In 1979, Proskurnia met Elena Kamburova, and began organizing her Kyiv concerts two years later. He entered the Kyiv National I. K. Karpenko-Kary Theatre, Cinema and Television University and joined the in 1980. From 1985 to 1987, he was an intern at the Ivan Franko National Academic Drama Theater, sponsored by the Soviet Ministry of Culture. In 1990, he participated in the Revolution on Granite, attempting to free Ukraine from communism. In 1993, he co-founded the . Throughout the 1990s, he collaborated with the International Renaissance Foundation and repeatedly met with its founder, George Soros. He served on the board of the at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.