Performance Gathering “Seeing Your True Self: From Frankl to Kozlovskyi”. Kyiv

“A person who becomes aware of the responsibility they bear towards a human being who eagerly awaits them, or towards unfinished work, will not treat their life lightly. They know why they live and can endure almost any how.” — Viktor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning

What do two remarkable people—Viktor Frankl and Ihor Kozlovskyi—have in common? Both were prisoners of inhuman regimes: Frankl of the Nazi regime, Kozlovskyi of the Ruscist regime. Both endured captivity and severe physical suffering, yet survived and grew stronger morally. Two beacons, two devotees of love, two scholars and two spiritual mentors at once. Frankl and Kozlovskyi preserved themselves in inhuman conditions through meaning, love and the capacity to be worthy of their suffering. Why are their experience and strength of spirit so important to Ukrainians today?

To explore these questions, the National Association of Logotherapists of Ukraine and the MeaningsLab Dynamic Space for Logotherapy, together with Ihor Kozlovskyi’s colleagues, friends and students, initiated a performance gathering: “Seeing Your True Self: From Frankl to Kozlovskyi”.

On 20 September 2025, Logotherapists, students, people active in public life and everyone who knows that questions matter more than answers came together in the very heart of Kyiv. They were people who know that human life is more than instinct and that strength of spirit can overcome any ordeal. The gathering became a space for dialogue about the meaning of life, human dignity and the freedom that begins with an inner choice.

Viktor Frankl and Ihor Kozlovskyi were, and remain, guides to the human spiritual dimension. Their teachings bring together people from different fields and life histories—professionals, military personnel, students and those for whom, at a critical moment, this philosophy became like a hand extended through words, books and the light of human wisdom.

The power of Frankl’s and Kozlovskyi’s words lies in their lived experience of captivity and loss, and in the ordeals they endured and withstood. They emphasised that human life is not accidental, that each person is unique and has a calling and a personal mission. They spoke of love as the highest goal and, at the same time, the deepest value. It was love for those close to them that sustained them in their darkest moments. Each came to a profound understanding of freedom, dignity and the mature wholeness of human existence.

Our gathering was opened by its organiser and host, Nataliia Khmelova: psychologist, Logotherapist, founder of MeaningsLab and President of NALU, and a driving force behind Logotherapy in Ukraine. Nataliia always builds a living dialogue with the audience, as Viktor Frankl and Ihor Kozlovskyi did in their time. This approach immediately transforms listeners into active participants.

Khmelova Nataliia. Opening of the performance gathering in Kyiv. Photograph from the original publication.

Our meeting thus began with a profound and important question: what does meaning mean to you?

Each invited speaker described their own significant encounter with Logotherapy, Viktor Frankl and Ihor Kozlovskyi. Such stories are always important, personal and life-changing.

Participants performing at the gathering. Photograph from the original publication.

“In a world of expediency and copies, meaning and authenticity are lacking. The meaning of life is like air: you remember it when you lack it,” began Nadiia Yurieva, clinical psychologist, Logotherapist and Logotherapy trainer at MeaningsLab.

Nadiia spoke about her path in studying and teaching Logotherapy, and about how it works when providing support on a psychological helpline. This is exhausting work, but Logotherapy helps one hold on to the central purpose by asking: “Why am I here?” An answer then comes, and with it renewed strength. Nadiia’s experience and her contribution to making Logotherapy better known are invaluable.

Illia Lukovenko, Candidate of Historical Sciences, lecturer at the Tchaikovsky National Music Academy, and a friend and colleague of Ihor Anatoliiovych Kozlovskyi, spoke about getting to know and studying with him.

It was immensely valuable to hear about the great teacher’s lifelong influence on his students. Illia recalled the lectures on philosophy and religious studies that he attended with Ihor Anatoliiovych back in Donetsk. Everyone who had personal experience of speaking with him stressed that he did more than deliver a lecture: he engaged with each person present, trying to guide them into the spiritual and conscious dimension. This is a special gift—to speak to a person’s soul, help them hear the voice of their own conscience, and become mature and dignified. According to Illia, every one of Ihor Anatoliiovych’s lectures was infused with meaning. “Meanings, meanings, meanings—nothing but meanings,” Illia joked warmly.

In his lectures, Ihor Kozlovskyi often quoted Viktor Frankl. During our gathering, we quoted ideas from Kozlovskyi’s lectures and public talks:

Ihor Kozlovskyi: “I see dignity as part of our inner existential intelligence, because dignity, as part of the meaning-related component of human life—of the specifically human dimension—is what distinguishes us from other biological beings. I constantly emphasise that dignity means maturity: the maturity of the individual, of the community, of civil society or of civilisation as a whole, which is, to a certain extent, connected with conscience. Viktor Frankl once said that ‘conscience is the God within’. He emphasised that conscience is a kind of observer.”

Antonina Kozak—clinical psychologist, Logotherapist, MeaningsLab lecturer and volunteer—spoke about Logotherapy in her life and professional practice.

Antonina can create an atmosphere of warmth and comfort even at formal events. She literally lives Logotherapy, and her words, grounded in profound experience, always touch the heart. Her extraordinary stories from practice at a military hospital in the Khmelnytskyi region leave no one indifferent. Through her example, Antonina teaches us to trust the heart, speak to a person from the soul and notice every possible hint of meaning in the stories of those who need support. It is this humanity and sincere desire to help that work wonders.

