Vitalii "V" Ponomariov is a Ukrainian Magic player, LGS owner, and IT professional. He currently lives in Lviv, Ukraine.

V and I first connected in 2022 when he shared his perspective on Ukrainian Magic on the Magic The Gathering Subreddit. He introduced me to his friends in the Ukrainian Magic community, which allowed me to make the Humans of Magic feature "This Ukrainian Life."

I am fortunate to have V on again to tell his story.

0:00 Intro

1:03 Opening an LGS in Ukraine

8:03 Ukrainian Magic scene

18:56 Outlaws of Thunder Junction...in Lviv

26:40 Finding meaning in an existential threat

35:52 "It is a luxury to be able to prioritize myself"

41:22 Russia, geopolitics, destroyed opportunities

51:51 The indecisive West

1:00:41 Magic and tabletop games as mental relief

1:02:59 Music, creativity, guiding principles

1:10:20 "Fear of Missing Out" in Magic

1:18:54 Lord of the Rings and Universes Beyond

Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic