Foolish-neko - Hairball

Ukraine Donation Guide Master Post

Multi-Purpose

United 24 has various fundraisers dedicated to defense and drones, medical aid, rebuilding Ukraine, humanitarian demining, and science and education. You can pick which one you want to contribute to under their various projects.

Liberty Ukraine uses funds for humanitarian aid, medical supplies, protective gear and equipment, and rehabilitation therapy. You can choose which campaign of theirs to donate to.

Come Back Alive is a charitable foundation that supports Ukraine's military with competent assistance while also focusing on security and defense. They also have projects that use sports to help veterans rehabilitate. You can choose which campaign to donate to.

Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation works to help both civilians and Ukraine's army. You can choose to donate to an active project or any of their general campaigns. Civilian aid campaigns cover temporary housing, supporting crisis and emergency responses, schools, demining, and healthcare. Military aid campaigns cover drones, optics units, communications equipment, and support of air defense teams.

Food Aid

World Central Kitchen works with local partners wherever they are providing food aid. They make sure meals and meal kits are what the local population eats. Even though there is no separate fundraising campaign for Ukraine (that I can see), they still do great work.

Animal Rescue

Hachiko Foundation works to help displaced pets and strays in frontline areas. They help with veterinary care, outdoor shelters, setting up feeding stations, and rehoming animals..

---

If you're on twitter, there are a number of groups and people that fundraise for Ukraine and for specific units fighting on the frontlines. If there is no official website, a PayPal for donations is listed in their profiles. When considering on whether to donate, always use your best judgement and donate to those you trust if you do not see what is listed is up to your standards.

@/Teoyaomiquu almost always has a fundraiser for Liberty Ukraine with a specified purpose. At the time of writing this, he is currently raising funds for engineering equipment such as excavators. One such excavator is already in Kursk. Follow him to stay up to date with what he's fundraising for.

Dyga's Paw (Twitter: @/dzygaspaw) is a smaller group that has recently raised funds for starlinks, drones, batteries, and Ecoflow generators. You can look at the fundraising campaigns they currently have on their website.

@/DefactoHumanity represents and founded Planet of the People with their website U(a)nited for Freedom. She frequently posts updates about their fundraisers and what their partners need. They are known for providing Frontline medical aid supplies, protective equipment and other military aid, technical equipment (starlinks, drones, scopes, etc), and infrastructure equipment (generators, vehicles, power stations, etc). They even have a merch store of the battalions they partner with if that's your jam. Here is their link tree if you wish to explore more. And in case you're curious, there is an article bout the founder here.

@/wilendhornets (Website) specialize in making high quality drones that have gotten a lot of praise from Ukraine's army. They have attracted a lot of media attention too. Check out their website for the list of articles that have been written about them. Their Twitter is very active with strike footage.

Ants Kitchen Hub (@/ants_kyiv) is a volunteer kitchen that makes dry rations for the Ukrainian army. They are more active on their other social media. To learn more about them, check out their link tree.

@/frontlinekit (Front Line Kitchen) is represented by Richard Woodruff. Originally they made shelf stable food for the Ukrainian army, but now their fundraising has branched out to other campaigns such as raising funds for medical supplies and drones. They are a well known group that many battalions have come to for help.

@/bekamaciorowski (Rebekah Maciorowski) is as combat medic and nurse who helps provide medical care and civillians at the frontlines. She raises funds for medical supplies and other equipment, but also helps train soldiers in first aid. More of her social media that features her work can be found in her link tree.

@/UkraineAidOps (Website) is another organization battalions frequently go to for help. They fundraise for all sorts of equipment from medical supplies to drones. If you're interested, they also have a shop with patches from different brigades and flags signed by soldiers. Their shop also includes a separate section called the Victory Gallery where artifacts from the war are turned into art. This includes shells that are painted on, scrap metal from downed enemy planes are turned into keychains, and pieces of a rocket are turned into lamps.

Chris Garrett is the co-founder of Prevail. His organization deals with humanitarian demining as well as training for trauma care, training of bomb disposal, and education to the public. Prevail works with local agencies in Ukraine as well as the army.

