From a private to a major. That is the path Tetyana Kameristova, a former Ukrainian language teacher, followed in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Her eldest daughter, Anastasia, followed her example – she is also an officer.
Tetyana Kameristova had every opportunity to become one of the best teachers in Rivne region. She graduated from school with a silver medal, obtained her dream specialty of a Ukrainian language teacher at Rivne State Pedagogical Institute. She taught at a lyceum for several years. But unexpectedly, in 2007 she signed a contract with the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
“I started my military career as a soldier, taking the call sign “Mavka” says Tetiana. “At that time, few women served in the army. Mostly there were men there. But with every passing year, there are more and more women. Among them are many combat medics, signalmen, cooks, other specialists. They are really appreciated.”
The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported that as of 2024 more than 62,000 women work and serve in the Armed Forces. Among them about 5 thousand females take part in combat operations.
In high school, she taught Ukrainian to her peers
“I graduated from a secondary school N6 in Rivne with a silver medal” says Tetyana. “I really loved the Ukrainian language. In grades 9-11 I even taught the subject to my peers. I dreamed of working as a teacher and I made my dream come true by joining Rivne State Pedagogical Institute”.
After graduating from the university she taught for several years at a lyceum. But due to circumstances she had to accept a position in a totally different field – the State Security Service.
2007 was a turning point for Tetyana Kameristova as she signed a contract with the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
In 2015 she completed retraining and advanced training courses at Hetman Petro Sahaidachnyi National Academy of Ground Forces, majoring in “Organization of moral and psychological support of troops (forces)”. The group, which she ended up in, was 90% composed of combatants. And it was there that she received her first officer rank of “junior lieutenant”.
Thus a new stage of her military career started in the position of deputy commander of the company for moral and psychological support at one of the training grounds of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
She participated in the ATO twice
Tetyana Kameristova went to the ATO zone for the first time in June 2015.
But soon health problems occurred, she got an injury. This often happens in a war. So, she had to go back.
“I have been “pulling out” my health (out of trouble – Ed) for a long time” continues Tetiana. “I returned to the Operation of the Joint Forces zone (was ATO zone prior to April 30, 2018 – Ed.) again in 2019 as the head of one of the groups of the Joint Center of civil-military cooperation “Kramatorsk”.
I gained a tremendous experience that brought out my best qualities.
“You are driving a car and the red spot from a sniper rifle “walks” on you. There is a shaky demarcation line nearby, you can hear shooting and explosions.
Most of the local residents greeted us happily “The girls have arrived!”. We shared our food with them, delivered everything they needed. Once we brought drinking water for an elderly woman, she burst into tears and started to kiss our hands.
An old house with a cellar is still in front of my eyes. You open the lid in the floor and climb the ladder down into the cellar. There is a child’s bed, a potty is nearby. That’s were young Ukrainians hid from shelling. Is it possible to forget something like this?!
During that rotation I realized that you have to live for people but not at the expense of yourself. The more you give yourself to people, the more strength you gain.”
She went outside the church gate and burst into tears
Tetiana continues “After the OOS, feeling a great need for this I turned to the priest of one of Rivne churches: ‘Could you help me? I want to get your advice!’ Unfortunately, he refused me then telling me to come next time.
I went out of the church gate not crying, but sobbing. I understood that hopelessness leads to the irreparable situation… The only thing that saved me from doing something bad was my daughters. Of course, I did not go to that priest again.
I am telling this because now many soldiers are returning from the war, they require mental and psychological support. And the church should be open every day for such category of people.”
Up to 10,000 people passed by in a day
When the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine begun, Tetiana Kameristova was working as the head of the press service of Rivne Regional Territorial Center for Staffing and Social Support.
“My colleagues and I lived in the Center for six months at that time” notes Tetiana. “Up to 10 thousand people passed through the Center in a day! They had to be provided with water and food, hygiene products, etc. Round-the-clock Rivne residents prepared tea, coffee, and sandwiches. My phone was constantly ringing. For example, a call from Hoshcha: “How much of the sausage do you need?”. “I don’t know! Bring as much as you can!”.
In stressful situations like that the best qualities of Ukrainians were revealed. We united into one fist.”
Both: a warrior and a poet
Tetiana Kameristova is a soldier by profession, but she is a poet at heart. Poetry occupies a special place in her life. It is not a coincidence that she has the nickname “Mavka”. She adopted it from Lesya Ukrainka’s “Forest Song”. She adores this poetess. Back in school, she played Mavka on stage.
“Now some people are teasing me with this name” Tatiana smiles. “But I’m not offended. And I proudly go on in life with this call sign.”
Tatiana Kameristova became known to the public as a poet relatively recently when she made her debut with the collection “The way I AM. Confession between the lines”.
This is a confession about human feelings, relationships, nature, war and Ukraine on fire. But in her second book of poetry “Wings Burnt by War”, which still smells of fresh ink, patriotic lyrics prevail.
The second collection of poems is dedicated to combat medics from the 3rd battalion of the 117th mechanized brigade. Her compatriot friends serve there.
“They are close to me in spirit and willpower. Most of them are from my small homeland, Korets” she says.
The second collection of poetry contains drawings by Tatiana’s daughters. The youngest, 6-year-old Sofiika, “under the guidance” of the older Nastia drew pictures for her mother in 2015 and later in 2019. They are charms for her.
“These are the things that saved me during the war, and they protect me today. Of course, some poems are dedicated to my daughters” Tetiana adds.
Tetyana Kameristova has a keen sense of today’s challenges, the loss of the nation’s best in the war. But the poem “And there will be victory!” sounds like an optimistic chord.
Vasyl ZAKREVSKY