These Ukrainian Models Share Their Experiences Standing Up Against Tyranny

MILAN, ITALY – FEBRUARY 27: Anti-war protesters hold pro-Ukraine signs outside the Giorgio Armani fashion show during Milan Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2022/2023 on February 27, 2022 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Valentina Frugiuele/Getty Images)

The fashion calendar inadvertently ran parallel to tragic news from Eastern Europe this season. Since February 24th, Ukraine has been the target of a reckless Russian military invasion under the orders of Vladimir Putin. One of the busiest times in fashion, simultaneously being a time marker for the growing war, was unnervingly surreal. As Milan Fashion Week began, the world helplessly stood witness to the beginning of a humanitarian crisis unseen since the last World War. When the creative cabine moved on to France, the industry’s mind was far from Paris as the conflict’s escalation threatened further; reports started coming in about Ukrainian creatives resisting on the ground via protests and internationally spreading awareness. Models like Pasha Harulia, Nastya Abramova, and Ratner demonstrated in protests from abroad to raise international awareness of the conflict. Lev Uliesov volunteered to fight for Ukraine as a combat medic and driver and the men in Bonnie Panasenko’s family joined the Ukrainian Therodefense. Meanwhile, many models like Snejana Onopka, Eugenia Dubinova, and Ivan Kozak remained in Ukraine, unable to escape before danger increased or unwilling to without their families. Now, as models band together in the face of oppression, Models.com took the below testimonies to account the realities of open war, global displacement, and the best way to support Ukraine during the Russian invasion.

Introduction by Irene Ojo-Felix
by Irene Ojo-Felix, Anire Ikomi, and Betty Sze

Snejana Onopka
Our life changed entirely, and it has been a total nightmare. I can’t understand why the whole world is watching this and can’t stop only one person. Everyone who says that Zelenskiy is a bad President it’s not true as he’s fighting tough with the Ukrainian people! Putin has been sitting in a bomb shelter and abandoned Russians long ago. He’s trying to destroy my country entirely, and he’s already destroyed so many cities. They bombed Kyiv, and so many people have died. My mom’s friend was killed in my hometown of Severodonetsk. It’s a nightmare and spreading the message on social media has also been difficult. I put a post up about No War in Ukraine and since that day, I’ve had a shadowban. I can’t post anything except stories and no one can see my comments. I can’t understand why the platform is doing this and has blocked so many Ukrainian bloggers talking about the war. From the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank those Russian people who, no matter what, come out to realize and shout ‘No War!’

Sasha Knysh
When I first found out, I was in Dallas for a job. It was the evening there, so I was alone in the hotel scrolling news when I saw that Putin was making an announcement. I turned it on, it was the end of his speech and he announced “a special operation.” The first few days were surreal — reading the news, being on the phone with my mom all day long, trying to figure out how to help my family and friends. Feelings of fear and anger engulfed me, but at the same time, seeing how brave our people are, how strong they are, and how inspiring our president is made me feel so proud and touched. Ukrainian people are incredible. Now I’m trying to do what I can to help Ukraine. I want to ask everyone to support Ukraine – protest in your city, share information on your platform, and donate. Only together can we save Ukraine and save the world.

“Some people learned that the term “refugee” isn’t defined by skin color, nationality, country of origin, or religious beliefs. That “refugee” isn’t something that represents a person but a status.” – Ratner

