This holiday season Razom invites you to support Ukraine and Ukrainians through your gift shopping. Below is a curated list of Ukrainian brands and made-in-Ukraine products that will serve as a wonderful gift for your loved ones, and will support those who are still creating, doing and representing Ukraine. They are working through extraordinary times, and we have the power to support them in the process. This list is personal to Razom – we’ve shopped there ourselves, we’ve volunteered backstage for them at New York Fashion Week, we helped raise the funds needed to translate their works, and brought joy to our loved ones when gifting from some of these places. The list is organized by category – Home Decor, Apparel, Toys and Books, and everyone ships internationally.
Shchos Tsikave | a small home and gift store in Lviv selling crafts from local artists.
Gushka | a Ukrainian wool products workshop in Kosiv, a mountain town in Ivano-Frankivsk region.
JulliaTyasko | a modern glass art Fused glass art Contemporary wall art.
Woolkrafts | a blanket store!
Gunia Project | a brand of exceptional things produced with the unique combination of design thinking and deep ethnographic research.
Trots Ceramics | a family of Hutsul ceramics makers that's been around sine 1997.
Bevza | a Kyiv-based womenswear brand creating feminine minimalist clothing and jewelry, whose collections are shown at NYFW.
Morkva Bots | an instagram shop that hand-makes shoes!
EtnoDim | an embroidery shop that creates traditional Ukrainian clothing with a modern spin.
Oliz | beautiful silk scarves, ties, and clothing with patterns exclusively made in cooperation with Ukrainian artists.
RCR Khomenko | a fashion brand with signature upcycled shirts and fun handcrafted prints.
Vish | knitted clothes and accessories produced in limited edition collections.
Katimo | women's clothing brand with year-round collections, designed and manufactured in Kyiv.
Brua | a handcrafted jewelry store based in Lviv.
UGEARS | a Ukrainian startup that creates unique wooden toys for all ages.
HURI Publications | a part of Harvard University, check out their English-translated books of Ukrainian authors.
The disruption of the global supply chain since February 24th, 2022 has worsened the disease burden on Ukraine’s healthcare system. Limited transportation and the halting of clinical services have erected substantial barriers to accessing health care and medications in many areas of the country. Our Razom Health Team is working hard to partner up with global leaders in healthcare and organize the delivery of diverse medical aid to Ukrainian towns and cities. The following are the highlights of their work in the month of November.
Thanks to our partners at MedShare, 11 more pallets of donated medical supplies are making their way to Ukrainian hospitals in need. This was MedShare’s sixth large shipment to Ukraine via Razom since March 2022, and this committed support is helping Ukrainian doctors save lives. We also remain grateful to our partners on the ground Zdorovi Agency, who are distributing these critical supplies within Ukraine.
Another large donation of medications that are providing life-saving support to Ukrainian hospitals was contributed by our generous partners at CMMB. And thanks to Airlink Flight and again Zdorovi Agency, these medications are getting to the people who need them most, as quickly as possible.
Remember those butterfly network iQ+ portable ultrasounds that Razom procured earlier? We’re happy to report that 14 of these devices have been distributed among Ukrainian hospitals in dire need, once again thanks to our partners Zdorovi Agency. These ultrasounds are already helping doctors treat patients in Kharkiv, Dnipro, Vinnytsia, and Mykolaiv. Portable ultrasounds are vital in providing diagnostic evaluation in emergency situations. They enable clinicians to diagnose and treat patients faster, more accurately, and in a non-invasive way.
Health care leader Henry Schein is helping us support Ukraine – and Razom is grateful. Henry Schein donated 17 pallets of hygiene kits through our dedicated partner MedShare, providing essential items and honoring the dignity of Ukrainian civilians living amid war. Razom grantee and partner Rescue Now distributed these kits, in line with their ongoing work to provide humanitarian aid in Eastern Ukraine. The individuals pictured here are residents of Kharkiv.
Our community’s financial support makes this life-saving and health-supporting work possible, and we are grateful to all of you and our incredible partners in the health care field.
And we also remain deeply grateful to our partners on the ground like Zdorovi Agency, Airlink Flight and Rescue Now, who are distributing these medical supplies within Ukraine.
Razom Health Team works on obtaining and delivering large in-kind donations to Ukrainian hospitals that need them the most. Such donations are medical equipment, furniture and supplies. Razom Health is a part of the Razom Emergency Response. If you have suggestions of large donations to hospitals, reach out to the team at hospitals@razomforukraine.org.
This week, the first snowfall, the largest barrage of missiles to date targeting civilian infrastructure, recurring blackouts across many parts of Ukraine, and uncovering the devastation left behind in newly liberated Ukrainian territories, have become the new normal for Ukrainians. However their resolve, and ours, is stronger than ever. Just watch the video of a Kyiv Children’s Choir “Shchedryk” rehearsing for their upcoming Dec 4th performance at Carnegie Hall in the dark, in a bomb shelter, during air raid sirens.
Dear Razom community,
In the past few weeks you’ve had a chance to learn about Razom projects beyond our Emergency Response Project that’s been running nonstop since Feb 24th delivering critical humanitarian aid to the most in-need parts of Ukraine. Make no mistake, this remains our top priority, especially as the situation on the ground shifts with winter here and more infrastructure than ever before having been destroyed. Delivering aid that provides electricity or warmth, saves lives in Ukraine today,so please continue to support that work.
