I am the author of the Goodacity blog, a journalist, and a translator. For 16 years, I have worked in professional journalism, contributing to regional and national publications, both in print and online media. I have written reports, conducted interviews, reviews, articles on cultural, social, and charitable topics, as well as materials in the style of "solution journalism" and communication materials.
My focus is on creating interesting and exclusive content. Journalism, to me, is primarily about human stories, to which I always find the key, empathize with the people I write about, and love all my heroes. Journalism, to me, means telling people about what truly matters to them, informing and inspiring them. It is not just a job, but a way of life, just like for all those who dream, create, and are inspired by it.
So, if you are looking for stories that inspire and motivate, that instill faith and help find meaning while believing in goodness, read my stories on the Goodacity website.
I am a manager of cultural affairs and a project manager with over 14 years of experience at United Thinkers. I have participated in the organization of numerous successful social and charitable projects and have implemented informational campaigns and communication cases.
As a marketing manager, I have been involved in organizing marketing and sociological research, working with media and partners, developing advertising and marketing strategies, as well as planning and implementing advertising campaigns.
I believe in the power of goodness and I am happy that as part of the Goodacity project, I can contribute to its expansion. I believe in the power of words and in the fact that communication can help make the world a better place. I know how, where and when to speak in order to be heard. And when you are heard, you can change the world!
Battle Geese - For Morale Boosting!
Looking for ways to alleviate stress? Meet the “Battle Geese.”
However, they weren’t “born” in some secretive bio-laboratory; instead, armed with needle and thread, they were crafted by Antonina Pustovoyt, a resident of Chernihiv, Ukraine. You’ve probably seen them – adorable plush “battle ganders” adorned with Ukrainian symbols and camouflage “attire.”
They do more than just cheer up their owners; they also support our defenders. Antonina Pustovoyt’s “battle geese” often appear at volunteer auctions and fairs, and the funds raised from them become donations for the needs of the Ukrainian military.
The “battle ganders” are both a comfort and a mockery of the invaders’ fabrications.
They have become symbols of belief in victory and a genuine meme, captivating countless social media users! We talk to the craftswoman herself about how the “battle geese” help boost morale, how they even reach the frontline to Ukrainian defenders, and how the “toy army” was born.
Stress Relief Found in… Geese? Military Personnel Order Them as Talismans and Relieve Stress!
Ms. Antonina is a well-known craftswoman and artisan.
“I’ve been playing with dolls for over a decade,” she says with a laugh. “I’ve sewn a variety of soft toys and dolls – in Ukrainian style, as well as Tilda dolls. Just a few days before the full-scale Russian invasion, I was preparing for an exhibition of my works to celebrate 10 years of creative activity in the Chernihiv Regional Library. Instead, my children and I spent over two weeks in the cellar, hiding from constant bombardments – without electricity, gas, water… The ground shook from explosions around us…
Her husband joined the territorial defense to protect the city, and after weeks of horrifying experiences, the war forced us into a journey to nowhere… Master craftswoman Olena, whom we had connected with on social media thanks to our shared creative passions, invited me and my children, a daughter and a son, to Lviv, Ukraine – and so we went… We hadn’t even met in person – just communicated by phone and on social networks, but she was deeply sympathetic to our situation and immediately offered her help – I can’t thank her enough! We stayed there for a week, and I said to Olena: “Let me at least sew dolls or something – to relieve stress and keep myself busy, otherwise, we just sit here and cry” – the news was heart-wrenching, and we were so worried about dad, it was a very difficult time… Creativity saved us from painful thoughts and prevented us from despairing.
Initially, we started making ordinary geese – with the now “famous” phrase “Good evening, we are from Ukraine.” And just then, Lesya Nikityuk’s song “Sila Ptaha” came out, humorously debunking Russian propaganda fakes about supposed “combat birds” from “secret biolabs.” The song included lines like:
“And we also have geese in our arsenal,
They ram planes in the sky,
Pigeons accurately target the ‘Russian’ infantry…”
“We listened, laughed, and – understood that our geese would not be ordinary, but – combat ones! As the times, so the geese,” the craftswoman laughs. “Olena is a costume designer, she made the patterns – without her, there would be no ‘combat geese,’ and I took on sewing the ‘feathered’ ones.”
Thus was born the wonderful toy incarnation of Ukrainian “biological weaponry” – “combat ganders.” The creators approached the “combat bird” with humor – the wings’ inscriptions “made in Ukraine biolab” are bound to elicit smiles…
“How many ‘combat birds’ have I made? Probably a good battalion by now,” Ms. Antonina smiles. “Honestly, I don’t count: it’s a labor of love – and I pour my soul into them. I want them to bring joy to someone, to make them smile, to help relieve stress… I see that my work is appreciated by people, it evokes positive emotions. I want to experience them myself and give others the opportunity to do the same when they receive a commissioned toy, even during such hard times.
Often, such soft toys – combat ganders – are requested by the families of our defenders who are currently recovering from injuries, lying in hospitals – to lift their spirits, so the guys can recover faster.”
A "Combat Goose" Raises 14 Thousand for the Military!
“Back when I was in Lviv, journalists who stumbled upon our ‘combat geese’ by chance covered them in a story – and things just took off from there… At first, I didn’t even know how to react – just a few weeks prior, I was waiting out bombardments in a basement, and now here I was, giving interviews and being filmed… We even met with Lviv’s Mayor Andriy Sadovy, and Lesya Nikityuk also ‘approved’ of our geese.
As soon as the geese made their debut on social media, orders for the ‘combat bird’ started pouring in from everywhere. Many ‘birds’ were donated to charity auctions – for instance, Channel 24 sold a ‘combat goose’ for 14,000 hryvnias at an auction, gathering crucial ‘devices’ for our defenders.
When we returned home to Chernihiv, I gave combat geese to local volunteers, who were and are helping our guys – for auctions and charity raffles. And our ‘birds’ have somewhat flown around the world: ‘combat geese’ are now in Poland, Croatia, Israel… There was even one case: a Chernihiv woman, who suffered during the siege of the city – she needed to have shrapnel removed from her face, asked for a ‘combat gander’ to gift as a souvenir to the hospital in Germany where she was operated on.
I’ve given many combat geese to our military – the guys often ask to sew them a small ‘pocket-sized’ gander, so they can carry it with them as a kind of talisman.
I made a talisman gander for my husband, and his comrades have ‘combat geese’ too – both large and small! I’ve also made mini-gander keychains for cars, and ‘in love’ combat geese – as gifts for soldiers getting married…
The most touching place where I’ve seen my ‘combat geese’ was when my ‘winged’ one was hanging from the ceiling in a trench. I dream that it will bring Victory to us all on its wings!”
