The second stage of the large-scale international tour of the Culture VS War project with the participation of the Ukrainian band ANTYTILA has ended in the United States.
The Culture VS War project is a series of documentary stories that demonstrate the truth about the war in Ukraine through the stories of famous artists who joined the ranks of the Armed Forces and cultural figures who are actively volunteering.
The tour "Culture vs War. Antibodies" tour of the United States was organized by ANTITELA in partnership with Revived Soldiers Ukraine and United Help Ukraine, on the initiative and with the full support of the Watch Ukrainian! Association, with the support of the MHP-Hromada Charitable Foundation, with the assistance of the Office of the President of Ukraine, the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the Main Communications Directorate of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The first phase of the project was successfully implemented in the UK.
In Philadelphia, Boston, New York, Chicago, Minneapolis, and Washington, D.C., the band held open informal meetings with the American and Ukrainian communities. The key moment at each of the events was the screening of the documentary Culture VS War and a long, frank conversation between the musicians and the guests after the screening. The documentary footage of the first months of the full-scale invasion, sincere emotions and personal stories of the band members - soldiers Taras Topolya, Serhiy Vusyk and Dmytro Zholud about their work as paramedics at the front, made a really strong impression on the audience. And the opportunity to talk to the musicians live, sing their favorite hits together, raise difficult and important topics, ask any questions, ask for advice, or simply express their opinions and be heard gave each event its own special meaning.
"Every new endeavor, every new story in which you invest your strength, hopes and expect to get a good, desirable result requires not only a clear goal and the right intention, but also reliable partners on the way. MHP and I immediately, without hesitation, set sail like Captain Cook across the oceans to realize all our goals. And we succeeded. We raised more than two hundred thousand dollars for the needs of the GUR's special units, conducted large-scale information and counter-propaganda work with the American audience, and delivered the necessary messages, including those related to strengthening the Ukrainian economy and removing trade barriers between the two countries. On behalf of the entire Culture vs War project team, I would like to thank MHP for their support. We share common values and a vision of what is right, so we will continue to work for the common good!" Taras Topolya, leader of the band ANTITILA, comments.
The guests of the events themselves raised the topic of supporting Ukraine, urging the band members to take decisive action. To lobby for the urgent issues of hundreds of Ukrainian prisoners of war, economic barriers and the chronic slowness of the American government in making decisions. ANTITELA called on the Ukrainian and American communities to influence changes in economic and political aspects that will open up oxygen for powerful military operations in the fight against the enemy.
"The Culture vs. War project is of utmost importance for spreading the truth about Ukraine through art, and its journey to the United States was an important milestone. We saw a strong response from the American audience, which sincerely supports our fight for freedom. The project's cultural events helped draw attention to the horrors of war and demonstrated the strength of the Ukrainian spirit. Our task is not only to fight on the battlefield, but also to convey to the world through art that Ukraine is a country that has the right to peace and a future," commented Yuriy Melnyk, MHP's Deputy Chief Executive Officer for Sustainable Development
Another important task of the American tour in support of the Culture VS War project for ANTIL was to participate in closed-door events with government officials, politicians, diplomats, business owners, philanthropists, public and cultural figures. For example, the Philadelphia City Council held private meetings of honorary consuls and ambassadors of European countries with the band members, and the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in New York organized a private meeting of the musicians with the Consul General and the Czech representative to the United Nations at Bohemian National Hall. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Ukrainian Research Institute, Harvard University invited ANTITEL to talk to scientific and creative intellectuals, and the Washington Capitol willingly opened its doors for the band to talk to senators, members of the Defense, Finance, and State Budgeting Committees during the Ukrainian Action Summit.
In addition to the informational and cultural goal of the American tour as part of the Culture VS War project, there was also a charitable goal - to raise funds for the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine. 10,000,000 hryvnias is the total amount of money ANTITELA returned home with to transfer to the needs of the Ukrainian intelligence units operating in the Crimean direction. 600 kg of unique combat trophies were delivered by the Antibody Charitable Foundation to another continent as auction lots to be raffled off among Ukrainian and American guests of the events. For the first time in the United States, a unique artifact of war was sold at auction - an intact and undamaged Orlan-10 reconnaissance UAV, which was actively used by the enemy to observe and adjust artillery. In Chicago, this eloquent proof of the skill of Ukrainian soldiers was sold for $15,000!
"Important meetings in support of Ukraine, UAH 10,000,000 raised for the needs of the DIU, high-quality interaction with American politicians and Ukrainian diplomats - all this is a great example of effective cultural diplomacy. Together with our partners, we will continue to actively develop this area," said Andriy Rizol, producer of the Culture vs War project, Chairman of the Board of the Watch Ukrainian!
After the American tour, ANTITELA immediately went on a big concert tour of Ukrainian cities, continuing to accumulate funds for the needs of the DIU.