However there are so many other ways Ukraine is being effected by this relentless, brutal war. Today there are thousands of orphaned children in Ukraine, whose father or mother, or in some cases both, died defending Ukraine.Razom Toy Drive, one of our earliest projects started in May 2014, provides assistance to these children by sending school essentials, birthday and holiday presents (including toys!), and other humanitarian assistance their way every year since 2014.
In the past couple of weeks, our volunteers sent 130 high-quality winter coats to 130 of these kids. But as the holiday season approaches, we’d like to call upon your help to bring some peace and joy to children of war in Ukraine. Donate here or here to support Razom Toy Drive to expand the pool of children we can help, and gift them a portable power bank with a LED flashlight. In their world of rolling blackouts and hiding in bomb shelters and basements during regular air-raids across Ukraine, this $30 gadget will go a long way for the darkest nights before Ukraine’s victory.
Razom has combined fundraising efforts with Nova Ukraine to ensure we can invest $120,000 to help buy a “Kovcheg,” an armored all-terrain vehicle, for the Pirogov First Volunteer Mobile Hospital (PFVMH) as soon as possible. Over the past eight years, since russia’s invasion in 2014, PFVMH became known as “angels in white coats,” 500+ physicians, paramedics, and support staff as volunteers providing medical care on the frontline of the war in Ukraine. They operate on the wounded and sew them on the way to base hospitals.
For the last 6 months (May-October) PFVMH treated (extracted, stabilized and evacuated to the base hospitals) 3,563 patients in the Donbas region alone.
PFVMH has always acted in the hottest zones. From the first days of the active counteroffensive in Kharkiv region, they’ve followed Dyke Pole 518 Special Military Unit in Balakliya, Hrushivka, Husarivka and other villages. Now they are also treating people in Bakhmut and in a recently liberated Lyman.
The Razom Grants project has supported this group for many months now, helping them get tactical medicine, vehicles and fuel, a portable x-ray, and now, let’s help them secure a Kovcheg! It costs $250,000 (already a reduced price) and because Kovcheg is in Ukraine, it can be purchased quickly and without any additional charges (customs fees etc). PFVMH already has everything needed to transform the vehicle into a stabilization center.
Donate on facebook or by clicking the button below that’ll take you to our website.
In the meantime, below are some of our regularly scheduled updates for our Emergency Response and Hospitals projects. This is an impressive operation with a dedicated team that ensures delivery of aid in the hands of the end-user. Our team works in four countries, US, Canada, Poland, and Ukraine, with a warehouse in each country. That team is split into procurement (with specializations in medical versus technical devices and aid), logistics (international shipping, customs), Ukrainian warehouse staff who sorts and prepares “orders” for distribution across Ukraine, “customer support” representatives who collect and verify those orders, drivers who deliver aid directly to first-responders and defenders, and technologists who maintain a software system that allows us to efficiently track every package that leaves our warehouse in Ukraine.
For example, on November 12 Razom delivered over 180 medical first-aid kits of the highest quality to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in the Mykolaiv region. That was our 27th (!!) delivery to an outpost of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine. This government agency are first-responders when russian missiles strike, and key actors demining de-occupied territories of Ukraine. Countless civilian lives are saved thanks to their work everyday.
As for our Hospitals team, managing in-kind donations and medical missions, most recently they worked with Henry Schein who donated 17 pallets of hygiene kits through our dedicated partner MedShare, providing essential items and honoring the dignity of Ukrainian civilians living amid war. Razom partner and grantee, Rescue Now, distributed these kits in line with their ongoing work to provide humanitarian aid in Eastern Ukraine. The individuals pictured below are residents of Kharkiv.
On November 25, Ukrainians around the world commemorate Holodomor Remembrance Day, remembering the millions of Ukrainians starved to death by the Soviet regime in an artificially-created famine. Today, less than a hundred years later, the Ukrainian nation is again fighting for its right to exist.
S.Res. 713 and H.Res. 1205 recognize Russia’s actions in Ukraine as genocide. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine unambiguously meets the definition of the term genocide as defined by the Genocide Convention and reflected in U.S. law. Passing this important resolution reaffirms America’s commitment to our fundamental principles and underscores the seriousness of Russia’s crimes.
We ask our community and friends to please email, call, or tweet your Members of Congress today and ask them to cosponsor and support this important resolution! You can follow Razom’s latest call to action here: https://www.votervoice.net/RAZOMF…/Campaigns/98795/Respond
We’ve been counting down the days until Notes From Ukraine, the 100th anniversary concert celebrating Ukrainian “Carol of the Bells” at Carnegie Hall and returning to the Stern Auditorium/Perelman stage for one day only!
Tickets are selling fast and sponsorship opportunities for businesses are still available, but what we ask of you after the latest missile attacks on Ukraine this week, is to help us bring the Kyiv Children’s Choir «Shchedryk», who will be performing at the concert, to NYC. Below is a little peak into their rehearsals this week. As Kyiv goes through constant power shutdowns, the kids are left to rehearse in darkness and during air raid alarms, in bomb shelters. Despite all the challenges, the choir persists in its mission to represent Ukraine to an international audience — just like the Ukrainian Republic Capella 100 yers ago. Our «Shchedryk» Choir may be rehearsing in the dark bomb shelters now, but in a month they will be on a bright stage of Carnegie Hall and a warm audience awaits them. Help us to bring them to NYC by making a donation here and become a part of the history of promoting and preserving Ukrainian culture.
