Editor’s note: Our team’s mission is to give a voice to vulnerable groups of Ukrainians, so that their voices are heard. In this story, we dedicate our attention to middle-aged and senior people, who inspire us with their optimism to continue our reporting! Support our work and upgrade your subscription!
Ask an average Ukrainian what retirement looks like.
Most likely, you’ll hear about spending old age in a village — tending a big vegetable garden, waking up at dawn to take the cow out to pasture, and waiting for the grandchildren to come for the summer holidays.
But seniors in Ukraine have long been much more than that nostalgic picture. Today, even in their seventies or eighties, they are becoming, of all things, real TikTok stars.
Antonina But’s morning exercise video. The caption says ‘Wherever I am, wherever I go — my morning workout is always with me, mandatory at 5:30 a.m. I’m in ‘Zelenyi Hai,’ the tent camp is still asleep, and Tonia (Antonina) is enjoying herself.’
While the social media network has a reputation as a Gen Z haven, Ukrainians aged 50-69 make up roughly a third of the country’s TikTok users.
This age group became especially visible on the platform after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Shopping and entertainment show reviews, cooking recipes, or cheerful videos now regularly feature senior men and women with hundreds of thousands of followers.
A sleepover party held by 75-year-old Baba Masha.
‘Get ready with meʼ by 71-year-old Mariia Opanasivna.
With winter coming, social isolation and loneliness are deepening — especially among older people cut off from families or trapped in frontline regions suffering from the attacks.
To feel needed – and to reconnect with younger generations – senior Ukrainians are turning to social media like TikTok for emotional sustenance and companionship.
The growing presence of senior people on traditionally ‘youth’ platforms is not only a way to become more visible, but also proof that older Ukrainians are ready to challenge age-related stereotypes.
Tik Tok, Twitter and Facebook have been just a few of the social media apps that have – at best – a mixed impact on society. It has proven to be a haven for disinformation, for foreign meddling and an accelerator of some of humanity’s worst emotional responses. But in this case, social media is being used for its first and highest purpose: to connect, to relieve, to increase understanding, to laugh.
Antonina But – pronounced ‘Boot’ – has always lived fearlessly. She grew up surrounded by boys in the small сity of Pereshchepyne in the Dnipropetrovsk region. The kids shot slingshots and played ‘war,’ which no one yet took seriously. That’s where Antonia learned to whistle — a skill that later became her signature talent. Back then no one believed she’d ever get married or become a grandmother: she was “too much of a tomboy.”
Once, inspired by a cartoon about Icarus, Antonina built wings out of fence boards. Climbing a ladder, she tried to soar above the ground to see her entire street from the sky. Antonina never took off — smashing into the ground headfirst instead.
But she never lost that drive to go where others might be afraid.
That same stubborn curiosity brought her to TikTok after her 50th birthday. Now, her audience has already surpassed 55,000 followers.
Ever since her sister’s granddaughter redirected her attention from Facebook to TikTok, Antonina’s days have been filled with filming pickled tomato recipes, life at her country house, and vivid moments from her local community in Pereshchepyne.
Antonina But prepares fried potatoes in duck fat.
“Maybe there was always an actress living inside me,” Antonina told The Counteroffensive. “I just found my audience.”
Due to the war, Ukraine’s population is aging rapidly. Birth rates have dropped sharply, while life expectancy has declined due to constant shelling, stress, and sleep deprivation.
Ukrainians are now showing signs of physiological aging much earlier than in peaceful Western countries. For instance, menopause among Ukrainian women often begins around 46–48 or even earlier, while in European women it typically starts after 50. Such physiological changes, combined with the mental toll of war, make middle-aged and senior people more vulnerable to anxiety and depression.
Seniors are also most likely to remain in frontline areas, unable or unwilling to evacuate to safer regions. From February to September 2022, 34 percent of all civilian deaths were among older people. All these factors deepen the sense of alienation that often comes with age.
At the start of the war, Antonina was hesitant about filming lighthearted videos. She was hurt by hateful comments accusing her of being insensitive for having fun while people were dying and new territories were falling under occupation.
“I don’t have that phrase ‘not the right time,’” she said. “No one has time to wait anymore. We’re living through horrible times. So I enjoy every day as it comes.”
Antonina has always wanted to be among people and feel part of a community. That’s one reason she decided to work as a janitor in her city during the war, despite her own stigma about the job, which she saw as for people ‘without a high level of education.’ She even performs with an inflatable panda at birthdays and celebrations to bring joy to people in her free time.
Now Antonina’s mind is constantly buzzing with new video ideas. She keeps a close eye on what’s trending on TikTok, sometimes lying awake at night imagining what she’ll film the next day. But unless the “muse kisses” her, as she says, the video won’t become viral.
Sometimes she involves her husband, a police officer, and her children. If Antonina is filming in the kitchen, there’s an unspoken rule: no one should come in. She needs to stay focused and avoid distractions while recording.
