Prince Harry, Olga Rudnieva, and Slava Vakarchuk joined 150 guests for United for Freedom, an evening that raised more than £80,000 for humanitarian aid and rehabilitation.
On October 1, the Imperial War Museum in London became the setting for United for Freedom, a fundraising evening devoted to Ukrainians whose lives have been affected by Russia’s war. Bringing together guests from Britain and Ukraine across culture, sport, business, and philanthropy, the event raised more than £80,000 through an auction and donations.
Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, opened the evening with a speech that connected the museum’s collection to the war unfolding in Ukraine. “But tonight, history is not only something we remember. It is being written, right now, in Ukraine,” he told guests.
He spoke about Ukraine’s right to determine its own future and recalled meeting Ukrainians affected by the war during his visits to the country. “Each time I have visited Ukraine, I have come away with the same feeling: enormous admiration for a people who have been asked to endure the unimaginable—and who continue to choose courage, dignity and hope.”
Ruslan Kosarenko & Olia Freimut
The Duke has visited Superhumans Center, which provides prosthetics, physical rehabilitation, reconstructive surgery, and psychological support. Its CEO and co-founder, Olga Rudnieva, was among the evening’s speakers. Recalling a message she received from a friend at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Rudnieva described the uncertainty that shaped those first days: “I’m going to the shelter with my son. If we ever see each other again, that will be a bonus.” Since then, she said, she has treated every day of her life as a bonus.
That experience informs her vision for Superhumans. “We didn’t want simply to build hospitals. We wanted to build a country of superhumans,” Rudnieva said. A film shown to guests introduced some of the people whose recovery the center supports, giving a human face to work that can take years.
Andriy Shevchenko, the Ballon d’Or winner and president of the Ukrainian Association of Football, was also among the guests. Later in the evening, Slava Vakarchuk, frontman of Okean Elzy, gave a special musical performance. He brought a photograph with a story of its own: a portrait of him taken in Kyiv’s Podil neighborhood by Ukrainian cinematographer and photographer Serhiy Mykhalchuk, who has served in the military since the start of the full-scale invasion. Mykhalchuk made the portrait during several days of leave.
For Vakarchuk, the image represented more than the person in front of the camera. “Today, extraordinarily talented and creative people who could be making films, photography, music and art are instead defending their country. Serhiy is one of those people,” he said. The portrait sold at the charity auction for £3,250.
United for Freedom was led by Stargazing Events, London Business Club, and Ptashky Peremohy, with Superhumans Center and Ukraine Charity as charity partners. Ukrainian television and radio presenter Mariia Vynogradova and British presenter James Hasler hosted the evening.
By the time guests left the museum, the auction and donations had raised more than £80,000 for humanitarian, rehabilitation, and recovery initiatives. The amount was the evening’s measurable result. The stories told onstage made clear why that support is still needed.
Photos by Anna Nekrasova
