Category: Culture

📍 Kamianets-Podilskyi—the city that served as the last capital of the Ukrainian People’s Republic (UPR)—became the site of a new monument honoring Petro Bolbochan, one of the most distinguished commanders of Ukraine’s War of Independence.

The unveiling on Ukraine’s Constitution Day pays tribute to Bolbochan’s leadership, military professionalism, and enduring contribution to the struggle for an independent Ukrainian state.

Partners: Glory UA, the Kholodnyi Yar Historical Club, Kamianets-Podilskyi City Council, and patrons Oleksii Mushak and Maksym Koliadenko.

In June, the Glory UA team, together with historian Roman Koval, presented the English-language edition of Mykola Mikhnovsky’s seminal work Independent Ukraine. During the U.S. tour, we also showcased the work of the Glory UA Defense Cluster and presented friends of Ukraine with commemorative posters signed by Schweiger—the SIGNUM pilot who was the first to employ an FPV kamikaze drone in combat.

Chicago

• Presentations at the Ukrainian National Museum and events marking the 80th anniversary of the Organization for the Defense of Four Freedoms for Ukraine (ODFFU).
• Interview for Ukrainian Independent Radio titled Independent Ukraine: From Idea to Action.
• Tribute to Hero of Ukraine Mykhailo Yavorskyi, a native of Chicago.

New Jersey (South Bound Brook) and New York

• Presentations at the Ukrainian History and Education Center and the Ukrainian National Association “Samopomich”.
• Meetings with representatives of the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America (UNWLA), the Ukrainian community, and educational institutions.
• Roman Koval fulfilled his long-held dream of “paying tribute to the Heroes from his books” at the largest Ukrainian Pantheon in South Bound Brook.

Washington, D.C.

• Presentation of Independent Ukraine: From Idea to Action at the international conference Summit XIV: Ukraine’s Wartime Report Card.
• Olha Sydii participated in a panel on Ukrainian national identity, where she presented SIGNUM and the From Idea to Action initiative.
• The first overseas copies of the book were presented to Robert McConnell, co-founder and long-time president of the US-Ukraine Foundation; Herman Pirchner, President of the American Foreign Policy Council; and James Bezan, Member of the Parliament of Canada and Canada’s Shadow Minister for National Defence.

✅ Kharkiv now has a memorial plaque honoring Petro Bolbochan, installed on the street that bears his name—the very city he liberated in 1918.

📌 Petro Bolbochan was a Colonel of the Army of the Ukrainian People’s Republic (UPR), a symbol of the professional Ukrainian officer corps, and one of the leading military commanders of Ukraine’s War of Independence. In April 1918, units of the Zaporizhzhia Corps of the UPR, under Bolbochan’s command, successfully drove Bolshevik occupation forces out of Kharkiv, restoring Ukrainian government control over the city.

Partners: Glory UA, the Kholodnyi Yar Historical Club, philanthropist Oleksii Mushak, sculptor Ihor Semak, Kharkiv City Council, and the 3rd Operational Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine “Spartan” named after Petro Bolbochan.

A strong unit identity and recognition of outstanding soldiers are essential elements of an effective defense force. This time, we approached the task comprehensively — equipping the 53rd Brigade with a full set of symbolic distinctions:

✅ Breast badges “For Participation in Close Combat” — the highest brigade award, symbolizing courage and excellence of soldiers who proved themselves in decisive battles
✅ Medals “For Military Valor” (1st Class) — awarded for exceptional skill and dedication
✅ Medals “For Military Valor” (2nd Class) — awarded for discipline, professionalism, and support, including contributions from volunteers
✅ Silver warrior badges — symbolizing courage, professionalism, and personal contribution; awarded alongside the 1st Class medal
✅ Custom-designed patches for the entire brigade

Following the success of Follow Me, our collaboration with director Lyubomyr Levytskyi continued. This time, after a key sponsor withdrew, a timely contribution from our donor enabled the production of the film “We Were Recruits”, dedicated to the legendary fighters of the Third Assault Brigade.

✅ The film attracted 32,000 cinema viewers, generated over UAH 5 million at the box office, and is now available on Netflix. Spot the Foundation and familiar names in the credits 🙂