Kyiv Children’s Choir «Shchedryk» rehearses in the dark, determined to come to Carnegie Hall to perform on Deember 4, 2022. On October 5, 1922, the Ukrainian Republic Capella performed in New York City’s Carnegie Hall and North American audiences heard for the first time Mykola Leontovych’s “Shchedryk”, a traditional Ukrainian song that would become the beloved holiday classic, “Carol of the Bells.”
There are a number of amazing projects you can support that will bring you closer with Ukrainian culture, art, and history. Below is a roundup of some of those events and fundraising opportunities. Moving forward, you’ll also be able to catch the most up to date schedule of events and creative fundraising campaigns on our website here.
In New York:
On Sunday, November 19, 7-11PM the Lisovi Chorty Plast Fraternity is celebrating their centenary by hosting a formal costume ball, or Kostyumivka, at the Ukrainian Institute of America in New York City. The elegant affair will be a fundraiser to support humanitarian aid efforts in Ukraine. Secure your tickets here.
Closing on Sunday, November 20, 11AM – 6PM at Howl! Arts New York is Yara Arts Group’s presentation of “Mariupol,” an exhibition of award-winning photographs and video by Evgeniy Maloletka and Mstyslav Chernov (AP) from the first days Russia invaded Ukraine this year. There were no funerals. No memorials. No public gatherings to mourn those killed by Russia’s relentless attacks on the port city of Mariupol that became a symbol of Ukraine’s ferocious resistance. The mass grave trenches told the story of a city under siege. You catch the exhibit everyday this week until Sunday.
On Sunday, December 4, 2PM Notes From Ukraine, a concertdedicated to 100 years of “Shchedryk” and highlighting Ukrainian music and the connections between Ukrainian and American cultures, will take the stage at Carnegie Hall. Secure your tickets here!
On Saturday, December 10, 12:30PM – 3:30PM at the Kolo Klub come join Namaste Hoboken for its holiday party in support of Ukraine.
In Washinton, D.C.:
On Wednesday, November 30, 5:30-8:30PM, the U.S. – Ukraine Foundation will host the D.C. premier of Freedom on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom, an incredible documentary film by Evgeny Afinevsky is a sequel to his 2015 documentary Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom. Secure your ticket here.
In Massachusetts:
The Oxbow Gallery in Easthampton, MA will be showing a series of new oil paintings by Joanne Holtje, “Lamentations,” from October 27-November 27, 2022. Begun in early 2022, this series served as a way for her to bear witness to the horror of the invasion of Ukraine. The proceeds of sales from the show, plus an additional 20% match from an anonymous donor will be donated to Razom.
On Friday, December 16, 8 – 9:30PM, the Cambridge Symphony Orchestra presents Holiday Pops 2022, a festive, glamorous night out featuring Sleigh Ride and the world premiere of Scrooge: A Christmas Overture by composer Donald Fraser—featuring Vira Slywotzky, soprano.
The Grimshaw-Gudewicz Art Gallery at Bristol County Community College in Fall River, MA will be showing an exhibition called Eye of the Beholder (Don’t Close Your Eyes): Ukrainian Artists Respond to the War,from November 10-December 22. With over 120 pieces on display, these works evoke the resolve and the anguish of the Ukrainian people and what they are experiencing as events unfold. All art is on sale, with 50% of the sale price going to the artist and 50% to humanitarian organizations like Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation and Come Back Alive.
In Florida:
Introducing to the world: KOLO, an unparalleled immersive visual experience and theatrical dance show celebrating the rich artistic and cultural heritage of Ukraine! The first of its kind, KOLO is the brainchild of award-winning, Ukrainian-bred competitive ballroom dancers and partners, Iaroslav and Liliia Bieliei, both natives of Kyiv who now call Los Angeles home. The show is launching its North American tour in Florida:
You can now buy a cool gaming bundle on Humble Bundle, who sells games, ebooks, software, and other digital content, while supporting Razom. Make a choice of 2, 5 or 9 games and proceeds from your purchase will support Razom in continuing to send aid to Ukraine.
Stream a historic performance of the National Ballet of Ukraine from Orlando, FL at the prestigious Steinmetz Hall on August 27, 2022, and donate to help raise humanitarian aid for Ukrainian children and families. The National Ballet of Ukraine is considered one of the top ranked ballet companies in the world. Cozy up with your friends and loved ones and watch a special performance that affirms the power of art and beauty over tyranny and destruction.
Awethentic Gallery’s latest charity campaign, Prints for Ukraine, features a variety of artworks from award-winning journalists and photographers across the world, including Mykhaylo Palinchak who served as the official photographer of the President of Ukraine; Emmy-nominated journalist Laurel Chor and renowned documentary photographer, Natalie Keyssar. All artworks are $150 and 100% of net proceeds of prints go directly to our artists and critical humanitarian war relief charities Razom and World Central Kitchen.