--

I am sure I have forgotten some, so please reply or comment with any more I should add to this master post. I will edit and update as I see and evaluate more.

Last updated: Aug. 12th, 2024

Kateryna Shtanko (Ukrainian, 1962- ) Illustration of childrens tale "Золотий черевичок" (Golden shoe) from the series of folk tales "100 Казок" published by Publishing House "A-ba-ba-ha-la-ma-ha". Kateryna won 1st prize of the "Book of the Year" contest in 2003 for her work.

Скрізь наприкінці часів

Проєкт англійського музиканта та композитора, що відображає поступову втрату когнітивних функцій у людини, яка страждає на деменцію.

Псевдонім, створений Джейсоном Кірбі, буквально можна перекласти як "Доглядач". 6 альбомів є немов музичним супроводом внутрішнього стану, це мелодія захворювання. Кожен альбом відображає певну стадію деменції/хвороби Альцгеймера.

Перший альбом складається з композицій, що нагадують музику першої половини 20го сторіччя, відтворену на грамофоні. Може навіть виникнути враження, що пригадуєш цю музику зі старих чорно-білих кінострічок. Цей альбом навіює приємну ностальгію і здається, що це просто стара музика.

Другий альбом має більш меланхолійний настрій. Прекрасна тремтлива музика, немов зі старої екранізації казки, навіює мрійливий настрій. Вона така щемлива й чарівна, немов звучить уві сні. Хіба що платівку іноді "заїдає", шуми стають сильнішими, а на композицію накладається інша музика, мов запис зверху. Музика віддаляється, звучить звіддаля, мов розливається вулицею за вікном.

(Цей альбом навіяв мені мої дитячі спогади. У дитинстві мене дуже тривожила музика або звуки телевізора від сусідів чи з поближніх будинків. Коли вони лунають з чужих вікон й ніби розчиняються у повітрі - далекі, викривлені, лункі, ніби долинають з якогось іншого світу. Майже нереальні. Примарні. Мені здавалося, що я чую музику з якогось іншого світу або голоси потерчат. Мені було дуже шкода тих потерчат, тому цей ефект далекої музики мене дуже лякав та засмучував.)

В третьому альбомі музика починає рипіти, затинатися. В ній все ще можна впізнати щемливу та ніжну композицію, схожу на супровід чарівного доброго сну, але звуки стають протяжнішими та ламаними. Це немов спокійна та млосна гарячка, покладена на музику. Щось сентиментальне та красиве, але якимсь дивним, неусвідомлюваним чином викривлене. Іноді музика лине, викликаючи занепокоєння своєю спокійною умиротвореною викривленістю, а деколи кілька акордів повторюються по колу, немов пісня, з якої пам'ятаєш тільки початок та повторюєш його знову та знову, намагаючись відтворити ціле. В цілому музика в третьому альбомі звучить, як спогад, який важко пригадати - він повторюється, прокручується, викривлений та розмитий, але все ще впізнаваний. З кожним разом спогад втрачає якісь деталі, доки не стає чимось гротескним та чужим.

Композиції в третьому альбомі нагадують назви з попередньої творчості Доглядача, але переплутані або помилкові, як назва, яку наче пам'ятаєш, але лише асоціативно.

В четвертому альбомі з періодів шумів та тиші виринають лише окремі звуки та уривки, що нагадують ту сентиментальну музику. Знайомий мотив все ще там, за викривленням та зайвими звуками, лунає на тлі, немов намагається пробитися крізь перепони на передній план. Музикант мов намагається зіграти ту саму мелодію на зламаному інструменті і не зупиняється попри його несправність та втрачені ноти, бо не усвідомлює, що щось не так з інструментом, а ноти на нотному папері майже стерлись. Мелодія звучить меланхолійно, як ніколи, та навіює відчуття самотності.

