Mother/Daughter Team Raise Nearly $20,000 for Displaced Ukrainian Luthier

Oleksandr Smykovskyi, a Mariupol-based luthier lost his workshop, tools, and livelihood as a result of the Russian invasion

10-year-old Long Island violinist Nadia Sayed and her mother Aruna Talapatra have raised almost $20,000 for displaced Ukrainian luthier Oleksandr Smykovskyi via a GoFundMe page set up in April of 2022. While the bulk of the funds was raised during the early days of the invasion, donors have continued to contribute — with the amount raised totaling $19,063 at the time of reporting.

After reading about Smykovskyi losing his workshop, tools, and livelihood as a result of the Russian invasion, Nadia asked her mother what they could do to help. The pair contacted Gary Sinderovsky, a Philadelphia violinist who auctioned one of Smykovskyi's violins through Tarisio, and he introduced them to Smykovskyi.

(Young violinist Nadia Sayed. PC: Aruna Talapatra)

Since GoFundMe is not available in Ukraine, the mother/daughter pair felt that they could best help Smykovskyi by offering access to that service from their home in Long Island. Talapatra has also been coordinating the campaign and keeping regular email contact with Smykovskyi.

As a result of the campaign, Smykovskyi and his family have been able to find safe passage out of their hometown of Mariupol through various humanitarian corridors. He has also been able to find an apartment for his elderly uncle and parents to live in.

"My home and my violin shop are completely destroyed, including all my tools, my woods, all instruments including five new violins in various stages of completion," Smykovskyi said of his situation in 2022.

"Like many of my countrymen, I am now a displaced person, a refugee without any basic belongings or means of livelihood."

"So ecstatic to report that we collected $10,743, another $4K+ to go towards our goal of $15K," Talapatra said in a 2022 update. "Thank you to everyone who contributed and/or shared my post. I cannot even imagine the horrors of war, [and I am] feeling very lucky to be able to help one person regain his livelihood."

Smykovskyi's struggle is ongoing, so please consider donating to the campaign if you are able.