Ahead of the Christmas and New Year holidays, Suspilne Ukraine launched a promotional campaign for digital and television platforms, whose main symbol was the didukh — an ancient Ukrainian Christmas talisman made from the new wheat harvest.
Idea and symbols
The promotional video features a soldier, a veteran, and a craftswoman who take turns assembling a communal didukh, as well as Suspilne Ukraine presenters. According to the plot, the wheat used to make it has special significance — it was grown in Ukrainian fields that have been cleared of mines. It is a symbol of life’s victory over war, prosperity and rebirth, as well as the connection between generations: those who are close and those who are no longer with us.
The project reflects the reality of Ukraine after almost four years of full-scale war:
- approximately 137,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory remain potentially mined;
- the number of veterans exceeds 1.3 million (as of July 25, 2024);
- more than 338,000 children are studying remotely.
Despite these challenges, there is something that keeps us together: our traditions that unite generations, our future that we are fighting for today and that belongs to us — Ukrainians.
“Christmas is always associated with the expectation of a miracle, and what Ukrainians are doing today is a real miracle. They are defending our land, clearing mines from fields, teaching children under fire, returning from the front lines, and inspiring others. Some are together for Christmas, some families are separated, but they are connected by this miracle — to win despite everything, to create despite everything, to remember those who have left, and to appreciate those who are close. That is why it was important for us that all the heroes of the video are real people, not actors. They weave a common didukh — a symbol of Ukrainian unity — which ends up on Suspilne Ukraine, in studios where stories about incredible people are told every day,” said Iryna Demisheva, director of the media and public communications department at Suspilne Ukraine, author of the idea and voiceover text.
“We received an extremely powerful idea to work with. And the only thing we wanted was for it to be filled with the appropriate deep emotion, to acquire integrity, and to be understandable even in the format of a short 30-second video as it was transformed into specific images and forms. Every detail is important in storytelling — from the makeup of the actor with whom we have to recreate the scene on the front line to the musical accompaniment and graphic design. And, accordingly, any detail can ruin the overall narrative. Of course, this proved to be a difficult task for our internal production team alone. But I think the result is quite impressive. I would like to thank our large team that worked on this project,” said Serhiy Kryvosheya, head of the audiovisual promotion department at Suspilne Ukraine and stage director of the video.
The team created several promotional videos for television channels, as well as an extended director’s cut version for digital platforms.
Project heroes
Andrii Maksymchuk, an officer of the 132nd Separate Reconnaissance Battalion of the Air Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, talks about the feeling of celebration during the war:
“For me as a soldier, Didukh and Christmas are symbols of home, family, our roots, and what we stand for. When we are far from our homes, it is these symbols that give us the strength to hold on and remember what we are fighting for. I wish all Ukrainians to feel the warmth and support of each other, even if we are separated by kilometers. May this Christmas give us faith that good will always prevail and that evil will not be able to break our country. May peace reign in your homes, and hope and strength of spirit in your hearts. For the moment has come when no one has a “house on the edge.” Therefore, I wish everyone endurance, strength of spirit, and boundless courage in confronting the invaders. May God protect you!”
Andrii Maksymchuk
Ruslana Danilkina, a veteran of the Russian-Ukrainian war, known as Nezlamna Rusya, who works at the Superhumans center in Lviv, shares her experience of returning to civilian life:
“The first challenge on the path to returning to civilian life is to accept a completely different version of yourself in the world you once knew. I remember how difficult it was just to go outside — to get used to the stares, the attention. The easiest thing would have been to stay at home, not to leave the hospital or sanatorium. But I understood that if I wanted to return to a full life, I had to learn to be among people. So every day I forced myself to go out where there were crowds and, step by step, get used to my new reality.”
Ruslana Danilkina (Nezlamna Rusya)
The didukh for the video, as well as for Suspilne Ukraine live broadcast studios, was created by master craftswoman Viktoria Fil, an employee of the National Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of Ukraine and a member of the National Union of Folk-Art Masters of Ukraine. In 2023, the didukhs created by the master were presented to Pope Francis on his birthday at an exhibition of festive attributes in the Vatican. Viktoria emphasizes the continuity of tradition and the transfer of craftsmanship to future generations:
“My task as a master of folk art is to pass on our cultural traditions and craftsmanship in making Christmas straw decorations! The didukh embodies the idea of the project — the connection between generations, because it is a symbol of family, family prosperity, and harvest! Let’s create and strengthen our better future with traditions!”
Viktoria Fil
The team produced three versions of the promotional video, in which Suspilne News presenters Dmytro Hrinchenko and Maya Pidgorodetska, “Suspilne. Studio” presenters Borys Ivanov and Anna Cherednychenko, and Ukrainian Radio presenters Roman Kolyada and Olena Zelichenko address Ukrainians with their wishes.
Visual language of the project
The campaign graphics were developed by the Suspilne Ukraine promotion and design department team. They are based on the didukh in the style of Suspilne Ukraine identity.
“The realities of today motivate us to appreciate and draw attention to original traditions even more. The graphic design is based on the didukh, a special Ukrainian Christmas decoration. Symbolic ears of grain are woven into stylized didukhs and combined into an overall composition. It is in the modern, laconic style of Suspilne Ukraine is identity that we convey the atmosphere of the winter holidays,” said the project’s art director Hanna Krasnozhon.
“For the promotion and design team, the project became something much more than just a holiday promotion campaign. The idea required special delicacy and depth so that the visuals would not contrast with reality but rather enhance it. That is why the shots feature real people, and the graphics are restrained so as not to distract from the main message,“ added Karina Kanievska, deputy director of the promotion and design department at Suspilne Ukraine. ”The team worked professionally, attentively, and with great respect for the subject matter. So that the Christmas and New Year period on Suspilne Ukraine reminds us of our roots, unity, and gratitude to everyone who preserves our traditions.”
The following people worked on the project:
Iryna Demisheva — author of the idea and voice-over text;
Serhiy Kryvosheya — directing script, director-producer;
Vanya Rozin — voice-over;
Oleg Avilov — cinematographer;
Mykola Zotsenko — cameraman;
Yuriy Dmishuk — editing director;
Oleksandr Barsukov — editing director;
Hanna Klymenko — producer, props;
Yuliia Bilonizhko — project manager;
Hanna Krasnozhon, Yuriy Mordvinov — graphic design.
Dmytro Berezovskyi — compositing;
Denis Syziy — colorist;
Dasha Tsyplakova — sound engineer;
Olena Radomska, Nataliia Pavlova — copywriters.
Suspilne Ukraine is an independent media company with a strong presence across all platforms: the TV channels Pershyi, Suspilne Kultura, Suspilne Sport, and a national network of local channels; the radio stations Ukrainske Radio, Radio Promin, Radio Kultura, Radiotochka. Find only verified news on suspilne.media, as well as on our national and local digital platforms. We broadcast in minority languages, represent Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest, develop the children’s platform Brobaks, and train media professionals through the Public Media Academy. Our Suspilne Mediateka platform offers unique video and audio archives dating from the 1920s to today. Defending freedom in Ukraine.