Головний мотив п'ятого альбому схожий на звуки старого зламаного радіо, що, забуте, працює в іншій кімнаті. Крізь ледь впізнавані звуки музики та гул прориваються нерозбірливі голоси. Або щось, що скидається на спотворений спів. Стара ностальгійна музика все ще там, якщо прислухатись. Здається, якщо добре налаштувати програвач, її вдасться послухати. Часом звук майже вирівнюється, на кілька секунд здається, що музика повернулась знов, та це не так. Нагромадження різких звуків, рипіння та шуму тривожать, серед них вчувається чоловічий голос, але слова неможливо розібрати. Десь там, серед хаосу, все ще існує пісня. Поступово навіть різке заїдання зникає, а ноти зливаються у якесь відлуння в порожній кімнаті. Звук порожнини, нескінченний, монотонний, моторошний, але чимось навіть лагідний. Інколи здається, що от-от знову зазвучить музика або щось подібне до неї, але це лише ілюзія серед відлуння.

Композиції з шостого альбому - це гул вітру у печері. Звук серед порожнечі, який складно відрізнити від тиші. Тихий, спокійний, далекий. Так могли б звучати печери або надра землі, якби були музикою. Так звучали б космос та порожнеча. Десь там, по той бік нездоланної товщі, є якийсь звук. А, може, це лише згадка про звук, ілюзія у повній тиші, шум крові у вухах. Поступово тиша наростає, поглинає все навколо. Аж раптом звук повертається - спершу наче останній акорд на органі посеред нічого, чарівний та загадковий. Він поступово перетворюється на несміливу мелодію, далекий та сумний голос співає щось піднесене й тужливе, а може це лише тремтіння музики створює враження голосу. Після довгої тиші знов лунає пісня. Не груба, не лякаюча, як у п'ятому альбомі. Вона заспокійлива та обнадійлива, як супровід фільму на сцені щасливого фіналу. І нарешті настає цілковита тиша.

Мені дуже сподобалась реалізація цього задуму. Якщо замислитись, то музика як втілення свідомості та її поступова деградація як алегорія до втрати когнітивних функцій - це чи не найкращий спосіб відобразити деменцію. Згасання розуму неможливо передати словами, адже на певному етапі зникають мова, емоції, асоціації, але все ще лишається якась частка сприйняття. Малювання могло би передати процес до певної межі, але музика виявилась найвлучнішою.

Спочатку сентиментальні, веселі та по-доброму старомодні мелодії звучать цілком нормально, але дуже повільно та непомітно вони деградують. Щось стирається, щось відпадає. Цілісна мелодія тьмянішає, викривлюється, губиться серед радіоперешкод, заїдає. Спершу складна, багатошарова, вона спрощується до одного монотонного гулу. Як на мене, це дуже наочне зображення того, як людський мозок через хворобу деградує та спрощується, втрачає "ноти" з загальної мелодії свідомості, аж доки не залишиться лише якийсь хрип, не схожий навіть на звук. Найстрашнішим є те, що наприкінці, коли тиша є майже панівною, неочікувано знов виникає звук. У якомусь останньому пориві він неначе відновлюється та знов стає мелодією - не тією, з якої все починалося, а сумної та тривожної. Страшно, бо навіть після годин "розкладання", а потім й майже тиші, ця мелодія раптом виникає, як якесь останнє зусилля проти цілковитого зникнення. Умиротворення та полегкість не наступають, ні, останні хвилини останнього альбому сповнені смутку, жалю, але й марної надії. Початкова музика вже давно зникла, але серед безповоротної порожнечі все ще триває боротьба.

