As The Day already wrote, Aquavita CEO Tetiana Yurkova visited our editorial office to give money for Serhii Kharchenko’s photo Callsign Sokil (Artur Stepanenko). Our readers will remember that this photo received the Prize of Prizes at this year Den’s Photo Exhibit. It portrays a smiling Ukrainian soldier sporting a tattooed emblem of Ukraine and the motto “Freedom or death” on his upper arm. The editorial staff organized a charity auction for the photo and Yurkova offered the largest sum – 15,000 hryvnias. Stepanenko himself will receive the most of this money, and the newspaper will give the rest to NGO Volia from Starobilsk for the needs of Ukrainian military.
There was no connection with Stepanenko, who is in the ATO zone now, for several days. But yesterday we managed to talk to him. The soldier sincerely shared impressions from having his photo sold at the auction and from Den’s charity event “A postcard to the front.”
“I was pleasantly shocked at the news that the photo of myself was sold for 15,000 hryvnias! Den did not just make me a star, so to say, but it gave me some significant financial support. It is very important today. I am filled with emotions!” Stepanenko says. “I am in the ATO zone now, not far from Mariupol. We are defending this strategically important city. But when I come back home, I will spend a part of the sum on house repair works, and I will be honest, I will leave the other part for livelihood. I feel this war is going to take long and we will have to come back here, to the ATO zone, more than once, but the families need to eat something. It can be said this is a personal scholarship from Den for me. And thank you again!”
The hero was happy when he learned the new owner of Callsign Sokil decided to give the photo to Stepanenko’s school. According to him, it will mean a lot for the students of Kozhukhivka School (Vasylkiv raion, Kyiv oblast).
“No words can tell how proud and glad I am that the new owner of the photo decided to give it to my school. I think it is very important for school students today. I want to believe that the young generation of Ukrainians, my young fellow compatriots, will look at the photo and understand that independence and freedom are being gained in Ukraine at a high price. I hope that the image in this photo (it is not only about me, there are thousands of equally devoted men in the ATO zone) will cultivate patriotism and love for our homeland. Perhaps, walking along the school hallways, they will stop for a moment near the photo and feel their own responsibility for the fate of the country too. Today their responsibility is to study diligently. That is why I would like school students not only to play computer games, and various shooters and war games in particular, spending all their free time on that, but read books more often. The nation’s successful future depends on educated youth. I want to thank for giving the photo to the village school also because my parents, who live in Kozhukhivka, will be pleased with it.”
How did your comrades-in-arms react to the news of Callsign Sokil getting an award and selling at an auction?
“They found it awesome. Everyone read Den here, in particular the issue with an article about me, shook my hand, said ‘Good job! Hold on, now you have even more responsibility.’ They were impressed the photo cost 15,000 hryvnias. Someone even admitted they felt envious in a good way. Many of my fellow soldiers told their parents over the phone they serve with a celebrity. I will be frank with you: Den’s award means additional responsibility for me. Despite the complexity of the situation, I keep my spirits high and believe in victory, because we are going to win!”
We are pleased that many of Den’s readers and partners, as well as just caring people, supported the charity event. On November 5, postcards to Ukrainian solders on the frontline were signed at the editorial office at the initiative of Den’s editor-in-chief Larysa Ivshyna. And hundreds of volunteers joined the action two days after that at the hall of Kyiv Cinema (“Our Support Can Be Crucial,” The Day No. 71, November 12, 2014). Den’s postcards were chosen for the action, which can be purchased at our website, and also new ones, that were printed specially for this event. The author of the trendy pictures is our artist Anna Havryliuk. Authentic postcards with warm words of support, just like all the money raised during the action, will be sent to the front. This will be moral, psychological, and at the same time, financial support for our troops. It should be mentioned that the first public action drew wide response. Entire families came to write words of support to soldiers, there were a lot of young parents with children. In the meantime, kids also left their drawings next to the postcards.
As a matter of fact, it was Den’s readers and partners who addressed the editorial staff with a request to continue the charity event. Therefore on November 14, at the Rus’ Cult Ra Club (4 Volodymyrska Street, Kyiv) everyone, who did not have time for it earlier or wanted to send postcards to the front with Den once more, had a unique opportunity to do so. It must be said that Den’s action was continued not only in the capital. Soon our partners intend to purchase a batch of postcards and sign them with residents of other regions of Ukraine. So, keep an eye on our announcements in the newspaper and on Den’s website!
It is great that this work receives positive feedback from soldiers, and from Artur STEPANENKO in particular: “Your action is extremely important. These postcards are already reaching the front. They are needed so much. Usually people write to unknown soldiers. You read these sincere messages and tears come to your eyes,” said Stepanenko as he shares his impressions. “You understand that there are millions of Ukrainians behind you and there is nowhere to retreat. You are simply ignited by these warm words and understand that this is not in vain. We keep them as amulets. On behalf of all my fellow soldiers, I am very grateful for this work, for this action of caring. This is truly important, and also the fact that Den does not simply keep our morale high, but contributes financially along with benefactors. I know that one of her postcards in this action Den’s editor-in-chief Larysa Ivshyna addressed to me. I am pleasantly surprised. It is extremely important for me personally. It provides additional motivation. Your newspaper has a positive influence on the troops: primarily by providing information, and also via a variety of actions. This is obvious! And this is our common path towards victory.”
