On 15 July, Day of Ukrainian Statehood, the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War hosted a formal ceremony marking the donation to the Museum’s collections of a replica of the third handmade vyshyvanka created for Hero of Ukraine Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov, former Chief of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine and Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine.
The event continued the National Library of Ukraine for Children’s nationwide patriotic project “Vyshyvanka for a Hero,” which brings together children, librarians, service members, diplomats, chaplains, writers, artists, volunteers, public figures, international partners, and all concerned Ukrainians around a common goal: to express gratitude to Ukraine’s heroic defenders through the language of national tradition.
Each vyshyvanka is created by hundreds of hands. Every participant makes only a few stitches, but together they form a shared story of remembrance, gratitude, and unity. Replicas of the shirts are donated to the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War as contemporary historical artefacts that will preserve evidence of the heroism of Ukrainians and the strength of public support during wartime.
The event held particular symbolic significance because Kyrylo Budanov became the first Hero of the project to wear the vyshyvanka presented to him on World Vyshyvanka Day and to spend his entire working day in it. This shirt became a symbol of the profound trust between Ukrainian children and the service members who defend the country.
Alongside the event organisers, distinguished guests and partners of the National Library of Ukraine for Children attended the celebration, including:
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Yevhenii Yerin, representative of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine;
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Artem Sharkov, commander of a military unit and Hero of Ukraine;
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Volodymyr Nakonechnyi, Head of the Podil District State Administration in Kyiv;
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Yuliia Shpak, Chief of Staff of the Podil District State Administration;
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Oleksandr Fedorenko, Head of the NGO “Municipal League of Kyiv”;
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Yuna Chase, Chair of the Board of the charitable organisation “Techiia Foundation,” and others.
The ceremony participants watched a video about the creation of the third vyshyvanka for a Hero and learned about its history, the artistic concept embodied in each ornament, and the people who took part in embroidering it.
Welcoming remarks were delivered by Alla Hordiienko, Director General of the National Library of Ukraine for Children; Yevhenii Yerin, representative of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine; Yurii Savchuk, Director General of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War; and a designer from WP Merchandise, the company that helped professionally realise the project’s original concept.
The culmination of the event was the formal donation of the museum object and the signing of the transfer and acceptance certificate. The replica of the vyshyvanka created for Hero of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov has now joined the Museum’s collection, which already includes replicas of shirts made for Heroes of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi and Vasyl Maliuk.
During the event, those present learned that the “Vyshyvanka for a Hero” project is continuing. The National Library of Ukraine for Children is currently working on the fourth handmade vyshyvanka, intended for Oleksandr Pivnenko, Commander of the National Guard of Ukraine. Hundreds of Ukrainians have already taken part in embroidering it, and everyone attending the ceremony had an opportunity to add their own symbolic stitch.
The programme also featured patriotic musical works performed by Mariia Andriuk, Daryna Shershniova, and the “Clear Sky” creative group of comrades-in-arms from the 1020th Anti-aircraft Missile Regiment. An artistic reading by Anastasiia Shemota, a young visitor to the National Library of Ukraine for Children, was another highlight of the event.
Another important part of the ceremony was the presentation of an award from the National Register of Records of Ukraine to the National Library of Ukraine for Children. Mariia Pavlichuk, Director of the NGO “JuniorS,” announced that a national record had been established through the nationwide reading initiative centred on the book “When You…”. As part of the initiative, librarians and educators conducted nearly 1,000 reading sessions involving more than 26,000 children and adults.
At the end of the event, every child attending the ceremony received a soft toy from the NGO “Techiia Foundation” and took part in a guided Museum tour. All the young readers were therefore delighted with the celebration.
Holding the formal ceremony for the donation of the replica handmade shirt on Day of Ukrainian Statehood emphasised the inseparable connection between Ukrainian history, culture, and the contemporary struggle for freedom. The “Vyshyvanka for a Hero” project once again demonstrated that the Ukrainian embroidered shirt is not merely an element of national dress, but also a symbol of gratitude, unity, spiritual strength, and the resilience of the Ukrainian people.