Це гарне зображення хвороби. Перший альбом - це період, коли компенсаторні сили організму приховують симптоми. Це лише початок змін, які є безповоротними, але тіло з останніх сил підтримує нормальне життя. Дивовижно, що навіть коли смерть вже неминуча, наше тіло все же намагається працювати як зазвичай. Другий альбом - це помітні прояви згасання розуму, коли компенсаторних сил вже недостатньо, щоб втрати не були помітними. Щось втрачається, але тіло намагається працювати без загублених деталей. Третій альбом - це коли втрачено так багато, що поступово зникає усвідомлення, що чогось не вистачає. Тіло все ще чіпляється за те, що досі на місці, але поступово починає здаватись, що втрачене не потрібне. Що втраченого ніколи й не було. Четвертий альбом - це лише фрагменти особистості. Мозок деградований та втомлений настільки, що більше не здатний на щось більше, ніж контроль фізичних функцій тіла. Людина лишається сам на сам зі світом, який більше не впізнає. Вона невідомо де серед чужих людей, не розуміє як використовувати речі навколо, що зробити, аби полегшити біль від голоду, спрагу - не знає навіть, що те болісне відчуття є потребою. Вона не розуміє, хто вона, і є самотньою, бо більше не пам'ятає, що колись щось мала. Вона не може зрозуміти, чому все навколо таке незрозуміле та незнайоме, чому вона безпорадна. З п'ятого альбому лишаються лише рефлекторний страх та розгубленість. Тіло ще живе, але саме усвідомлення життя втрачене. Усвідомлення того, що біль є болем, втрачене - це щось, що присутнє, але неможливо пригадати, чому воно є. Можливо, так просто має бути. Шостий альбом - це останні тижні життя, коли мозок втрачає здатність підтримувати фізичні процеси в тілі. Тієї частини, яка пам'ятала як дихати чи ковтати, більше немає.

Мелодія на останніх хвилинах - це жорстока безжальна дійсність того, щоб бути живим. Мозок та тіло насправді не мають якогось органічного, інстинктивного розуміння невідворотності смерті. Попри атрофію мозок не "усвідомлює", що має померти. Він до останнього намагається контролювати функції, про необхідність яких досі "пам'ятає". Тіло досі намагається регенерувати тканини, органи все ще перетравлюють їжу, засвоюють речовини, формують випорожнення, продукують кров та нові клітини. Волосся та нігті все ще ростуть, виділяється слина. Навіть помираючи, мозок та тіло все ще намагаються регенерувати. Жити, ігноруючи розпад та деградацію. Продовжити звучати попри втрату більшості нот з мелодії. І це дуже страшно. Не дарма так багато людей мріє просто раптово померти уві сні, все ще більш-менш здоровими та свідомими.

Існує теорія, що ця мелодія в кінці - це "термінальна свідомість", явище, коли деякі люди з деменцією на останній стадії неначе приходять до тями перед самою смертю. Останній спалах свідомості.

Але, можливо, це просто останній сон. Коли людина вже навіть не може прокинутись, але мозок та тіло все ще виконують функції, які ще залишились. Хто знає, чи бачать люди з деменцією свій останній сон, коли знаходяться у термінальному стані. Можливо, коли мозок звільняється від необхідності контролювати роботу тіла, на коротку мить в нього вивільняється ресурс, щоб в останні миті зануритись у якісь залишки спогадів чи образів.

В будь-якому разі, це 6 годин поступової атрофії. Блаженного незнання, страху та приреченості, забування про цю саму приреченість та марної боротьби. Боротьби до найостаннішого звуку. Чуттєво і жорстоко.

Hi. Please read Beauplan's and Merimee's works I mention. I did it for a reason. You will discover something interesting.

Also, I see that you are Ukrainian, so I can give you this wiki page to read - Русини́ (від літописного д.-рус. роусинъ[1]) — народ, що становив основне населення Русі, етнонім українців до XVIII—XX ст. And also, these source (it's on eng).

I hope it helps you to discover something new about Ukrainian history. Have a good day.

Because series made me to think about this canon again

For years, I was confused about how to feel about Armand's book backstory.

Like. He's from Kyivan Rus', BUT at the same time from 15th century. Kyivan Rus' was feudal monarchy that existed from probably IX (at least we assume so, because it was mentioned under that name in 852, tho it's not popped from the air, you know) to 1240. From ~1240 to 1349 the country was Rus' Kingdom. After that, Ukraine was splitted between Poland, Lithuania and Moldavian principality. Tho, Ukrainians were called Ruthenians (Latin name for former nation of Kyivan Rus') up until 19th century. I've read Beauplan's and Merimee's works about Ukraine, and they call Ukrainians both Ukrainians and Ruthenians.

SO.

When was Andrii (yes, this is how you would pronounce Ukrainian variation of Ανδρεας or Andrew)? He was Ruthen from Kyivan Rus' or he was Ruthen from 14th century Rus' Kingdom? Or he was even later? Book says he was born in 1481. So, later. A lot later.

