In this article, the Media of Great Stories tells about the “Volunteers of Culture” initiative. Since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, its participants have been helping internally displaced people in the Ivano-Frankivsk region and providing equipment to the Armed Forces. Two men created the initiative. Dmytro Avdieiev, a director of well-known projects “Eat, I love you” and “Eagle & Tail”, as well as the founder of a Telegram channel “Listen, Tarantino!” and Oleksandr Khomyak who has been working as a manager of a famous singer Ivan Dorn for 11 years.
Read the article to find how skills gained in the creative industries helped them in volunteering.
How did “Volunteers of Culture” start?
Dmytro: I haven’t volunteered or done any charity work so far, just like Sasha. But everything came out quite naturally. At first, we wanted to help only the guys who are defending us. After three calls to the different fighters, it became clear that they were fully equipped. Furthermore, they advised us to help the displaced people.
Many of our friends are well-known people, some of whom are from abroad. They supported us and helped to spread information about our activity. Some began sending us humanitarian aid. Like us, they didn’t know exactly what assistance was more relevant, so they packed everything in one box: clothes, things, hygiene products, etc.
Later, everything became more organized, and people began to sort and pack stuff.
Meanwhile, people were coming to the region. For example, 20,000 internally displaced people from the Kharkiv region, Bucha and Irpin, Mariupol and Volnovakha came to Yaremche, a town of Western Ukraine. We helped them with the clothes and food that we had previously received. After we started accepting donations, we found our own niche. We began to buy starter backpacks for the guys-defenders. Each backpack contains a karemat, sleeping bag, first aid kit, food, underwear etc. The high quality of all this stuff was a must. For example, speaking about bulletproof vests, we chose Swedish licensed steel. We realized that it would save the guys’ lives. We also purchased a uniform several times.
It so happened that we distribute humanitarian aid among internally displaced people and donate to the Armed Forces. We have already raised money for helmets, goggles, thermal imagers, bulletproof vests, tactical gloves, etc. And now, for example, we’ve fundraised for a car.
What are your achievements so far?
Dmytro: We didn’t count how much money we had already spent. Nevertheless, we fully report and show all the bills and invoices. So people can track their donations. We are not a large charitable foundation, only two of us. However, we totally understand the importance of reporting and also would like to know where our money goes. We made a Telegram channel for complete transparency, which shows all our purchases. Many people think that donating UAH 10 or UAH 50 is a shame, but it is not.
Once, we bought a hundred pairs of shoes for internally displaced people. It was cold, and they arrived wearing only slippers. Men took their children and women and jumped into the car not thinking about clothes and shoes.
How do you find out about people’s needs?
Sashko (Oleksandr): We go to the Administrative Services Center in Yaremche every day. There is a volunteer organization which works on a bigger scale. Nevertheless, they manage to keep records of all aid they distribute. We come there and ask what they are lack of. For instance, they say, “Guys, we don’t have enough food.” We can hear at another Center: “There are many internally displaced people here with their pets, so we need some food for animals.”
Our friends from Germany send us huge packages full of pet food, so we distribute it here. Many people address specific inquiries. For example: “My boyfriend is joining the Armed Forces.” After checking the information, we prepare and send him a starter backpack.
We didn’t count the number of those we helped. At first, I was thinking of recording every step, but it was impossible.
After unloading 12 pallets, you realize that now efficiency is a priority, not bureaucracy.
Is it only two of you, or do you have a team?
Dmytro: We have a large team of people who don’t want to stay aside. Sasha and I came up with an initiative, but we have local volunteers who helped us set up a warehouse. It was an empty room, and the local guys introduced us to a man who gave it to us for free. Then they came with their tools, and together we made a warehouse. In addition, the guys often go to the Nova Poshta (Post Office), pick up pallets sent from different places absolutely for free, even not charging us for gasoline.
Some people help in Europe and communicate with us from different cities. They are also “Volunteers of Culture” because they work with us on a daily basis. Therefore, we can say that we have a team of 10 people, but all the requests and so-called office work fall on my and Sasha’s shoulders.
What is your motivation to help?
Sashko: We are not military men, and we are bad fighters. We can help much more by volunteering than if we had gone to the front. I have never held a gun in my hands, and I don’t know how to disassemble it or shoot. We understand that we can help the Armed Forces, displaced people, and those who need it. Although our assistance is still relatively small, we help effectively and fast.
For example, some girls wrote to us that they needed food for internally displaced people — they already had it in two days. It wasn’t necessary to write a request to the City Council, as it usually happens, go through the bureaucratic procedures and wait.
Dmytro: We really appreciate it when people thank us, but that’s not our motivation. This is our particular choice, and we can stop at any time. But as we move on, we don’t build any expectations. Photos are used purely for reporting. Sometimes we are thanked unusually, and it is memorable. Once, some guys sent us a vodka shot glass. Someone recently wrote a note “Thank you, Sasha and Dima” on paper and sent the photo.
Do you miss a peaceful life?
Dmytro: We definitely miss a peaceful time. As for the past, everything has changed. There will be a new life. What’s happening has changed us for the better.
We learned that we didn’t reach our full potential in ordinary life and didn’t notice many things. We also realized that we can do much more. We can even help the people who manage us do it better. In addition, many excellent people have shown themselves. Many of them came from the production and film industries and proved to be great volunteers.
Also read the article: “Our client is locked in the apartment”: how zoopatrul saves pets.
What skills from your peaceful life turned out to be helpful in volunteering?
Dmytro: Sasha still has a skill from his past life, which he uses very cool. For example, you say: “Sasha, we need Starlink” or: “Sasha, now we need to find a truck that will go here from Poland.” And Sasha does, but he is not interested in the last stage when everything riches a final beneficiary and Sasha receives gratitude. He immediately takes the next request.
I don’t have that — I need to see the result. For example, a truck has reached somewhere. But Sasha immediately starts working on another issue. That is a habit from a past life when many requests had to be processed at the same time. For instance, there was a situation when at 3 a.m. it turned out that the guitar was missing and a performance was scheduled for the morning.
I managed large teams of people, and I could have 50 employees on set. Therefore, I am not afraid to work on a large scale. When I understand that I need to deliver something, buy and then distribute it to many people, this skill helps me remove all doubts and do it. As on the set, I come and confidently say: today we do this.
We had the organizational skills needed here. In addition, it turned out that even the TV show “Eagle and Tail”, which I shot in more than 65 countries, played an important role. People from all these countries I worked with were the first to write: “How can I help you?”. Accordingly, it is social capital which I use here. Sasha’s friends also talk to musicians and bloggers. It is the first thing that allowed us to tell about ourselves to a larger audience. And constant troubleshooting as well.
What new experiences will you take to a peaceful life?
Dmytro: Lately, we’ve been thinking that we want to go to concerts and make movies. But so far, I can’t say when I will be able to sit down and come up with an idea for a new film. We realized that since 2014 there has been a shortage of great professional people in the humanitarian sphere. I want to launch a cool and understandable project which will allow people to help quickly and efficiently. From my perspective, there should be no organizations but certain people who can help pack, deliver and distribute aid with their own hands. I want to continue this activity in my new life.
Interesting stories have definitely happened during your volunteering. Tell us about them.Sasha: We have enough stories for a film. For example, how we bought bulletproof vests from some ten men in the hangar. Therefore, it seems to me that at least one comedy about the war will be about volunteering. Also, we have a story when two boys found ten bulletproof vests and then somehow found some hygiene products and exchanged them for medicine. There are stories which can’t be told until it’s all over. Then, when there will be a film about all these stories, we can laugh.
