The story of 14-year-old Volodymyr Romanchuk, who put up a T-shirt with the signature of Cristiano Ronaldo for an auction to support the Ukrainian Armed Forces, quickly became viral on social networks and the media. The auctions lasted for a few days, and the T-shirt was sold for UAH 70,000. The winner, Ruslan Karyi, is a Ukrainian living in the United States for 18 years. All the money from the auction was donated to the Coordination Center Save Ukraine Now (SUN).
The team of “Teple misto” talked to Ruslan and found out how the collector of football trophies from Chicago joined the initiative of the kid from Ivano-Frankivsk.
Ruslan, you live in Chicago, and the Save Ukraine Now coordination center is in Ivano-Frankivsk. Then how did you find out about the auction?
It was almost by accident. I saw that some of my friends had posted stories about the auction on their social networks. I got interested and started looking for what kind of organization Save Ukraine Now is because I had never heard about it before. I found Instagram and Facebook pages and saw what the organization was doing. And I decided to take part in the auction.
Did you expect that you would win?
I was sure I would win because I was determined to go all the way from the beginning. I did not doubt if this lot was worth paying 70,000 hryvnias or 150,000 or even 200,000 hryvnias. Of course, it is worth it! Above all, the money goes for the support of Ukraine, the Ukrainian army. It is the major thing for me. And by chance, Ronaldo has been my idol for a long time. I used to live in Lisbon when Ronaldo just started playing in 2002. I had kept an eye on his career from the beginning when he played for Sporting (a professional Portuguese football club – ed.). He still impresses me – as an athlete and as a person.
Indeed, he is a fascinating personality. Tell us, is this your first Ronaldo fan stuff in the collection?
Not really. I have Ronaldo’s Sporting T-shirt from 2003, but without his signature. That’s why now I can say that I received the coolest stuff for my collection. I’ve been a football fan since I was a child and, from the beginning of the war in Ukraine, I’ve already won 22 auctions. Before the war, I had about 30 T-shirts in my collection. Now I have doubled the number. I think this is an excellent opportunity to help out your country and get what you love.
You’re genuinely a keen fan! And what do you do with the collection? Do you wear the t-shirts or just keep them in an honorable place?
Well, I wear some unsigned T-shirts for particular occasions, as football plays here, in Chicago. But, you know, the signed T-shirts are precious, so I put each in a frame. The most expensive T-shirt in my collection is the one with the signature of Andriy Yarmolenko. He wore it on a game for the Ukraine National Team at Euro-2020 in Bucharest. He scored a goal in this very T-shirt and brought the victory for our team. In March, Ihor Tsyganyk, a Ukrainian sports journalist and commentator, put for auction the memorable T-shirt. He either raised money for the Ukrainian army. Then the T-shirt cost me 3,400 dollars.
Chicago has a solid Ukrainian diaspora with long-standing roots. How does Chicago support Ukraine now?
In Chicago, everyone is involved: by raising money, buying body armor, helmets, thermal imagers, etc. In May, I purchased 2,000 tourniquets for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. At first, we shipped them to Poland to pass them to volunteers who took tourniquets to Ternopil (city in Ukraine). Originally, I am from Ternopil and now have many volunteering friends who live there. They took tourniquets further — to the East.
From the beginning of the war, people have been trying to help Ukraine as much as possible. Somebody decided to give a 10% of the salary, somebody – to donate a certain amount every week or month. I know people who used to work five days a week and now decide to work for six days – and their salary for this extra day goes to the Ukrainian army.
It is priceless. Each dollar is an excellent contribution to the Ukrainian victory.
Indeed! I am in touch with my volunteer friends in Ternopil, who keep me updated on civilian and military needs. I donate money for essential things and hunt for T-shirts simultaneously (laughs – ed.).
Save Ukraine Now was founded by Ivano-Frankivsk City Council, Territorial Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast Territorial Center for Recruitment and Social Support, Ivano-Frankivsk Business Association, Teple misto Charity Organization, Promprylad.Renovation Innovation Center, Frankivsk Drama Theater, and other partners to meet the needs of military battalions of Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast at the frontline, and to support humanitarian activities for Ukrainians affected by war.
