– Being a recognized public figure, someone people can spot on the street – does it help or hinder your charitable activities?

– Actually, it helps. I used to be strongly against filming videos of my charitable activities, but many people who saw these videos were inspired to join in and offer help themselves. We have a Telegram channel, https://t.me/dyvosohodni – everyone is welcome to join if they want to create wonders! Many people who witnessed the process through these videos also wanted to be part of helping others, of creating daily miracles. Some want to bake pies, some are willing to deliver them, and others want to contribute with supplies. Through publicity, through these videos, people find like-minded individuals who want to do good deeds, engage in charity. I recall my first visit to the kids in Ripky, Ukraine, who volunteer in a garage making camouflage nets, sewing military uniforms, and providing daily help to our army. They told me they needed an overlock sewing machine to produce the uniforms more efficiently. I filmed a video about them, it spread on social media, and afterwards, the director of a major company that produces sewing equipment contacted me, asked for the kids’ contacts, and their company sent them the much-needed, expensive overlock sewing machine! This is how it works.

There are touching moments sometimes – adults or even children approach me on the street and give money for certain charitable causes I’m involved in. There have been large sums, like five or ten thousand. And you realize that together, you’re doing a good thing.

And there was this recent incident: I was completely out of money, like, absolutely broke! I’m walking down the street, realizing that I need to go to Ripky, buy fabric for the children there, but I don’t have the means… And out of the blue, an acquaintance walks up to me, saying, “I saw your video on Facebook about the child volunteers, here’s some money – a few thousand – for the cause.” That very day, I went and bought fabric for the nets in Ripky. These are the kind of serendipitous coincidences…

I have a tattoo on my forehead that says “Not a day without wonder,” and, indeed, something like that happens to me every day. I believe in it, I see it, I notice it. And it helps me keep moving forward.

– Your charitable foundation is aptly named “Miracle Today”… Who are those for whom you create miracles every day?

– My main focus of aid currently is primarily directed towards assisting the military. Over a dozen vehicles for our servicemen, numerous quadcopters, and thermal imagers – these are the results of our work in this direction. If we don’t help the Ukrainian Armed Forces, all our other efforts will be in vain – unless we primarily defend our country, no other endeavors will make sense. Many of my friends and acquaintances are at war, the conflict spreads everywhere, even to remote corners of the country. People need to understand that the war isn’t “somewhere out there,” it’s not distant. Each of us has to help the army every day as much as we can. I practically always organize fundraisers to address the various needs of the military. There are also campaigns aimed at restoring the homes of Chernihiv residents affected by the Russian aggression. Additionally, I assist people who can’t move independently – I help them, deliver essential goods and food, and take them to doctors. There are also five institutions I visit regularly – every month, sometimes even twice a month. These include psychiatric institutions in Ponornytsia, Kozeltsy, Horodnia, and the Nizhyn internat. There are also children’s homes – we visit them not only during holidays but whenever possible, just to organize festivities with dancing and gifts for the children. They truly need it; it provides them with incredible and unforgettable emotions and experiences.

– You’re helping others even more than 24/7… Is there any time left for your artistic pursuits?

– Luckily, I still have time for my music. Although, truth be told, most of my concerts are also charity events nowadays. Recently, I participated in a charity concert in Hostomel, Ukraine. Through a twist of fate, during one of the concerts for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, I got acquainted with well-known artists of Ukraine, artists of merit, and performed on the same stage with them. This is when I first met the honored artist of Ukraine, Yaroslava Rudenko. She invited me to a charity event in Hostomel, for which I’m immensely grateful. Daily volunteering activities, the Foundation’s responsibilities, and other duties have overshadowed my primary pre-war occupation – music. Thanks to Yaroslava, I remembered that I’m a singer again, and I had the honor to perform on stage alongside renowned Ukrainian performers. I couldn’t have imagined before that Hope Shestak would invite me to her concerts and give me the opportunity to sing with her. At the concert in Hostomel, I shared the stage with six People’s Artists of Ukraine, and I sang a song with one of them. So yes, my creativity remains, and now it also benefits others.

– How would you complete the sentence: “If I weren’t a singer, I would have become…”

– Let me think… If I weren’t a singer, what would I have become… Honestly, I’ve become so closely connected with singing that I can’t imagine myself doing anything else. Wherever I am, whatever I’m doing, I’m always singing. Perhaps, if I had the opportunity, I would have traveled somewhere and written my book. In fact, the book is already “in progress,” but for five years now, it’s been lingering, and I can’t bring myself to finish it, to “get my hands on it”… And life keeps throwing increasingly convoluted stories at me – I keep adding to it, and it just can’t seem to conclude,” he chuckles.