We also know that he was kidnapped and enslaved by Mongolians. Mongolians entered Kyiv in 1240, it was a 13th century, not the end of 15th.

AND I HAVE A THEORIES.

Vampires live very long. So, probably it could be a mistake. Maybe Armand is simply older. Maybe he was around in 1240. He was just a child back then. Probably centuries later he was like 'yeah that Mongolians they sold me... so... it was... um... 15th century... yes? no?' Maybe it's just miscount. And then he never bothered to fix that.

The book is written by Daniel if I remember correctly. Perhaps Armand was like 'dude I was in orthodox Christian church I didn't know what year it was, I almost forgot my name and appearance in the catacombs under Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra'. And Daniel asked Marius when he met Andrii. And Marius... Well, if you are around for 2 thousand years, you can remember things incorrectly. So, Daniel, who is American and know nothing about history of Ukraine, and Marius who maybe knows something about Kyivan Rus' because it was a huge and powerful country back then just made that. They counted and assumed that it was 1481. And it was wrong.

Armand is a liar. How we can know that his real name is Andrii? Maybe he had a friend who's name was Andrii and Armand stole it. Maybe he was Taras. Or Bohdan. Or Oleh. How we would know? And maybe he never saw Mongols. How we would know? How would Daniel know? Maybe it was just his grand grandmother who told she saw Mongolians and how they burnt Kyiv. And little Andrii (we can say he was a weirdo all along) was just 'wow I want that! how cool it would be!'. And then he was kidnapped. And assaulted. And sold as a slave. And little weird Andrii just wanted a little comfort in his misery and a cool story. And when Marius asked how Andrii was captured, he made up this cool story about Mongols. Maybe in reality it was something more... Common. Dark and common. Everything could happen. Maybe he was sold by his parents, and he denied it. Maybe it was abuse in that church. Maybe he ran away from church and somehow ended up on the slave market.

Actually, I tend to 3rd. Isn't it a western movie where little talented boy paint so beautifully that Prince Michael (Mykhailo II of Chernihiv I assume) orders one of his icons, but on the way he and his father are interrupted by Mongolians. Also, it was said that Andrii suffered an amnesia due to his trauma caused by life in a brothel. He even starts to learn how to paint from the start, like he never knew how to paint before. So, was he at Lavra at all? Was he an icon painter? We would never know. He could just go to the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, point at some old icon and say he drew it.

Or maybe some part of the story is true and some - isn't. I would speculate that Armand had an education. He wasn't a son of a hunter, no. He knew about Mongols. He knew who was the knyaz in 1240. But in 1481 Yurii Paz was knyaz. Mykhailo would be long dead by that time, obviously. So, how would little poor Andrii Ivanovych from 1481 know who was knyaz back when Mongols burnt Kyiv?)) A hunters son could not, he would not have an education, he would not know how to read or write, so history? Oh no, no way.

So, simply, we do not know who is Andrii. Is he Andrii at all? Was he born in 1481? Was he even 17 when Marius was thinking he was? Was his father a hunter named Ivan? Was he an icon painter at Lavra? probably yes and Ann Rice just didn't research enough

I just was thinking about it for years since I have read Vampire Armand. All these years I was wondering how he end up stolen by Mongols in 15th century...

Tho, it would be hilarious to see Armand's icon in Vampireverse Lavra. Imagine that. By the way, Lavra still have catacombs (I was there on tour). Maybe in Vampireverse some of Andrii's friends are there. Literally, their mummies as saints. He would arrive in Ukraine, in Kyiv and like 'oooh let's go see my old friends'. 'Look, Daniel, this is Marko, I knew him. Oh, and this is Illya, he looks better now, actually'. And then he would see his icon. And like... You know how it feels to see your artwork after some time. It's just not that good anymore, you know. You can do better now. Yes, this is how he would feel. It was a masterpiece in 1490s, he painted it for a year and a half. And now he can draw photo-like detailed art on his graphics tablet.

If you read this, thank you for the attention! Love you!