“Invasion: Music and Art for Ukraine” CD is a project by Ukrainian-American GRAMMY® Award-winning pianist Nadia Shpachenko featuring music by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Lewis Spratlan and art by outstanding Ukrainian artists Lesia Babliak, Yurii Nagulko, Olena Papka, Kati Prusenko, and Aza Nizi Maza Studio children artists, directed by Mykola Kolomiets. All proceeds go to Razom.
Globally:
Started by a Ukrainian yoga teacher, Yoga4Ukraine aims to bring together 1,000 yoga teachers all around the world that each donate ONE yoga class! Any style, any format, anywhere, anytime. Visit www.yoga4ukraine.com to officially become a part of the Yoga4Ukraine project or find a class near you, and get your Yoga4Ukraine t-shirt to support the initiative today. All donations will benefit United24 and Razom.
Thank you so much for reading this newsletter, sharing it, generously donating to many of our important projects, and for showing your support of Ukraine. We are immensely grateful.
Stay razom.
P.S. – why not add Razom to your AmazonSmile so that every time you shop, we get a 0.5% of that total as a donation. As of Sept 2022, Razom has received $4,550 from AmazonSmile. To shop at AmazonSmile, simply go to smile.amazon.com on your web browser and activate AmazonSmile on the Amazon Shopping app on your iOS or Android phone (found under settings on your app).
In response to the letter from a dozen Republican-aligned groups advocating against further aid to Ukraine, Mariya Soroka, Director of Advocacy at Razom, issued the following statement:
Since February 24, 2022, the Russian state has been deliberately and repeatedly targeting civilians, threatening them with death, injury, or forcible deportation to Russia. Russian forces regularly attack critical infrastructure, denying millions of Ukrainians electricity and water in an attempt to scare Ukraine into submission. Russia’s barbarities in Ukraine have long surpassed legal and policy thresholds for designating Russia as a State Sponsor of Terrorism. Russia must be designated a State Sponsor of Terrorism (SST).
In what follows, we debunk the most common misconception regarding the decision to designate Russia SST.
We are excited to share with you our series Razom Says Dyakuyu. “Dyakuyu” means “thank you” in Ukrainian. Our work supporting Ukraine and getting humanitarian aid on the ground where it is needed most, would not be possible without the generous donations made by donors. With this series, we are highlighting some of the amazing donors and unique fundraisers that have supported Razom.
Razom is deeply grateful to Yara Arts for organizing “Mariupol,” an exceptional exhibition of award-winning photographs and video from the first days Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. And shout-out to the artists behind camera lenses – Evgeniy Maloletka and Mstyslav Chernov from Associated Press! It is thanks to their work that the world learned about the truth of what was happening in Mariupol.
***
“There were no funerals. No memorials. No public gatherings to mourn those killed by russia’s relentless attacks on the port city of Mariupol that became a symbol of Ukraine’s ferocious resistance. The mass grave trenches told the story of a city under siege.
The world would have seen none of this, would have seen next to nothing at all from Mariupol as a city under siege, if it wasn’t for Mstyslav Chernov and Evgeniy Maloletka, the Associated Press team who race into the city when the invasion began and stayed long after it had become one of the most dangerous places on Earth. For more than two weeks, they were the only international media in the city, and the only journalists able to transmit video and still photos to the outside world.
According to Chernov, on 11 March they were taking photos in a hospital in Mariupol when they were taken out of the city with the assistance of Ukrainian soldiers. They managed to escape from Mariupol unharmed. The documented devastation in Mariupol was described in Chernov’s AP article “20 Days in Mariupol: The Team that Documented the City’s Agony” (March 22, 2022, AP). Mstyslav Chernov, Evgeniy Maloletka and Vasilisa Stepanenko received the Knight International Journalism Award for their work in Mariupol from the International Center for Journalists.
Moscow hated their work. The Russian embassy in London tweeted images of AP photos with the word “Fake” over them in red text. A top Russian diplomat held up copies of photos from the maternity hospital at a U.N. Safety Council meeting, insisting they were phony. But their photographs and the people who they met speak to what happened in Mariupol”.
***
On Sunday, November 20 at 5:00 PM Howl! Arts will host an event “Music and Spoken Word for “Mariupol” created by Yara Arts Group with poet Bob Holman, bandura master Julian Kytasty, Yara Artists and Daria Kolomiec. All events are free. Donations will go to Razom for Ukraine.
MARIUPOL – the exhibition runs from November 9 to 20, Wednesday to Sunday 11 to 6 Howl! Arts/ Howl! Archive (HA/HA) 250 Bowery, 2nd floor, New York City www.howlarts.org 212-500-6804
Today, if you’re eligible to vote in the US, we hope you go and do so. Democracy is an act that needs to be exercised regularly and healthy elections are a vital part. At the moment, Ukrainians are acting to defend their democracy, fiercely and effectively, through daily actions, in countless ways. Their work protects democracies everywhere, including of course their own. We hope that work gets recognized and that every time you open a newsletter from Razom you choose to act (we encourage donating to Razom (so many projects profiled below!) and advocating for Ukraine).
