Svitlana Chyzhevska, aged 61. She knows that inside and outside she is much younger.  

What do you consider to be the long life secret? How do you keep yourself fit?

I was still lucky enough to find a job. I was told: "No matter how old you are, we want to  meet you." And they hired me. I'm the only person with night shifts and I'm comfortable with that. Since I’ve joined the “LifeLover” club”*, I don't really want to miss any events and shooting sessions, I'm not a retiree. I work one night out of three, I have a granddaughter and we learn a lot together. I really like to knit, sunbathe, and go to the beach. It all gives me huge pleasure.

What would you advise young people?

I notice that I often do look better than younger people. Although, it seems to me, there are no special efforts. I think it's because of laziness. Now everything is in one click, everything is in the phone. Young people ignore books and follow other people's lives a lot.

The fact is that before giving some actual advice you have to achieve something on your own. I could not achieve my goals. My advice is to get a proper education, strive and work for it. We used to be given large lists of books – if you fail to read every single item, you will definitely get into trouble. It is necessary to learn - not for a score or just for the paper, but to get genuine knowledge and skills, it opens the door to the future. If you are an expert in your area, you will definitely step out.

What do you like the most in this part of your life?

I really like the way I live now, just sitting quietly on a bench will not work for me. Deep inside my soul I am far from my age. If I had the same opportunities before, then maybe my life would have been different. It used to be less pleasant, but now it's more optimistic.

10 years ago I had employment problems no matter where I went. They simply told me I was too old via the phone. They asked about my age, saying that I either didn't fit or didn't call back. They didn't even want to invite me for an interview.

What are you proud of in your life?

I was a big fan of sports. My husband passed away two years ago, he was a very successful athlete, people still remember him. My daughter performs at Cirque du Soleil, and partly this is our – parents’ – achievement as we set this direction for her. It is like she made my own dream come true.

It is already a lot if you are proud of your children’s success.  A lot was invested in them - every day, every minute, so it is joyful when they become happy. It is the result of your love, your efforts and your upbringing.

When was your happiest time?

When my daughter came from Cirque du Soleil to Kyiv. I was standing on the stage of the Palace of Sports. I was among the audience and when she spoke, I felt goosebumps on my skin: this is my daughter. It's even hard to find words to describe my feelings - I felt like I was flying somewhere then.

Well, when the children were born, I was happy if they were healthy. Now I am happy to have a job, avoiding sickness and not in need of special care. This is also very important.

Photos by Divergent Agency.

*The charitable foundation “LIFELOVER” is a project, that organizes leisure for old people and provides them with necessary targeted assistance.