Since it somehow became a problem and I see that not everyone aware or that fact that Ukrainians were called русини (Ruthenians) until XX century, I will live here some sources:

For Ukrainians

Article on the website of the Institute of History of Ukraine of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine

Book from National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Institute of art studies, folkloristics and ethnology of M. T. Rylskyi

Wikipedia for the laziest ones (you can read the sources below the page)

For non-Ukrainians, eng source

Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies's article

Also for both: I still recommend Beauplan and Merimee, because they lived trough that times.

So, what I want to say. Yes, there are modern Ruthenians, which are self-name of an ethnographic group of Ukrainians living on the border of Transcarpathian Ukraine, Slovakia, Poland, as well as in Vojvodina. Because they preserved the ancient self-name of Ukrainians, that is, the people of Kyivan Rus. Until XX century worldwide, Ukrainians were known as Ruthenians, which shows Beauplan's and Merimee's history studies, for example. Nowadays, Ruthenians are an ethnic group of Ukrainians, but not all of us. But in the times of Kyivan Rus' and long after, all Ukrainians were called Ruthenians.

It's not good, it's not bad. It's just... It was history. Besides, it would be incorrect to call Kyivan Rus' people Ukrainians in history-AU because by that time there was no modern name 'Ukraine'. Yes, in fact they were ancestors of Ukrainians, but Ukraine was called (Kyivan) Rus' and at that time natives didn't call themselves Ukrainians. Like many other countries and nationalities changed their names through time. But name doesn't change US. We have history and there is nothing strange that Kyivan Rus' changed its name, it was more than a thousand years since.

Because series made me to think about this canon again

For years, I was confused about how to feel about Armand's book backstory.

Like. He's from Kyivan Rus', BUT at the same time from 15th century. Kyivan Rus' was feudal monarchy that existed from probably IX (at least we assume so, because it was mentioned under that name in 852, tho it's not popped from the air, you know) to 1240. From ~1240 to 1349 the country was Rus' Kingdom. After that, Ukraine was splitted between Poland, Lithuania and Moldavian principality. Tho, Ukrainians were called Ruthenians (Latin name for former nation of Kyivan Rus') up until 19th century. I've read Beauplan's and Merimee's works about Ukraine, and they call Ukrainians both Ukrainians and Ruthenians.

SO.

When was Andrii (yes, this is how you would pronounce Ukrainian variation of Ανδρεας or Andrew)? He was Ruthen from Kyivan Rus' or he was Ruthen from 14th century Rus' Kingdom? Or he was even later? Book says he was born in 1481. So, later. A lot later.

We also know that he was kidnapped and enslaved by Mongolians. Mongolians entered Kyiv in 1240, it was a 13th century, not the end of 15th.

AND I HAVE A THEORIES.

Vampires live very long. So, probably it could be a mistake. Maybe Armand is simply older. Maybe he was around in 1240. He was just a child back then. Probably centuries later he was like 'yeah that Mongolians they sold me... so... it was... um... 15th century... yes? no?' Maybe it's just miscount. And then he never bothered to fix that.

The book is written by Daniel if I remember correctly. Perhaps Armand was like 'dude I was in orthodox Christian church I didn't know what year it was, I almost forgot my name and appearance in the catacombs under Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra'. And Daniel asked Marius when he met Andrii. And Marius... Well, if you are around for 2 thousand years, you can remember things incorrectly. So, Daniel, who is American and know nothing about history of Ukraine, and Marius who maybe knows something about Kyivan Rus' because it was a huge and powerful country back then just made that. They counted and assumed that it was 1481. And it was wrong.

Armand is a liar. How we can know that his real name is Andrii? Maybe he had a friend who's name was Andrii and Armand stole it. Maybe he was Taras. Or Bohdan. Or Oleh. How we would know? And maybe he never saw Mongols. How we would know? How would Daniel know? Maybe it was just his grand grandmother who told she saw Mongolians and how they burnt Kyiv. And little Andrii (we can say he was a weirdo all along) was just 'wow I want that! how cool it would be!'. And then he was kidnapped. And assaulted. And sold as a slave. And little weird Andrii just wanted a little comfort in his misery and a cool story. And when Marius asked how Andrii was captured, he made up this cool story about Mongols. Maybe in reality it was something more... Common. Dark and common. Everything could happen. Maybe he was sold by his parents, and he denied it. Maybe it was abuse in that church. Maybe he ran away from church and somehow ended up on the slave market.

