To unite the living and honor the fallen: Ukrainians are invited to participate in the Marathon of Heroes
25 March 21:12
Ukrainian defenders have united around a great patriotic idea to hold the Marathon of Heroes on April 13, the day the war with Russia began.
Together, we will remind the whole world that the war has been going on for 11 years, not 3, as many people think.
This event is important for solving problems and supporting those who defended Ukraine.
In the heart of Ukraine, in a Kyiv institution, a meeting of public activists of the veterans’ movement took place.
The event was jointly organized by representatives of the veterans’ and volunteer movement, the leadership of the All-Ukrainian Trade Union of Military, law enforcement officers, volunteers, volunteers and combatants, heads of influential NGOs, government agencies and active military personnel.
The result was a number of decisions: all participants agreed that the veteran community faces a significant number of challenges that require urgent solutions and the involvement of the general public, so it is necessary to expand the format of such discussions and draw the attention of not only Ukrainians but also the international community.
Therefore, the next event will be held in the format of an international conference of the veterans’ movement.
In order to engage Ukrainians, especially those who were forced to leave their homeland because of the war with Russia, in patriotic ideas, it was decided to hold an international “Marathon of Heroes” on April 13. This date is considered to be the beginning of the ATO and the war with Russia in 2014. Therefore, it is important to remind the world that Ukraine has been heroically resisting Russian aggression for 11 years, not 3, as many people think. As part of the event, the “Running for a Hero” campaign will take place, where participants will run the course wearing T-shirts with the names of fallen heroes to honor their memory.
The moderator and presenter was a well-known volunteer and TV presenter Andriy Dzhedzhula. He agreed to become an ambassador of the patriotic marathon.
“The Heroes’ Marathon is an opportunity to honor the memory of our Heroes, support veterans and remind the world that the war in Ukraine has been going on for 11 years. So please join us. Personally, I will run this race wearing a T-shirt with the names of Valeriy Syrenko, Yevhen Kabysh and Andriy Sydletsky. I knew these people very well, they sacrificed their lives for you and me and the rest of Ukrainians. So this is the least we can do to thank them for that.”
The event was attended by Georgiy Uchaykin, head of the Ukrainian Gun Owners Association.
“I hope that more and more citizens in our country will realize what our guys went through, and I hope that support for veterans at all levels, from the human to the state, will be at the proper level.”
Ivan Marunych – leader of the band KARTA SVITU, author of the hit song “Dog Patron”
“It is a great honor for me to attend this event and personally support veterans and servicemen who are now going through the warrior’s path. Everyone should understand that our support is very important for these people. That is why I am here today with my colleagues.”
Vlad Sotnikov, founder of the Maestro Air Bro drone operator school
“Our school was founded by veterans of this war with experience of real combat operations. This is very important to us because their experience and contribution are invaluable, as even our foreign instructors and partners have noted. We plan to continue to expand our cooperation with the veterans’ movement and scale up our activities.”
Anatoliy Polkovnikov, Head of the Ukrainian Center for International Partnership
“Today, veterans are at the forefront of shaping the national identity and patriotic consciousness of our youth. Who else but they, who sacrificed their lives and health for the sake of our freedom and independence, deserve respect and a special place in civil society. Their life story creates a new history of Ukraine. Therefore, in addition to a great honor, they also have a great responsibility. And we must always remember this.”
Oleksandr Bozhok, All-Ukrainian Center “Sport for All”
“Today we all honor the feat of war veterans and unconditionally support their initiatives to create establishments like BRO Pizza.”
Petro Voloshchenko, Maestro Air Bro drone operator school:
“We need more events like this to draw public attention to important issues related to the veteran movement. It is also a good opportunity to remind the world community that Ukrainian heroes have been defending not only our homeland but the entire civilized world from the Russian invasion for 11 years. In addition, the atmosphere of this place allows veterans to feel comfortable among their like-minded colleagues, so supporting such projects is very important.”
Valerii Yavorskyi, brand sommelier at Wines of the World
“Most of the men in my family are now at the front, so supporting the veterans’ movement is of particular importance to me. These are difficult times for our country, so joining forces around such causes is more important than ever.”
The organizers chose a symbolic venue for the event – Pizza BRO, founded by one of the veterans, Mykhailo Roschuk, who recently returned to civilian life.
Mykhailo Roschuk, ATO veteran
“I am very glad to see you today and I am grateful to you for supporting not only my restaurant, but also my fellow soldiers.”
The event was also attended by many well-known personalities and artists who are currently serving or preparing to join the Armed Forces. Among them were a well-known military psychologist Andriy Kozinchuk, singer, musician and sound producer Denys Musayev, as well as the Aviator band and Jemil Dzhalilov (Jemil Sax).
In conclusion, the organizers of the event, the BRO Community and the All-Ukrainian Trade Union of Military, Law Enforcement Officers, Volunteers and Combatants thanked the representatives of the Ukrainian business community: TAS life, MYCOND, SIC and AFF, who made the event possible, and agreed to continue supporting the initiatives of the veterans’ movement.
