🇺🇦 My dearest fellas, I beg you to read this 🔽 “We had a business and a permanent team; we made set designs for films, TV series, theater, and advertising. We all really loved our work — it was truly our calling. Before the full-scale invasion, we had five projects in progress. We were so tired, but so happy, because the projects were really meaningful and close to our hearts. When the full-scale war began, three people from our team immediately joined the military, and we started volunteering for them and their units. We gave away our own car. At first, we began fundraising for body armor and helmets, then for vehicle repairs, later for vehicles themselves, and also for electronic warfare systems, night vision devices, camouflage nets, etc. — everything the guys needed. At the same time, we took on projects so we could earn a living, but only those that left us time for volunteering and that resonated with us in terms of their ideas. We also did filming for volunteers — for fundraisers or to spread information about the war in the cultural sphere for Western audiences. My husband, our friend and I organized something like a volunteer workshop/art collective. We painted many war artifacts, made commissioned portraits in exchange for donations to fundraisers, etc. — all to increase the reach of fundraising campaigns and motivate donors. My husband also painted portraits of fallen soldiers for their families free of charge. We are still trying to support the guys for whom we have been raising funds all this time, but it is very difficult because our own unit also has many urgent needs, and we need to raise funds for our unit as well. Khartiia is the place we are at now. We searched for the right place for us for a long time and found it almost by miracle. We were thinking of becoming FPV drone pilots and spent the whole summer taking courses, even bought equipment on credit to practice more. But in September, we miraculously found this unit. Our skills are very much needed here. At first, my husband and I joined, and almost immediately another guy from our former team joined us. Now the rest of our team is in the process of joining us as well — meaning our entire art department will be in the military, except for our props assistant, who is currently dealing with serious health problems. We even moved all of our tools here — things we had collected over the years, very pricey to us both financially and emotionally — for the unit’s work. The decision to become soldiers had been maturing for a long time, since the very beginning of the invasion. But we felt very useful as volunteers. However, the war has no visible end, and we accepted this and realized that this is our path — we cannot just stay at home.” My friend Vassa wrote this. I’ve known her since she was a baby. Her father is a family friend and my mentor. He raised Vassa on his own, and she is his only child. Vassa and her husband are serving in the Armed Forces as part of the Khartiia Brigade. Their commanders found a way to utilize their creative skills. Without going into too much detail, I can say that they are working just kilometers from the front lines. Their work helps deceive Russian forces and saves the lives of Ukrainian defenders. It is also extremely dangerous because her group of “creative soldiers” is constantly exposed to drone threats. Vassa’s unit urgently needs shotguns that could make the difference between life and death for her and her comrades. They are not cheap and cost around $3,500 with additional equipment (red dot sights and magazines). I want to help my friend, and I hope you can help me help her by participating in my raffle. The prize is my original artwork that many of you are probably already familiar with: Rosie the Ukrainian soldier. Entry: $5 PayPal: vassakarolina@gmail.com Please post a screenshot of your donation in the comments. Please help me spread the word! 🙏 Thank you! Natalka
