Be brave like Ukraine: a showcase of courage set up on Khreshchatyk

Be Brave, which means “be brave” in English, is an inscription that has become a slogan of Ukrainian unity and a call for foreigners to support our country. The inscription “Be brave like Ukraine” was displayed for a while in New York’s Times Square, traveling around many countries and becoming a symbol of courage and faith in victory.

In September 2022, Bravery and the Made with Bravery platform developed a collection of patriotic merchandise with the idea of “Be Brave”.

And in March of this year, we offered to implement the Every Ukrainian is a Face of Courage campaign together with the Vsi.Svoi store. The main idea of the campaign is to show that courage is manifested in various activities and that every Ukrainian makes a contribution that brings Ukraine’s victory closer.

Anyone who visited the Vsi.Svoi store, tried on or bought Bravery merchandise had a chance to be featured in the window and become the face of the campaign. All they had to do was take a photo in the clothes and post it on Instagram, tagging the pages of the collection ‘s developers – @brave.ua and @madewithbravery.official.

Khreshchatyk

The photos on display now include 9 stories that illustrate the main message of the campaigns. We were able to contact the people featured in the showcase and learned a lot about their lives and achievements. Among them: Olga Belytska, founder of the NGO “Beauty Volunteers”, which gave beauty to residents of the occupied cities – Olya and her team visit the cities that were occupied and provide beauty services to local residents for free. Maria Shamedko, who is in love with embroidery and its beauty, has created her own brand of handmade embroidery and gathered an unprecedented network of embroiderers across the country. Maria is especially proud that her embroidery is worn by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi. Victoria Melnyk, a brave mother who gave birth to her daughter during the war and is raising her with incredible courage and love. Stas Bitus is a clothing designer, teacher, and one of the developers of the Women’s Veterans Movement’s military uniforms. Stanislav and his colleague Yulia Sidorova, who is currently on the front line, also created a collection of designer clothes dedicated to Ukraine, which was shown on April 13 in Paris. Now Stas is preparing to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Daryna Koberska, who combines volunteering with work at a TV channel and fights for a better future for the country in the information space. Natalia Kharlanova, coach, mother of two young Ukrainians, who, even despite the war, decided to stay at home in Kyiv to raise her children –  Mia and Vladyslav are true patriots and inspire us with their sporting achievements. Volodymyr Purshega – before the war he worked for an IT company, and when the invasion began he volunteered for the war and defended us for 8 months in Donetsk region. Olena Zaychuk, an energy sector worker, is one of those who did everything possible to bring electricity back to our homes as soon as possible. Maksym Lakhman is an IT specialist who defends us in the ranks of the Cyber Cossacks.

Showcase of Courage

For Ukrainians, “being brave” is not just a word, but a national character that manifests itself in various fields of activity, especially in times of war.   The campaign “Every Ukrainian is a Face of Courage” was launched to remind us that each of us, no matter what we do now, is making his or her own contribution to the future victory.

You can also join the campaign and become the face of bravery by visiting the Vsi.Svoi store at: Kyiv, Khreshchatyk, 27 and  and take a photo in the merchandise by tagging @brave.ua and @madewithbravery on Instagram. As the Smolіvostі showcase will be on display until the end of May, 25% of the collection’s sales will be donated to  to rebuild residential buildings affected by the Russian occupation.

Photo: press service