A special event, “I Hold You: Chronicles of Comradeship”, took place at the War Museum. The event was held in cooperation with the International Ruslan Ganuschak Documentary Foundation (USA – Ukraine). The Foundation was established in February 2025 in honour of Senior Sergeant Ruslan Ganuschak, a war documentarian, director and volunteer of the 92nd Assault Brigade, who was killed at the front on 11 January 2025.
The event included a screening of the documentary film “Two Days Before Chasiv Yar”. The film is one of the finalists for the International Ruslan Ganuschak Documentary Foundation Award, which is presented to camera operators, war correspondents and photographers who risk their lives to document the truth of the current Russian-Ukrainian War.
The 20-minute film “Two Days Before Chasiv Yar” was made in 2024 by Swedish documentary filmmaker Adrian van den Broek. It tells the story of the training of Ukrainian servicemen under a programme led by Swedish instructor Magnus Ek, who is the main protagonist of the film. The diploma for the International Ruslan Ganuschak Documentary Foundation Award was presented to the film’s director by Liudmyla Fylypovych, co-founder of the Foundation and sister of Ruslan Ganuschak.
In addition, Adrian van den Broek and instructor Magnus Ek were awarded the “Brother for Brother” medal, established by the Ganuschak Foundation in 2016. The award is presented to foreign soldiers, medics and volunteers who have stood in defence of Ukraine in its war for Independence. Liudmyla Fylypovych also briefly presented the activities of the Foundation, as well as the history of the establishment of the “Brother for Brother” medal and the International Ruslan Ganuschak Documentary Foundation Award.
Upon receiving the award, Adrian van den Broek emphasised: “I think these films are born out of a sense of uncertainty. The soldiers do not know where they will eventually end up or how things will turn out. That day, I did not know either that I would meet Magnus. I simply came with a camera and filmed what was happening in front of me – as I have been doing for a long time.
And we do this because we are willing to take risks. We documentary filmmakers take risks. Magnus takes risks as an instructor. The soldiers take risks because we all believe in something greater than ourselves – in freedom and democracy, which we are fighting for”.
The event was moderated by Roman Kabachii, Head of a Sector at the War Museum.
The event “I Hold You: Chronicles of Comradeship” became another testament to the fact that true comradeship knows no borders – it is born of a shared struggle, mutual support and a willingness to stand side by side in the most difficult moments.
The War Museum will continue to be a space where the voices of those who document the truth of this war, who fight for freedom and who preserve the memory of the price of this struggle can be heard.
We thank our partners and the participants in the event for their trust, their joint work and for helping to tell the world stories that must be heard.