With start-up funding from a major US foundation, Razom started the “Razom with You” program this July to support those in need of psychological help, including children. The project provides free therapy to people in Ukraine whose lives were disrupted by the war, and aims to create an emotionally safe and easily accessible space for individual and group sessions in areas heavily populated by Internally Displaced Persons. These are people who have been forced out of their homes, who have seen first-hand the horrors of war, unable to reach their loved ones. After the first assessment, we evaluated that 80% of newcomers to the program have never received psychological support in their life.
To date, we’ve opened two support centers and hired eight psychologists who’ve delivered over 27 group sessions and 241 individual sessions. You can learn about our focus areas and approach here. To be able to sustain this important program, we need your support.
Thanks to our work early on in the invasion of distributing medical aid to hospitals in Ukraine and organizing medical missions, we uncovered how quickly doctors had to learn to operate in hospitals in conditions of urban warfare, dealing with a high influx of wounded patients, where diagnoses and treatments have to be made on the move. Through our grant program, we have been supporting thePirogov First Volunteer Mobile Hospital (PFVMH), and have learned how such mobile clinics can save more lives.
From day one of the full-scale war, PFVMH volunteers have been first on the scene in combat zones across the country (the picture you’ll see below is from Bakaliia), following the advance of the Ukrainian army, risking their lives to treat injured civilians and combatants, and carrying out evacuations. In September alone, PFVMH medical professionals treated almost 1,200 people. Over 800 patients had severe war injuries, and 6 of them didn’t make it.
What they desperately need now is an armored all-terrain vehicle to provide a mobile stabilization point, it’s a “hand-made” ATV called “Kovcheg” which solves for:
Mobility. It’s critical for the moving frontline, such as during the deoccupation. In these regions, roads are destroyed — regular ambulances cannot quickly move and require frequent repair.
Warmth. Winter requires a warm stabilization center. While in other territories PFVMH is often based in the hospitals as close to the front line as possible (like in Bakhmut now), this is not an option in recently deoccupied territories. There, hospitals are either destroyed or highly likely to be targeted by the russian army.
Security. Kovcheg is an armored vehicle and thus protects doctors and wounded people. Because PFVMH medics not only evacuate and provide first medical aid, but also treat wounded on the spot, it is important for them to have a mobile, warm and safe stabilization center, especially during winter counteroffensives.
A Kovcheg costs $250,000 (already a reduced price). Because Kovcheg is in Ukraine, it could be purchased quickly and without any additional charges (like customs fees etc). PFVMH already has everything needed to transform vehicle into the stabilization center.
Razom has been supporting PFVMH from the first months of the war by supplying them with medicine, medical and communications equipment, and $135,000 in grants. We also committed to provide $60,000 towards the Kovcheg already. Help us raise the funds to cover the rest of the costs! Donate on facebook or by clicking the button below that’ll take you to our website.
In the meantime, below are some of our regularly scheduled updates around our in-kind donations work. We continue to work with businesses, major disaster relief and global health orgs, and individuals like yourselves who might work at these places (including hospitals!). Here’s a short report on the last two weeks:
Thanks to our partners at MedShare, 11 more pallets of donated medical supplies are making their way to Ukrainian hospitals in need, making this their sixth large shipment to Ukraine via Razom since March 2022. Eight months later, MedShare remains committed to helping doctors save lives in Ukraine.
MedGlobal has been our partner for an equal length of time, partnering with Razom to both donate supplies and organize medical missions to Ukraine. They have supported Ukrainian healthcare facilities with medical supplies, medications, and medical equipment, and educated Ukrainian medical professionals on essential topics including Polytrauma, surgical skills, the use of Butterfly ultrasounds, and chemical preparedness.
The disruption of the global supply chain since February 24th, 2022 has worsened the disease burden on Ukraine’s healthcare system. Limited transportation and the halting of clinical services have erected substantial barriers to accessing health care and medications in many areas of the country. Partners like CMMB Worldwide are providing life-saving support to Ukrainian hospitals with their generous donations of medications. Thanks to our partnerships with AirLink and Zdorovi, these medications are getting to the people who need it most as quickly as possible.
Designer Brands Canada has donated 358 pairs of new three season and winter boots (men’s, women’s and children’s) and they’re already on their way to Ukraine. We are grateful to Designer Brands Canada for this generous donation and encourage other companies to do the same. If your company can donate any number of winter coats, hoodies, sweaters, boots or portable heaters for Ukraine, we would be happy to accept them in the USA, Canada, Europe (we’re a global team!). Please contact inkind@razomforukraine.org
Ready for some goosebumps?
During the Ukraine Action Summit in Washington D.C. on Sept 18-20, 2022, a few campers from Kobzarska Sich, a bandura and choral camp that takes place every August in Emlenton, Pennsylvania, sang a Ukrainian folk song in the rotunda of the Cannon House Office Building in the Capitol Complex, on their way out of a formal performance at the summit reception.
Want to join one of the teams that was responsible for co-organizing that summit (and so much more!)? Apply to Razom Advocacy team openings outlined below!
We are less than a month away from “Notes from Ukraine” at Carnegie Hall! Join us for a once-in-a-lifetime event to commemorate the centennial celebration of the debut of Mykola Leontovych’s infamous “Carol of the Bells”.
Get your tickets here and tell your friends to do the same!
