explanation for the decision.

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• How did you find out that you were banned from Ukraine, given that not even their media had yet reported about it?

- I found out that my name and dossier, and my picture were published on the Ukrainian website Peacemaker (Mirotvorets). It's a site that labels the enemies of the Ukrainian regime or all those they consider to be a threat to Ukraine's national security. This was confirmed to me by the Ukrainian co-producers with whom we were supposed to work on a project that would be a Serbian-Ukrainian co-production. However, this was also confirmed to be me by my Ukrainian colleagues.

• How did that happen, and can it affect your work at all?

- It doesn't affect my work much. Very minimally, but from the human and poetic point of view the situation is absurd and interesting.

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• Have you ever visited Ukraine?

- Yes, I have. I was in Kiev, Pochayiv, the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. A beautiful country, wonderful people, it's difficult to distinguish between the Ukrainian and Serbian people, because the Slavs are very similar to each other.

• Do you know how long the ban will last?

- I don't know how long the ban will lasts, but probably as long as they feel "unsafe" from me.

• Did any of the officials from Serbia and Russia contact you after the ban on entering Ukraine?

- No, none of the officials have spoken to me.

• What message would you send to the Ukrainians?

- Watch the movie "Underground."

WHY IS "UNDERGROUND" IMPORTANT - AND WHAT THE PEACEMAKER SITE REALLY IS

Emir Kusturica's "Underground" was filmed based on a screenplay by Dusan Kovacevic. In 1995, the movie received the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, while the British Film Institute declared it the best film ever made in the Balkans.

The film's topic is ideological manipulation, and the disintegration of Yugoslavia.

"The root of the film is not the intention, 'Underground' was born as my reaction to the destruction of the country where I was born. This movie is the seed of what we are living today. It was an image of a future life. Today's reality shows are just a continuation of the stories of Marko, Natalija and other characters in the film," Kusturica said on one occasion, and his statement makes it clear what Bikovic's message to those who banned him from entering Ukraine was supposed to be.

In 2017, Emir Kusturica himself was included in the database of the Ukrainian site Peacemaker, because - as they stated - he was "knowingly violating the Ukrainian state border" by participation in events in the territory of Crimea, Kryminform reported at the time.

They said that Kusturica arrived in Crimea on July 23, where he and his band, The No Smoking Orchestra, performed on the stage of the Jubilee Hall in Yalta. The filmmaker previously stated that he considered Crimea joining Russia an organic process, and that has always considered Crimea to be Russian.

The Peacemaker portal represents the Center for Investigations of Crimes against Ukraine's National Security, Peace, and Safety of Humanity, and the implementation of international law.

The site is also a resource used by a group of like-minded people who publish information about the enemies of Ukraine, with the support of the Ukrainian Ministry of Interior and the country's security service.

The portal is also known for publishing the telephone number and home address of well-known Ukrainian journalist Oles Buzina, shortly before he was murdered. Buzina was known for his views on the triple unity of the Russian people (Malorus - Ukrainians, Belorussians and Greater Russians).

Shortly after the assassination, a message was posted on Twitter: "Agent 404 was done well once again. He deserves a short break for successfully carrying out a military task."

(Ivana Cicovic)