A special ceremony was held in New York City to present a Ukrainian flag handmade by American flagmaker Bettina Braidsted as a gift to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine. The symbolic act of solidarity was organized by the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America (UNWLA).
The event was announced by Maria Kvit-Flynn, UNWLA Vice President for Public Relations.
Braidsted has a long-standing legacy in flagmaking—over the past 43 years, her small team has crafted more than 50,000 flags and banners. Her works have been flown aboard the space shuttle Endeavour and even commissioned by the British royal family.
“Bettina Braidsted was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and raised in Connecticut in a family rooted in perseverance and strength. Her father, an Olympic sailor, and her mother, a nine-time South American diving champion, instilled in her values of courage and hard work. Inspired by her mother’s skill at the sewing machine, Braidsted left her career as an English teacher to raise children and eventually launched a successful custom flagmaking business,” UNWLA shared.
After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Braidsted began actively supporting the Ukrainian people, donating a portion of her profits to humanitarian aid through UNWLA. To mark her retirement, she decided to create one last special piece: a 10-by-15-foot Ukrainian flag for President Zelenskyy, entirely sewn by hand.
“I wanted this flag to be a message of hope and strength. To remind Ukraine that they are not alone and to honor the courage of the Ukrainian people,” Braidsted said.
The flag was officially presented at the Consulate General of Ukraine in New York, where Consul General Nataliia Musiienko personally accepted the gift, calling it “an extraordinary expression of friendship and support.”
On the same day, the flag was also displayed at the Ukrainian Museum, as part of preparations for the upcoming exhibition “From Village to Modernity,” and during Vyshyvanka Day celebrations hosted by Svitlana Holets, president of UNWLA Branch 108.
Photos: UNWLA
Author: Inna Mikhno