Volunteer, writer, and filmmaker Ruslan Horovyi held a series of performances and film screenings across the United States to raise funds for purchasing firewood for Ukrainian families struggling amid the prolonged war. In total, he managed to collect enough money to buy 50 truckloads of firewood. This marks his sixth international trip since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. The initiative to provide firewood has been ongoing for several years and now covers several regions of Ukraine.
This was reported by Ruslan Gorovyi.
According to Ruslan Horovyi, the tour included 12 events in California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, and Illinois. Each evening combined literary readings and film screenings, attended by members of the Ukrainian diaspora and American audiences.
“People who came to meet me knew exactly what they were coming for. They asked questions about how things have changed in Ukraine, and I answered them. In America, people understand that everything in life has a price — and that if there’s no firewood, it won’t appear on its own. The audience reacted with understanding and a sincere willingness to help. As I had planned before the trip, I earned enough for 50 truckloads of firewood,” Horovyi shared.
The volunteer recalled that his firewood initiative began two years ago, when he first raised funds with the support of the Ukrainian community in Singapore.
“Back then, I bought the firewood and realized this work needed to continue,” he said.
Last year, Horovyi traveled around the world, selling his own books and turning the proceeds into 116 truckloads of firewood for residents of Kyiv, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, and Kherson regions.
“I knew people would still need firewood this year. I realized I wouldn’t be able to raise enough for another hundred trucks, so I set a goal to earn money for fifty — for those who need it most,” the writer added.
Horovyi explained that at first, he helped people from Kyiv region — those he personally knew who couldn’t cope with the hardships of war. Over time, the geography expanded as residents from Kherson, Kharkiv, and Mykolaiv regions began reaching out. Most of the recipients are elderly people and displaced families with children. Last year, assistance also went to two wounded soldiers, their mothers, and the family of a missing serviceman.
“We’ve already delivered 20 truckloads of firewood purchased with the funds raised in the U.S. It doesn’t matter who exactly you help — what matters is that you do it: with money, kind words, carrying something heavy, or weaving camouflage nets. Everything matters for our victory, because we have no other country. We were attacked, and none of us are to blame for what happened. Russia is to blame — and for what it’s trying to do to us. It’s our shared tragedy, so we must help each other and stand together,” emphasized Ruslan Horovyi.
Photo: Ruslan Gorovyi.
Author: Danylo Pievchev