This podcast explores the remarkable journey of Pastor Gennadiy Mokhnenko, who has adopted over 40 street children in war-torn Ukraine. It raises questions about the limits and complexities of love, drawing on insights from biology and anthropology. Hear personal stories that challenge traditional views of familial love, including a heartwarming discussion on the deep connections formed through adoption. Unique perspectives on love, altruism, and resilience provide a powerful reflection on humanity amidst chaos.
Gennadiy Mokhnenko's journey illustrates that love can expand beyond traditional limits, nurturing over 40 adopted children amidst war's chaos.
Experts suggest love can grow through shared experiences and social contexts, challenging beliefs about the constraints of non-biological relationships.
Deep dives
The Urgency of Rescue in Mariupol
On February 24, 2022, the day Russia invaded Ukraine, Gennady Moknenko faced an urgent decision as he received a call from a Ukrainian commander, warning him he had only 40 minutes to evacuate his family from the besieged city of Mariupol. With Russian forces closing in, Gennady hurriedly loaded his children into a car, taking only essential documents and a Bible as he left his home behind. The chaos of that night left him haunted by nightmares of his near escape and the dangers that threatened his loved ones. This harrowing experience underlines the precariousness of life during war, especially for someone with an extraordinary family of both biological and adopted children.
A Unique Capacity for Love
Gennady's life story raises a profound question about human emotional capacity, specifically the ability to love many children deeply. Having grown from a difficult childhood in Soviet Ukraine to a devoted father to 41 children, his journey illustrates that love can indeed expand beyond traditional limits. Experts contribute to this dialogue, suggesting that while there may be cognitive or biological limits to relationships, the experience of love can grow through time spent together, similar to forming bonds with children. Examples include Gennady’s own adopted son, Artem, who embodies this expansive love by saving thousands of people from Mariupol, reflecting Gennady's influence and nurturing spirit.
The Transformative Power of Love
The narrative of love extends beyond mere biology, as the podcast discusses how social and cultural contexts influence our capacity to love. While some hold beliefs about the constraints of love to biological connections, research indicates that love can flourish and develop through care and shared experiences, even among non-biological relations. Gennady's analogy about adopting a pet highlights this principle, suggesting that familial love can arise through daily interaction rather than genetic ties. Ultimately, love emerges as a vital force, recognized for its significant role in personal well-being, longevity, and the meaning of life, aligning with Gennady's ongoing commitment to helping others even amidst war.
After the break up of the Soviet Union in the 90s, the problem of street children in Ukraine began to grow. Pastor Gennadiy Mokhnenko started taking them off the streets in the now devastated city of Mariupol and adopting them. The 56 year-old is now father to over 40 kids, serves as a military chaplain on the frontline and continues to adopt throughout the war.
Matthew Syed asks whether it’s possible to truly love so many children. He hears from a biologist about the scientific limits of love and an anthropologist about the unique ways in which humans can grow and flex their love, almost like a muscle. He also delves into his mother’s deeply personal experience of raising a non-biological child, relates expert analysis to her complex emotions and questions whether human beings really do have the capacity for limitless love.
With Ukrainian pastor and military chaplain Gennadiy Mokhnenko, anthropologist and author Dr Anna Machin, biologist Dr Liat Yakir and Matthew’s mum, Dilys Syed.
Presenter: Matthew Syed
Producer: Vishva Samani
Editor: Georgia Moodie
Sound Design and Mix: Daniel Kempson
Theme music by Ioana Selaru
A Novel production for BBC Radio 4
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