Ratner
When I heard about the invasion, I was in Paris for work with two of my Ukrainian best friends who visited Paris and stayed at my place. We jokingly called ourselves the sofa troop battalion. We barely ate or slept and when we did, one of us was awake to monitor the news. Being 2000 km away, I could only become a part of the cyber team against the Russian invasion. I used my Instagram and my audience to share and navigate and filter tons of information coming from all sides. I’ve’ shared over 600 photos and posts during the first five days, including people seeking help, information for those trying to flee, how to stay somewhat safe during attacks and find shelter, contact numbers, links, sources. I also took part in blocking propaganda accounts and bots. Redirected people to local volunteers and donated. Later, we went to manifestations in Paris. Then we brought humanitarian help, four bags of whatever we could buy. Putin is responsible for way more wars than many people think he is. Chechnya, Georgia, Syria, and others. We’re now fighting for our independence, freedom, sovereignty, a chance for the Russian people to break free from dictatorship, and the safety of the rest of Europe. Some people learned that the term “refugee” isn’t defined by skin color, nationality, country of origin, or religious beliefs. That “refugee” isn’t something that represents a person but a status. The most significant source of strength was seeing how every Ukrainian morphed into one big, insanely strong, and beautiful organism. We have never been more connected, more united, or more in love with our country.

Lev Uliesov
The day after the war started, I went with my Dad to the military registration to volunteer. They put me in the database, and I signed a one-year contract with the military; my father came straight to the front line to join me. There was 0 fear from the start till now. I worry about my family and the people I love. I’m currently in the Kyiv region, in Brovary. My mind needs to be ready; we are preparing everything to welcome Russian troops. To survive this, it will take a lot of work and huge preparation, so I’m training, preparing the location, and helping with the medicine. I’m a combat medic and driver, so I have a lot of work to do. I need to save our soldiers with first aid help and evacuation. I’m fully packed 24/7 with my gun, armor, and first aid kit to be ready at any time to get the call. Every day, sometimes, I can hear artillery attacks for the whole day. My parents’ village got attacked, and there were some wounded. Life right now is fighting with your emotions. We’re going to win no matter what. Please close the sky.

Andrii Kyian
On February 24th at 5:40 AM, we got crazy news that Russia started a war with Ukraine. Can you imagine in 2022? It hurts to accept what is happening now, and we are in danger every day, but we are strong and will never give up. People ran away from their homes in horror, not knowing where to go, leaving their homes and livelihoods because they knew they were destroyed. There is a shortage of food, water and we do not know what awaits us tomorrow.

Ivan Kozak
I am currently still in Ukraine with my brother; we drove our family to the western part of Ukraine to the “safer” part. My strength has come from the beautiful people around me united for our freedom and children. Our military has sacrificed their lives to protect us from the Russian invasion. Our president has shown us that there is no distance between each and many. Our volunteers have created logistics to bring in meds, food, water to those who need them the most. Through Instagram, all the people that I know have united to help those in need. We showed the whole world that it’s pointless to fear Ukrainians and there is no such thing as privilege or status—only empathy and solidarity. I want to clarify to the world that there are many wonderful people in Russia that I’ve met throughout the years who have stood against tyranny and propaganda. They’ve been caught at protests and imprisoned. Those who come to take our freedom from us will never take anything except the death of their spirit.

Pasha Harulia
I was in Paris at that moment and my husband woke me up saying that Ukraine was getting bombed. We already knew that there would be protests in front of the Russian embassy in Paris in the morning. We, along with our friends, joined the protest, and after, I visited every rally in the city. We donated money to the volunteers in Ukraine, both for the army and humanitarian needs. There is a Ukrainian organization called Plast, which is doing a tremendous amount of work. We donated products there, and honestly, I was flattered by how supportive French people are. What has given me strength is the ability of the Ukrainian people to unite and overcome all the differences they have to fight and defend our homeland. I think every citizen of Ukraine these days is proud and ready to do all it takes to save our country.

Evgenia Dubinova
I was at home in Ukraine recovering from getting COVID when life took a completely different direction. For eight days straight, my reality was waking up in the bomb shelter, reading the news, checking outside if everything was ok in our surrounding area, drinking a lot of coffee, reading the news for another 6 hours, back to the bomb shelter, sleep. Every day was the same. I decided with my boyfriend that I needed to go somewhere safer to volunteer there, so we traveled two days to reach Lviv, around 80 block posts, and slept one night in the church as a shelter. Now I am better, working nonstop as PR Manager for the Lviv Defence Battalion. What gives me strength is calling my Dad and hearing, “one day soon, you will come home, and we will be happy and free again.” That makes me cry because I pray for this day to come closer.