Antonina described the unique Toy Therapy project and method: how soft, plush helpers warm the hearts not only of those who hold a toy, but also of those who give it. This, too, is Logotherapy: the ability to give and to receive, like breathing, like an act of love.

After the event, Antonina led a toy therapy workshop in which everyone could feel part of the pack.

Participants in the toy therapy workshop. Photograph from the original publication.

Said Ismahilov—one of Ukraine’s Muslim spiritual leaders, a Ukrainian scholar of Islamic studies and a member of the Armed Forces of Ukraine—shared the inner sources of support that help during war. He spoke about how faith, spiritual strength, principles and virtues become integral to sustaining military morale; how they influence the course of the war and daily life; and how, amid this ordeal, we can preserve our humanity, avoid losing hope and remain spiritually ourselves.

He also described the important influence of Ihor Anatoliiovych’s teachings on his own life: how to find the words needed when one is struggling, and how to stand alongside people who need guidance towards meaning.

Together with Nataliia Khmelova and Viktoriia Borodina, we explored conscience in greater depth. Nataliia brought us back to the gathering’s theme, “Seeing Your True Self”. What might this truthfulness mean? And what does it mean to see it?

This truth reveals itself in inner dialogue. Just as in conversation with God, in prayer, when we open ourselves sincerely and entrust our true selves to the Lord, so in an inner dialogue with conscience we can see ourselves as we truly are.

Frankl regarded conscience as an organ of our spiritual dimension. It differs considerably from a moral code or the feeling of guilt, which often arises after we fail to follow our conscience or violate moral laws. Conscience is the core of our humanity, prompting us to express our true selves in the best possible way. To be human means to express oneself through the heart.

We also watched an excerpt from an interview with Viktor Frankl. The question he was most often asked during his lifetime was whether he had discovered the meaning of human life. He tirelessly repeated that no one can know or discover the meaning of life for you. It is each person’s own task to understand their particular meaning in life.

Viktor Frankl was imprisoned in concentration camps during the Second World War, from September 1942 to 27 April 1945—long before Amnesty International, an organisation that uses its research to defend people’s rights around the world, was founded in 1961.

Later, in May 2017, Amnesty International would name Ihor Kozlovskyi a prisoner of conscience, stating that all he was ‘guilty’ of was his opposition to the de facto authorities in Donetsk.

Ihor Kozlovskyi was held captive during Russia’s invasion of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. His captivity lasted from 27 January 2016 to 27 December 2017.

Viktoriia Borodina is a student, colleague and follower of Ihor Kozlovskyi. She has been teaching yoga according to his method for 25 years.

As someone who knew Ihor Anatoliiovych personally and studied with him, Viktoriia shared her experience of interacting with this teacher and mentor. She spoke about the value of his personhood, which has influenced, continues to influence and will keep influencing Ukrainians. Especially now, in these difficult times, his lectures are like a drink of life-giving water and an example to follow. “Every mature person must answer two questions: who are you in this world, and what are you here for? It takes courage to ask yourself and answer honestly. To have dignity means to be honest—first and foremost, inwardly honest,” Viktoriia emphasised.

A video of Ihor Anatoliiovych speaking appeared on the screen, interweaving past and present in a remarkable way: the experience of concentration camps and the experience of captivity; the Second World War and hostilities in Ukraine since 2014. In this excerpt, Logotherapy lived through his experience sounded like a hymn to Freedom, Responsibility and Spirituality.

With respect and gratitude, we raised funds to repair and equip a van for an unmanned aerial systems unit. To encourage participation, we ensured that donors would not be without some lovely gifts.

Several symbolic gifts from MeaningsLab were raffled. A special item was an ammunition box painted by Svietlova Viktoriia Maksymivna, a Ukrainian artist from Kyiv. We thank the Defence Forces of Ukraine for fighting for our freedom and contribute to supporting our shared struggle.

Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the heroes!

A person without an inner grounding in values can easily remain on the surface of events and of their own life. This is why it is so important today to turn to the experience of those who preserved their dignity and inner freedom in the hardest circumstances. Be blessed, as Ihor Anatoliiovych Kozlovskyi always said at the end of his lectures. And remember that everything can be taken from a person except the last freedom: to choose one’s attitude towards what cannot be changed, as Viktor Frankl never tired of reminding us.

Excerpts from the gathering are available on Nataliia Khmelova’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@logotherapy

Interview with Viktor Frankl: https://youtu.be/_ShW5oCiqxI?si=SXOiq8Ms3cS3TVxQ

Talk by Ihor Kozlovskyi: https://www.youtube.com/live/aFNzlnmwDaM?si=jfoR35j1e-GUceZT

Learn more about Amnesty International and read its article in support of Ihor Kozlovskyi: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2017/05/ukraine-russian-backed-separatists-sentence-prominent-academic-in-sham-trial-2/

Books by Viktor Frankl available in Ukraine:

Man’s Search for Meaning

The Doctor and the Soul

Books by Ihor Kozlovskyi:

A Person at the Crossroads: Reflections on Existential Intelligence

Dignity Is Truthfulness

…Here I Am, Send Me

Free in Captivity

A Person’s Strategy: From Thoughts to Action