When he was studying in fourth grade of school, Mykhaylo read a book about Native Americans and became interested in indigenous people of America.

[1] After finishing school, Svystovych entered the Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv on the faculty of economics.

In 1987 he joined the environmental protection squad called "Lenin Watch" (sector of fight against poaching), then — Taras Shevchenko Ukrainian language organization and also People's Movement of Ukraine.

[2] During the "August Coup" he was organizing protests, later he joined the Ukrainian Republican Party, which was later renamed to the URP "Sobor".

In December 2000, after the death of his friend Georgiy Gongadze, he left his job at the bank and intensified his efforts in civic and community activities.