Bonnie Panasenko
I was in NYC when Russia invaded Ukraine and woke up in the morning with fear for everyone I know, all of my family members, friends, and people I grew up with there. It’s’ honestly been hell every day, living in fear for the lives of my loved ones. My best friend has lived in a bomb shelter for days in Kyiv; the rest of my family is in the middle of Ukraine, helping as much as they can. All of the men in my family are in the Therodefense, including my 18-year-old cousin. This fear has united all of us Ukrainians as never before; I don’t’ know a single person that is not involved. I strongly believe that the war will be over soon, with victory on the Ukrainian side, so I started working on a charity project with NYC base developers to rebuild the new Ukraine since Russian forces are destroying everything. We’re going to involve kids’ drawings made in bomb shelters and convert them into NFTs, with donations going to organizations helping to rebuild schools, playgrounds, orphanages, and hospitals.

“We have to fight for our freedom. We have to fight against propaganda, lies, fascism, and evil itself.” – Nastya Abramova

Ostap Chumichev
I was in Spain on a direct job when I learned about the war. I woke up at 5 AM to my wife’s friend calling me saying the war had started and she couldn’t get through to her. It was instantly an emergency, and she urgently needed to be awakened to collect the necessary things, like a passport, as at any moment you could need to go down to a bomb shelter. I called a friend who was not sleeping and asked him to come to our apartment and wake my wife up. I had the task of getting my wife to a safe place, which we did for the next four days until she left for Poland. My parents are now in a city where they are bombing everywhere and I haven’t been able to get through to them for 11 days now. I don’t know if they are alive or not and the last message that I received from my father was, “hello, we are still holding on!” My friends’ apartments were destroyed, and peaceful and innocent people died.

Kirill Kabachenko
I was in New York temporarily living with my friend in Brooklyn when I found out Ukraine was getting invaded. I woke up and saw in the news that Russia dropped bombs in several places across the country. Right now, people who were able to escape the war zone require housing and jobs. After much difficulty, I was able to bring my Mom here, and right now we are looking for a temporary place for her to stay and work while we figure out our next moves. Many organizations support refugees in the long run, but it is tough to get immediate help. The real help comes from individual people who have created platforms for those who need housing and jobs. If you know someone from Ukraine personally, check on them, they might need help now.
https://sokolroom.com – If you can / are looking to hire someone, please post it here.
https://icanhelp.host – If you can host someone, please post it here.

Nastya Abramova
I’m volunteering in the Ukrainian Consulate here in Milan, sorting out things to be departed, sent to Ukraine, and other humanitarian aid. Seeing people bring everything like baby food, clothing, food, medicines — it is just powerful to see what’s going on right now. Also, the same with the protests — to see and feel people’s energy. My love for the culture is because we have to fight for our authenticity and independence. We have to fight for our freedom. We have to fight against propaganda, lies, fascism, and evil itself. I’m doing an NFT collection of pictures I took on my last visit to Ukraine on film to raise money for Ukraine.

Danny Galushka
Before February 24th, we could only see a possible escalation of the war in Donbas since Russia recognized the self-declared states of Donetsk and Luhansk. Nobody thought that this crazy full-scale war could start the way it did, but I remember a conversation with my parents, and I said back then that if there ever were a war, all our plans, our lives, and the life of a whole nation would be destroyed. My parents lost their jobs from day one; all my friends lost their jobs and businesses, too. The majority of people that I know from my hometown Kharkiv – left the city and went to the western Ukraine region or some other European country. This war just put our lives upside down in one day. I joined “Ukrainian IT forces” to fight Russian propaganda remotely. I believe that the modern war is always informational, so I spread the truth about what is going on in Ukraine. Of course, I donate whenever I can. We all do these days.

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