On top of that, you can donate directly to this project that’s many years in the making here. Your donation will help pay for the travel expenses of the Ukrainian Children’s Choir “Shchedryk” (based in Kyiv), ensuring 55 children have accommodations in New York City.
If you can’t stand side by side with us at our weekly Saturday protests in NYC, then we hope you can join us at some of these events across the country! Put these on your calendar:
In New York:
On Wednesday, November 9 @ 8PM at Weill Recital Hall in Carnegie, artists from Poland, Ukraine, the US and Canada unite on stage to raise funds for orphans and wounded children affected by the war in Ukraine performing classical, folkloric, popular and jazz works from their respective countries. Buy your tickets to United for Peace: Benefit Concert of Polish and Ukrainian Solidarityhere.
On Saturday, November 12 @ 7PM the Coney Island Comedy Festival is proud to present The Funnies NYCUkrainian Fundraiser Stand Up Comedy Show at The Red Doorsbar and grill, located Brooklyn, NY. Tickets are $15, with all sales donated to Razom for Ukraine. The Funnies NYC is a Stand Up Comedy Show showcasing comedians from around the world. The 11/12 show will Headline: Gregory Korostishevsky (The BlackList, Orange Is A New Black, Billions, White Collar), with Features from: Mike Hernendez (New York Silly), Meka Mo (2022 Best of BWICLaffFest), Upa InSpace (CICF), Mick Diflo, and Coney Island’s own Cherryann Trinidad. Purchase tickets here.
On Sunday, November 13 @ 5:00PM Evgeny Afineevsky’s newest documentary, Freedom on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom, will have its New York City premier at DOC NYC. Catch a moving, behind the headlines account of the Ukrainian people’s resistance and resilience during the 2022 Russian invasion. With unprecedented access to the events on the ground, it weaves together personal stories of civilians, soldiers, journalists, and international volunteers to give voice to the people whose lives have been turned upside down. Snag your ticket here and use code DOCNYC_PTNR_22 for a discount. Better yet, between now and Wed, Nov 9 at 11:59am, FREEDOM ON FIRE tickets will be only $5 each, no code required.
On Wednesday, November 16@ 5-6:30PM the Harriman Institute at Columbia University will host an evening withVolodymyr Rafeyenko, a Ukrainian writer, poet, translator and critic. He initially wrote entirely in Russian, but following the outbreak of Russian aggression in 2014 he switched to Ukrainian. “Mondegreen: Songs about Death and Love” is his first novel in Ukrainian whose English translation was funded by the Razom Translates project.
On Thursday, November 17 @ 7-11PM the Dungeons & Dragons Club in NYC is hosting a game night with all ticket sale proceeds going to Razom. The evening will include free drinks and appetizers and feature a DJ and interactive art gallery. New D&D players are welcome and highly encouraged! Get your tickets here!
On Sunday, November 19 @ 7-11PM the Lisovi Chorty Plast Fraternity is celebrating their centenary by hosting a formal costume ball, or Kostyumivka, at the Ukrainian Institute of America in New York City. The elegant affair will be a fundraiser to support humanitarian aid efforts in Ukraine. Secure your tickets here.
On Sunday, December 4 @ 2PM Notes From Ukraine, a concertdedicated to 100 years of “Shchedryk” and highlighting Ukrainian music and the connections between Ukrainian and American cultures, will take the stage at Carnegie Hall. Secure your tickets here!
In Washinton, D.C.:
On November 15-17, the Ukrainian National Information Service (UNIS) and the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA) “Ukrainian Days” advocacy event will be held after the midterm elections. Register here.
On Wednesday, November 30 @ 5:30-8:30PM, the U.S. – Ukraine Foundation will host the D.C. premier of Freedom on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom, an incredible documentary film by Evgeny Afinevsky is a sequel to his 2015 documentary Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom. Info on how to secure tickets to come!
In Massachusetts:
The Oxbow Gallery in Easthampton, MA will be showing a series of new oil paintings by Joanne Holtje, “Lamentations,” from October 27-November 27, 2022. Begun in early 2022, this series served as a way for her to bear witness to the horror of the invasion of Ukraine. The proceeds of sales from the show, plus an additional 20% match from an anonymous donor will be donated to Razom.
The Grimshaw-Gudewicz Art Gallery at Bristol County Community College in Fall River, MA will be showing an exhibition called Eye of the Beholder (Don’t Close Your Eyes): Ukrainian Artists Respond to the War,from November 10-December 22. With over 120 pieces on display, these works evoke the resolve and the anguish of the Ukrainian people and what they are experiencing as events unfold. All art is on sale, with 50% of the sale price going to the artist and 50% to humanitarian organizations like Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation and Come Back Alive.
In Illinois:
On Saturday, November 12 @ 6PM the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art in Chicago is hosting its annual fundraising gala “Ukraine My Love”. It will feature Ukrainian-American artist Ola Rondiak as the keynote speaker and Serhiy FOMA Fomenko, a Ukrainian fusion folk singer from Mandy. Buy your tickets here.
In California:
On Monday, November 14 @ 5PM UCSD in San Diego will invite Volodymy Rafayenko to speak alongside Marianna Kiyanovska. Volodymyr Rafeyenko is a Ukrainian writer, poet, translator and critic. He initially wrote entirely in Russian, but following the outbreak of Russian aggression in 2014 he switched to Ukrainian. “Mondegreen: Songs about Death and Love” is his first novel in Ukrainian whose English translation was funded by the Razom Translates project.