Antonina But and her inflatable panda on TikTok.
Today, TikTok remains a controversial and even dangerous platform for democratic countries. The EU is considering regulating it, arguing that it spreads propaganda and stores private data that could end up in the hands of China’s Communist Party. It includes names, ages, phone numbers, emails, facial and voice prints. Moreover, in 2024, Joe Biden signed a law that would ban TikTok if the China-based parent company ByteDance did not sell it. TikTok has reportedly even been used to spy on American journalists.
In Ukraine, similar security concerns around TikTok have emerged. It poses a threat to national security, as algorithms create echo chambers, making it easy to spread false information and Russian propaganda. For instance, if a person watches a video claiming that Ukraine’s government is ‘the most corrupt in the world,’ the platform will keep pushing similar content, destabilizing society from within.
Research also shows that TikTok can increase feelings of isolation and lower self-esteem. After spending hours watching short viral clips mainly showing ‘perfect’ lives, some users begin to feel dissatisfied with their own.
Yet for people like Antonina, TikTok has become a form of wartime escapism and self-expression. Instead of the stereotypical image of Ukrainian women over 50, sometimes portrayed as ‘grandmothers,’ older people like her are redefining what it means to age.
Even during hard times, they project energy and optimism.
Antonina used to get stressed out by the cameras. Her whole life, she saw herself as an ordinary ‘gray mouse.’ Being the daughter of a milkmaid in a large family, she recalls, was “humiliating” at school, as she was considered low-class. She first felt at ease in front of cameras after a chance appearance on the TV show ‘Ukraine’s Got Talent.’
Antonina But demonstrates her artistic whistling technique, which she learned growing up among boys, on Ukraine’s Got Talent in 2014.
“That’s when I first heard the word ‘charismatic’. I didn’t even know what it meant,” she laughed. “Now I feel completely comfortable on stage or in front of cameras. But at first, I couldn’t go on stage without 100 grams [of vodka].”
Today, Antonina is a local star in her hometown of Pereshchepyne. Just last week, she said, kids stopped her outside a supermarket just to thank her for the inspiring videos. Followers of all ages now travel to meet her when she visits nearby towns and villages.
One of Antonina’s followers, alongside her daughters and granddaughter, arrived at the blogger’s hometown.
One of her most devoted fans, Liuba from the Poltava region, is over 70. Every evening, the two exchange voice messages: Liuba tells her about the pies she baked despite using crutches, or about how every morning she starts her day by watching Antonina’s videos.
“Liuba even sent me a photo and said, ‘I cut my hair short like you,’” Antonina said. “She calls the haircut ‘The Antonina.’”
Despite the dark times, Antonina strives to remain a source of light. She inspires not only her peers but also younger generations, showing that the love of life doesn’t fade with age or even during a country’s most challenging moments in history.
Antonina does not give up on her motto: go where you’re afraid — sooner or later, it will work out.
Editor’s note: Our team’s mission is to give a voice to vulnerable groups of Ukrainians, so that their voices are heard. In this story, we dedicate our attention to middle-aged and senior people, who inspire us with their optimism to continue our reporting! Support our work by hitting the tip jar!
NEWS OF THE DAY:
By: Oleksandra Khelemendyk
SANCTIONS TAKE TOLL ON RUSSIA’S OIL INDUSTRY: Russia’s top oil producer Lukoil, which accounts for 2% of global output, plans to sell its international assets amid the sanctions recently imposed by the U.S. and Great Britain. It has already begun considering bids from potential purchasers.
This decision is critical for Hungary and Slovakia, which largely depend on Russian crude oil.
However, it demonstrates that economic pressure on Russia is effective and offers Western countries an opportunity to diversify their oil imports in the near future.
HUNGARY SEEKS TO FORM AN ANTI-UKRAINE BLOC: Hungary is looking to create a Ukraine-sceptic alliance with Czechia and Slovakia, Viktor Orbán’s advisor said. These countries are calling for dialogue with Russia rather than economic pressure. If the group starts to act as a bloc in the EU institutions, this might significantly hinder the EU’s military and financial support to Ukraine.
UKRAINE EXPANDS USE OF LONG-RANGE WEAPONS: During a Military Staff meeting, President Zelenskyy announced the plan to expand the use of deep-strike weapons and their domestic production, offering long-term contracts to national producers.
According to Russian officials, Ukraine successfully uses drones for its attacks. Combined with sanctions against Russia and diplomatic efforts, increasing Ukraine’s long-range capabilities is intended to strengthen its position on the battlefield and compel the aggressor to negotiate for peace.
DOG OF WAR:
A fluffy dog that looked just like a teddy bear kept Mariana company at the Asian restaurant, where she had dinner after going to the theater that weekend!
Stay safe out there!
Best,
Mariana