Actually, I tend to 3rd. Isn't it a western movie where little talented boy paint so beautifully that Prince Michael (Mykhailo II of Chernihiv I assume) orders one of his icons, but on the way he and his father are interrupted by Mongolians. Also, it was said that Andrii suffered an amnesia due to his trauma caused by life in a brothel. He even starts to learn how to paint from the start, like he never knew how to paint before. So, was he at Lavra at all? Was he an icon painter? We would never know. He could just go to the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, point at some old icon and say he drew it.

Or maybe some part of the story is true and some - isn't. I would speculate that Armand had an education. He wasn't a son of a hunter, no. He knew about Mongols. He knew who was the knyaz in 1240. But in 1481 Yurii Paz was knyaz. Mykhailo would be long dead by that time, obviously. So, how would little poor Andrii Ivanovych from 1481 know who was knyaz back when Mongols burnt Kyiv?)) A hunters son could not, he would not have an education, he would not know how to read or write, so history? Oh no, no way.

So, simply, we do not know who is Andrii. Is he Andrii at all? Was he born in 1481? Was he even 17 when Marius was thinking he was? Was his father a hunter named Ivan? Was he an icon painter at Lavra? probably yes and Ann Rice just didn't research enough

I just was thinking about it for years since I have read Vampire Armand. All these years I was wondering how he end up stolen by Mongols in 15th century...

Tho, it would be hilarious to see Armand's icon in Vampireverse Lavra. Imagine that. By the way, Lavra still have catacombs (I was there on tour). Maybe in Vampireverse some of Andrii's friends are there. Literally, their mummies as saints. He would arrive in Ukraine, in Kyiv and like 'oooh let's go see my old friends'. 'Look, Daniel, this is Marko, I knew him. Oh, and this is Illya, he looks better now, actually'. And then he would see his icon. And like... You know how it feels to see your artwork after some time. It's just not that good anymore, you know. You can do better now. Yes, this is how he would feel. It was a masterpiece in 1490s, he painted it for a year and a half. And now he can draw photo-like detailed art on his graphics tablet.

If you read this, thank you for the attention! Love you!

What Ukrainians ate to survive Holodomor

(translated excerpts from an Історична Правда article): + images source

The villagers would dig up the holes of the polecats to find at least a handful of grain hidden by these animals. They pounded it in a mortar, added a handful of oilcake (from hemp seed), beetroot, potato peelings, and baked something from this mixture.

Those who managed to hide at least a little grain would grind it in iron mills made from wheel axles and cook "zatyrukha" (a concoction made from a small amount of flour ground from ears of grain).

Acacia flowers were boiled and eaten raw, and green quinoa was mixed with crushed corn cobs. Those who could - and this was considered lucky - added a handful of bran. This food made their feet swell and their skin crack.

The peasants dried the husked ears of corn and millet husks, pounded them, ground them with weeds, and cooked soups and baked pancakes. Such dishes were impossible to chew, the body could not digest them, so people had stomach aches. Pancakes, the so-called "matorzhenyky", were made from oilcake and nettle or plantain.

It went so far that peasants would crumble straw into small chips and pound it in a mortar together with millet and buckwheat chaff, and tree bark. All this was mixed with potato peelings, which were very poisonous, and this mixture was used to bake "bread", the consumption of which caused severe stomach diseases.

There were cases when village activists took away and broke millstones, mortars, poured water on the heat in their ovens. After all, anything found or saved from the food had to be cooked on fire, and matches could only be purchased by bartering for their own belongings or by buying them in the city, which was impossible from villagers that were on "black lists".

Chestnuts, aspen and birch bark, buds, reed roots, hawthorn and rose hips, which were the most delicious, were used as food substitutes; various berries, even poisonous ones, were picked; grass seeds were ground into flour; "honey" from sugar beets was cooked, and water brewed with cherry branches was drunk. They also ate the kernels of sunflower seeds.