In Florida:
Introducing to the world: KOLO, an unparalleled immersive visual experience and theatrical dance show celebrating the rich artistic and cultural heritage of Ukraine! The first of its kind, KOLO is the brainchild of award-winning, Ukrainian-bred competitive ballroom dancers and partners, Iaroslav and Liliia Bieliei, both natives of Kyiv who now call Los Angeles home. The show is launching its North American tour in Florida:
Thank you so much for reading this newsletter, sharing it, generously donating to many of our important projects, and for showing your support of Ukraine. We are immensely grateful.
Tuesday, November 8 is Election Day, and this year’s election is critical to ensure that Ukraine continues to receive the necessary support from the United States. Our team at Razom Advocacy encourages everyone who is eligible and cares about the future of Ukraine to make sure to vote by the time the polls close.
Why Should You Vote?
While voting is an important part of our civic duty as members of society, it also has an impact on the support that Ukraine will receive for the next two years. Many people do not turn out for midterm elections, but your vote is crucial at a time when many House and Senate chairmanships are due to change in 2023 and districts have been redrawn after the 2020 census. Only by voting can you show that Americans value continued support and aid to Ukraine.
It may sometimes feel that your single vote will not make much of a difference. However, many elections are decided by a relatively small number of votes, especially once you look past the larger races. In the last twenty years, there have been more than a dozen races decided by a single vote or ending in a tie, and many more have been decided by less than 1% of the vote.
How Should You Vote?
Voting processes differ vastly from state to state, and many states have already opened early voting for the past few weeks – and we are sure many of you have already voted. (If you have, thank you!)
If you have not yet voted, here are some resources to determine the best way to do so in your area:
Over 20 states allow voters to register on Election Day. If your state is one of them and you’re not registered, make sure you bring proof of residency with you to your polling place, such as a driver’s license or ID card. You can find out more information on the registration requirements for your state here.
You can locate your polling place by using Vote.org’s Polling Place Locater. It’s good to make a plan! Decide when you will vote and how you will get there – many local transportation options have discounts or special services to help voters access the polls.
Know your rights – check what you will need to bring with you, such as ID, before you leave. If you are in line when the polls close, keep your place – as long as you stay in line, you will be able to vote. If you experience any issues or anyone attempts to stop you from voting, call the election protection hotline at 866-687-8683 to report it. More information on Election Protection can be found here.
Vote.org’s Ballot Information page provides information on all of the candidates that will be on your ballot. If their stance on Ukraine isn’t readily available, a quick Google search of their name and Ukraine can bring up previous statements they may have made around the issue.
On Election Day, we can all play an important role in ensuring continued support for Ukraine from the United States. Thank you for your advocacy.
We are excited to share with you our series Razom Says Dyakuyu. “Dyakuyu” means “thank you” in Ukrainian. Our work supporting Ukraine and getting humanitarian aid on the ground where it is needed most, would not be possible without the generous donations made by donors. With this series, we are highlighting some of the amazing donors and unique fundraisers that have supported Razom.
The power of fundraising lies in the power of communities. When Vadim Fedotov, a retired principal dancer of the Taras Shevchenko National Opera House of Ukraine and a resident of Florida, shared his vision of bringing the National Ballet to Orlando with his friend Marc McMurrin of the Ginsburg Family Foundation, a plan was born. Having spent significant time in Ukraine and come to call it his second home, Marc loved the idea of bringing the abundant Ukrainian culture to Orlando, his native place.
After four months of careful planning, on August 27, the prestigious Steinmetz Hall welcomed thousands of Orlando residents and guests from out of state for a performance of the National Ballet of Ukraine. The evening yielded $800,000 raised for humanitarian relief in Ukraine. Razom is grateful to be one of the beneficiaries of this incredible effort by the Orlando community.
“We stand with the Ukrainian people and are honored to have Razom as one of the beneficiaries for this event raising funds and bringing awareness for a more prosperous and victorious Ukraine” – Alan H. Ginsburg
Highlighting Ukrainian culture, the program featured excerpts from some of the most breathtaking classical ballets. You can learn more about the project and watch the entire performance at https://ukraineballetbenefit.com/.
The evening also honored and paid tribute to Vadim Fedotov who had passed untimely several months prior to the Benefit concert — a concert he had envisioned. Maestro Fedotov choreographed two of the pieces in the program: Myroslav Skoryk’s “Melody” and “Mariupol” set to the music by Mozart. The latter featured striking images of destroyed Mariupol buildings. The dancers of the National Ballet that transformed the viewer included the incomparable Olena Filipieva. Maestro Sergii Golubnychyi conducted the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra presenting to the attendees Ukrainian composers among the more traditional ballet fare.
As the guests entered the building, the Bach Festival Choir conducted by Viktoriia Konchakovskaya sang a selection of Ukrainian songs. The Bach Festival Choir also performed American/Ukrainian national anthems and the Prayer for Ukraine later in the program. Guests were asked to wear Ukrainian National colors, and sunflowers decorated the reception hall.
