A key aspect of this strategy is to present the largest totalitarian symbol in Ukraine in an absolutely new and unexpected way. We have a very traditional post-Soviet society in Ukraine. We still have a statue with possibly the largest Soviet state emblem in the world on it - the Motherland Monument. We used this iconic monument - the symbol of Victory and Protection - which in fact “protects” only inhuman Soviet values (??for example, in the USSR there was criminal persecution of representatives of the LGBTQ + community), and turned it into a symbol of gender equality and human

The Motherland Monument - the tallest European statue - is a symbol of Victory and Protection. But even now, in modern Ukraine, there is no protection of gender equality. Defending LGBTQ+ rights is not only hard, it’s also dangerous. That's why in Ukraine, Pride events do not have a long history. COVID-19 made it even more difficult, as all Pride events were canceled and switched to online, which reduced the audience dramatically. Online involves only LGBTQ+ activists. Offline Pride events are a moment of visibility for a wide audience.

The main objective of Kyiv Pride in the context of COVID-19 pandemic was to:

1. Draw people’s attention to the LGBTQ+ issue through the idea of the Equality March: KPI – maximum audience coverage

2. Carry out the idea of the March in the context of strict quarantine restrictions and lack of budget for media coverage

Perception of LGBTQ+ people in Ukraine was formed under the influence of Soviet propaganda. In the USSR, representatives of the LGBT were subjected to criminal prosecution. Unfortunately, this social background still affects many Ukrainians. For many of them, Soviet values are something “sacred” and “untouchable”.

We need to show that the modern world is not the same as before and there are things that need to be revised.

We still have a statue with possibly the largest Soviet state emblem in the world on it - the Motherland Monument. A key aspect of the strategy is to present the largest totalitarian symbol in Ukraine in an absolutely new and unexpected way.

69% of respondents in Ukraine answered a clear "no'' to the question: “Should LGBTQ+ people be accepted by society?”.

To involve these people into a national discussion about gender equality/human rights, we targeted them with a culture-shifting live stunt.

The vision of LGBTQ+ community in Ukraine was formed under the influence of Soviet popularization. Unfortunately, such social background influences perception of the majority of Ukrainians until today. For many people Soviet values are still sacramental and sacred. We still have a statue with possibly the largest Soviet state emblem in the world - the Motherland Monument. We used this iconic monument and turned it into a symbol of diversity and gender equality.

The meaning of the symbol has changed radically, the “Motherland” like mother has to support and defend all her “children”.

We would never get permission to hang a flag on the Motherland Monument because of political reasons. The dimensions of the sword and flag are such that it is physically impossible to do this without damaging the monument. Therefore, we used a technological solution. It was an upside-down shift in symbolism that should immediately resonate with society.

We hacked the tallest European statue, the iconic Motherland Monument, with the help of drones by attaching a huge rainbow flag to its sword in real-time. The statue’s symbolism was transformed – from the protection of Soviet values to human rights protection and raising awareness on gender equality.

We have 100 million impressions for the first three days at the expense of organic coverage, publication in more than 100 national media outlets and in more than 10 popular global Internet resources. Our stunt became The event of the year in Ukraine and Eastern Europe.

The general movement of LGBTQ+ in Ukraine grew and the pride became more creative in its communication in general. After Kyiv prides in Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhya in 2021 also started flying rainbow flags with the help of drones.

In 2021 the Motherland monument with a rainbow flag on its sword became on of the key image of the biggest Kyiv market "Vsi Svoi".

Brave and committed activists in Ukraine lead the charge for equality. Out of the four featured countries (Hungary, Poland, russia, Ukraine) Ukraine has the least aggressive track record of government-sponsored LGBTQI discrimination and becoming the most welcoming nation in the region.

Total media budget of the company amounted to 0.00$

All the partners were working free-of-charge. The flag was a gift from a friendly embassy.

Within a few days the campaign “Mother will understand and support” received wide publicity in Ukraine and abroad. TV, Internet-resources and private users’ publications made the activation one of the most talked about events. Live stream on Facebook and a post on Kyiv Pride page and partners’ pages caused a true “boom” in mass media and social networks. All media spreading was 100% organic, not one paid advertising or placement in media.

To inform people about the promotion “Mother will understand and support” social networks of Kyiv Pride have been used. There was an online live stream on Facebook, later a publication was uploaded that was copied on Instagram page.

Further coverage grew at the expense of organic coverage.