Ukrainians in London: meet those who are helping out their home country

“We have to do everything we can”

Social media strategist Val Voshchevska is raising money for Ukraine’s most vulnerable women

Val Voshchevska says life as she knew it ended on 24 February at 4am. ‘Like a lot of Ukrainians living abroad, as soon as I heard the news I knew I had to stop everything and just focus on helping my country,’ says the 30-year-old, who was working as a social media strategist for NGOs. Before the invasion she was organising a women’s march in Ukraine. Now she is collecting money for women who urgently need help.

‘No one is able to work, most of the men are fighting and many women and children are stuck in vulnerable situations,’ she explains. One of those women was her grandmother, who is 85 and has Parkinson’s disease. ‘She was stuck in a basement in the government quarters of Kyiv for five days,’ she says. ‘Thankfully my uncle has been able to get her to safety across the border.’

Voshchevska says many of her friends have undertaken fundraising efforts for causes such as bomb shelters for the LGBTQ+ community or bulletproof vests. ‘The guilt we feel at being far from home and not able to protect our families is palpable. We have to do everything we can.’

Social media has been vital to share information, raise funds and stop misinformation. ‘We’re inundated with questions from people in London who want to help and don’t know how,’ she says. ‘I’m working on bringing all the resources together and making sure everything is verified and checked.’ For Voshchevska, the west London community where she lives has been ‘vital’. ‘I always felt a strong Ukrainian presence here but now it’s like another level.’

“This has given me a purpose”

Kyiv native Aleksandra Artamonovskaja curated an NFT charity auction that raised $1 million in 30 seconds

Every day starts the same way for Aleksandra Artamonovskaja. The co-founder of Electric Artefacts, an agency and curatorial advisory for digital art, picks up her phone to check WhatsApp and Telegram to see that her friends and family are safe. ‘It’s hard to focus on work because my mind is over there,’ she says. ‘It’s frightening and bewildering. My mum and brother were able to get out but my dad, my grandma and many of my friends are still there. The situation intensifies by the hour. It feels really hopeless and scary.’

But Artamonovskaja, who lives in west London, turned those feelings into action as part of a group of artists, influencers and NFT enthusiasts who set up RELI3F, an online auction of NFT artworks featuring 37 artists, many of them Ukrainian. The sale raised $1 million (£758,000) in 30 seconds. ‘We were blown away,’ says Artamonovskaja, who has lived here for 10 years. ‘Watching the global online community rally for this cause has been amazing. Being able to do something, however small, has given me a purpose.’ RELI3F has wired about half the money raised to three causes that directly accept cryptocurrency: Ukraine-based military charity Come Back Alive, local media vetted by news site The Kyiv Independent, and the medical group Hospitallers.

‘The transparency of the blockchain makes it ideal for humanitarian aid,’ she explains. ‘You can see where your money is going and it sidesteps bureaucracy.’ She says her family is proud of what she’s doing. ‘I don’t know if my grandmother understands how NFTs work exactly but last time I was over there she helped me pick a Bored Ape so she definitely has good taste.’

“We’re fighting for our lives and our freedom”

Dima Deinega from Kyiv now lives in Richmond and has helped set up the Cook For Ukraine campaign

When Dima Deinega launched his craft vodka brand, Dima’s, in March 2020 he was hoping it would showcase his home country in a positive light. But in Ukraine’s darkest hour it has become a way of raising funds and spirits. ‘Apart from my mother, all my family are in Kyiv. I’m in direct contact with them every two hours. Each conversation I wonder if it’s the last time I’ll speak to them.’

Dima’s has teamed up with cocktail bar The Gibson to sell four pre-bottled cocktails, including Kyiv’s Coffee, a reimagined Espresso Martini inspired by Dima’s homeland. ‘My hope is that people will share the drinks with friends and talk about what’s going on,’ he says. ‘All the money from sales will go directly to small charities who are helping people on the ground.’ Last month he joined forces with cocktail bar Pinch to host the first of many fund-raisers, which collected £5,000 for British-Ukrainian Aid.

Along with Ukrainian chef Olia Hercules, Deinega has been involved in setting up the Cook for Ukraine campaign. Restaurants across the UK have been adding donation options to bills, and the pair are planning a supper club. At the time of writing, the movement had raised £50,000 for Unicef.

‘It’s amazing seeing how the world has come together,’ he says. ‘I feel like people are seeing the resilience and grit of Ukrainian people. We’re fighting for our lives and our homes but also our freedom.’