The entire cost of the performance was underwritten by presenting sponsors: Ginsburg Family Foundation, Nemours Children’s Health, Universal Orlando, Dr. Phillips Center, Haddock Family Foundation, Rosen Hotels & Resorts and Kathy Morgan & Marty Rubin, which enabled 100% of all ticket sales, sponsorships, as well as proceeds from Silent and Live Auctions to go to causes benefiting Ukraine.
Razom would also like to thank our partners, Ukraine Veteran Fund, and Svitlana Kashenets for suggesting Razom as a beneficiary of the concert.
During September 16-24th, Razom facilitated a medical mission for the group of 11 American doctors and nurses from AAFPRS (American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery) to deliver advanced reconstructive surgeries and corrective plastic procedures to patients who suffered as a result of russia’s war on Ukraine. In the spirit of collaboration and learning, American and Ukrainian colleagues worked side by side at the medical facility of Ivano Frankivsk Oblast Hospital.
On May 22, 2022, we received an email that read:
“My name is Dr. Manoj Abraham and I am a Facial Plastic Surgeon based in New York. I am the Chair of the Face To Face Committee, the humanitarian arm of the American Academy of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery and I am a Governor for the American College of Surgeons. We are looking to partner with anyone sending medical teams to safe areas in Ukraine or surrounding areas to help treat those with facial injuries from the war – we have experience doing this previously in Croatia. We will need to connect with hospitals and doctors in the local area to help coordinate, and I am hoping you can put me in touch with anyone who can help with making these arrangements. My contact information is listed below. I look forward to hearing from you.
Thanks, Manoj”
This email started a massive collaboration that resulted in the Razom x Face to Face Medical Mission, giving 31 Ukrainians, military and civilians alike, extremely complex reconstructive surgeries and a chance to have a normal life.
Our team immediately saw the incredible potential and the major challenge of implementing such a mission, especially in the ongoing war. At first, it seemed almost impossible to find and connect all the dots to make it happen. Even the American College of Surgeons sadly informed Dr. Manoj T. Abraham:
“Many of you have reached out to us, asking how you can contribute to the care of victims in war-torn Ukraine.
At this time, no current role or mechanism exists for safe travel to help in person.”
But Razom’s team decided to embrace the challenge. We mobilized all connections and resources available to us to ensure that such an altruistic and invaluable for Ukrainian people intention becomes a reality.
Razom for Ukraine has been bringing doctors from the US to Ukraine since 2016 to work with surgeons on the ground and perform neurosurgery as a part of The Co-Pilot Project initiated and run by Razom’s co-founder Mariya Soroka and her husband, Dr. Luke Tomycz, Neurosurgeon at The Epilepsy Institute of New Jersey. The project has been a huge success and has given us a decent network of Ukrainian and American healthcare professionals and partners.
Hundreds of hours, miles of correspondence, and countless Zoom calls went into planning this mission. First, we connected with Dr. Ivanka Nebor – ENT doctor, founder, and president of INgenius, a platform for the development of medicine and science in Ukraine. Thanks to her professional network of young physicians in Ukraine, we were able to install the first wheel to the Face to Face vehicle.
We needed a hospital with operating theaters, postoperative care units, inpatient wards, and possible intensive care units. It was vital not to disrupt the care that was already being provided to the patients. The Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Clinical Hospital and Ukrainian ENT doctor Natalia Komashko and her team courageously embraced a massive workload by taking on a lot of challenging cases in a short period of time.
Dr. Natalia Komashko and Dr. Ivanka Nebor
Finding the Ukrainian doctors and a hospital both interested and able to facilitate the American doctors’ efforts was only the beginning. Ahead of us laid a lengthy and complex process of recruiting and screening the patients. INgenius has utilized its platform and social media outreach to spread the word.
Patients’ stories moved, shook, and horrified us.The survivors of russian aggression hailed from locations notorious for war crimes and atrocities, such as Bucha, Sumy, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Kyiv, and Izyum. Repairing facial scars could be the final stage in their arduous medical journeys, allowing them to finally get closure, feel whole again, and return to society. Understanding that recuperation and readjustment to society are greatly aided by psychological rehabilitation, Razom invited our “Razom With You” therapists from the Ivano-Frankivsk Support Center to help the patients cope and process what happened to them.
English subtitles are available for this video
There were a large number of applications, but only the 34 most complicated ones could be selected. Not only did the patients need all of the supporting medical documentation for the screening process, but they also had to be physically able to withstand long hours of complicated surgeries.
After months of planning, long hours of surgery, and heartbreaking patient stories, this mission has deeply touched every participant. The American doctors’ and nurses’ incredible selfless devotion to helping people will long be remembered and appreciated by all Ukrainians.
The goal of this mission isn’t only to perform the medical procedures but to teach the Ukrainian doctors employ these incredible technologies in their practice. Throughout the entire week, all surgeries were broadcasted and available live for all medical professionals in Ukraine to observe and learn. Razom’s focus was always to support the democracy and prosperity in Ukraine, and modern healthcare is a vital part of any society. We strive to continue developing the avenues for education and experience exchange on both sides of the Atlantic by implementing more missions and projects that aid this process.
Please, donate to help us rebuild Ukraine and ensure that Ukrainian people have access to technologies available in the modern healthcare field
