In the framework of the civil-military cooperation of the Command of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and Protect The Future Charitable Foundation, on the initiative of the commander, Lieutenant General Serhii Nayev, during the Christmas and New Year holidays more than 6,000 children and wounded servicemen received greetings in the form of sweet gifts along with various festive performances.
In addition, at the invitation of the commander, more than 300 children - young patients of Kyiv and Chernihiv hospitals, as well as children of Ukrainian defenders, - attended the patriotic festive extravaganza "Spirit. Power. Volya" in the National Circus of Ukraine.
— Our hearts in this difficult time must preserve the spark of kindness, the military together with benefactors are always ready to give a piece of their soul to every child, — said the commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Serhii Naev.
"St. Nicholas - ZSU" initiative has started in the Garrison Church of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in honor of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, which is located on the territory of the National Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of Ukraine.
St. Nicholas together with assistants visited small patients in children's hospitals and children orphanages located in the Northern operational zone, namely - Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Nizhyn, Khmilnytsia, Horodna. He also did not forget to congratulate the patients of regional children's hospitals from other frontline regions — Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro and Kharkiv.
The head of the project initiative is the officer of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, writer Borys Kutovyi, the director is Maksym Dobrolyubov, who has been cooperating with the military since 2016 and became the project artistic curator.
— It is very important that we managed to reach such a large number of children in different parts of Ukraine with festive events. The most important thing is that at our performances there was a "meeting of generations" - children had the opportunity not only to hear folk songs and congratulations, but also to feel the miracle of folk Christmas traditions, to see how our ancestors celebrated Christmas. Many children saw such an action for the first time. "Estafeta Dobra" is a kind of connection between generations, and this is where our strength and indomitability lies, - noted director Maksym Dobrolyubov.
— Of course, St. Nicholas in pixel uniform did not miss our Heroes - wounded soldiers who are being treated and recuperating in military medical facilities. In addition to the hospitals of the Northern Operational Zone in Rivne, Zhytomyr, Lutsk, Bila Tserkva, Poltava, the initiative also visited our boys in the hospitals of Kharkiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Cherkassy, Lozova, - noted the leader of the campaign, the officer of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, writer Borys Kutovyi.
It is worth adding that the programm initiative received wide interest among philanthropists, and the organizational support was provided by the Garrison Temple of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the Protect The Future Charitable Foundation.
MORE DETAILS - IN THE POPULAR MEDIA:
The Voice of Ukraine (official state journal of Verkhovna Rada): http://www.golos.com.ua/article/375568
Uryadovy Kurier (official state journal of UA parliament): https://ukurier.gov.ua/uk/news/sergij-nayev-nashi-sercya-u-cej-tyazhkij-chas-mayu/
ArmyINFORM: https://armyinform.com.ua/2023/12/11/svyatyj-mykolaj-u-pikseli-vidvidav-naczionalnu-speczializovanu-dytyachu-likarnyu-ohmatdyt/
Uryadovy Kurier: https://ukurier.gov.ua/uk/news/sergij-nayev-svyatij-mikolaj-z-dobrim-sercem-tvori/
ArmyINFORM:https://armyinform.com.ua/2023/12/09/u-garnizonnomu-hrami-zsu-startuvala-estafeta-dobra/
Facebook-page of the Joint Forces Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: https://www.facebook.com/JointForcesCommandAFU/posts/754299390059449/?paipv=0&eav=AfZbwvj-hgAodUCfKrB4orbOaKkR-SKEWwtvImduokOFRePN5ubzbxO39K4knMWHBNE&_rdr#_=_