Newborns had the worst of it, because their mothers had no breast milk. According to testimonies, a mother would let her child suck the drink from the top of the poppy head, and the child would fall asleep for three days.

In early spring, the villagers began to dig up old potato fields. They would bake dumplings from frozen potatoes, grind rotten potatoes in a mash and make pancakes, greasing the frying pan with wheel grease. They also baked "blyuvaly" (transl. "vomities") from such potatoes and oatmeal mixed with water, which was so called because they were very smelly.

They ate mice, rats, frogs, hedgehogs, snakes, beetles, ants, worms, i.e. things that weren't a part of food bans and had never been eaten by people before. The horror of the famine is also evidenced by the consumption of spiders, which are forbidden to kill in Ukrainian society for ritual reasons.

In some areas, slugs were boiled into a soup, and the cartilaginous meat was chopped and mixed with leaves. This prevented swelling of the body and contributed to survival. People caught tadpoles, frogs, lizards, turtles, and mollusks. They boiled them, adding a little salt if there was salt. The starving people caught cranes, storks, and herons, which have been protected in Ukraine for centuries, and their nests were never destroyed. According to folk beliefs, eating stork meat was equated with cannibalism.

The consumption of horse meat began in 1931, before the mass famine. People used to take dead horsemeat from the cemeteries at night, make jelly out of it and salt it for future use.

Dead horses were poured with carbolic acid to prevent people from taking their meat, but it hardly stopped anybody. Dead collective farm pigs were also doused with kerosene to prevent people from dismantling them for food, but this did not help either.

After long periods of starvatiom, the process of digestion is very costing for the human body, and many people who would eat anything would drop dead immediately out of exhaustion.

If a family had a cow hidden somewhere in the forest, they had a chance to survive. People living near forests could hunt/seek out berries and mushrooms, but during winter this wouldn't save them. People living near rivers could fish in secret, but it was banned and punishable by imprisonment/death.

a folk song from chapayevka village, chornobyl region

this type of song is called голосіння (holosinnya — "keening"), and they are usually sang by women over the dead body during the period between death and funeral. in this song, the woman is mourning both her dead son, and the land that they were forced to leave due to the chornobyl disaster.

translation under the cut

We went there

The houses are overgrown

Can't see anything over the weeds

Oh my God

Thirty years had passed

Now I can't even recognize

Neither my house, nor my village

Oh my God, oh my God

Oh my son, my nightingale

My son, my little dove

How far they brought us

And I will never come to you again

And will never see you again

Oh, my land, my golden one

My land, my dear one

Oh, how far they brought us

That I can't come to you

Our roads, our paths are overgrown

And our houses, and everything

I can't even recognize

Not the village, nor any of our backyards

We got lost, can't even find our houses

Oh my God, oh my God

fun facts about ukrainian vampires (opyr)

• opyri can be of two origins: born and made. made opyri are made by witches, who can smear a baby with blood of a man who went to sleep without praying, thus making the child an opyr.

• opyri have two souls. when opyr dies, only one soul goes to the otherworld. this is why they continue living after death. they aren't immortal though, and only live post-death for seven years. you can presume the person who died was an opyr and will return later if right after their death was a great storm.

• they are very merry fellas and are known to sing, dance and play musical instruments. you can see them partying if you go to the village border at midnight. they also can be spotted smoking a pipe while laying in their coffin.

• opyr can turn into variety of different things: a child, a white or a black dog, a cat, a wolf, a horseman.

• if someone sneezes and you don't respond with "bless you" such person can become an easy target for opyr.

• to get rid of the opyr, you must take them into your arms and carry them across the town or village three times. classical stake to the heart works too.

As a Ukrainian fan of VC, I am very disappointed with the plot twist of the series. Of course, this could be predicted, but I hoped to the last that Armand's Ukrainian origin would be reflected at least in the series. It is very bitter that even in the 21st century, in a series that positions itself as modern and tolerant, Ukraine was again erased from history and canon.

They turned a blind eye to Ukraine. Again. And this is right now, when the genocide of the Ukrainian people and culture is taking place. They play up the narrative of a non-existent Ukraine, a Ukraine that invisible to the world.