Every war produces tales of courage and defiance. Stories like this are a source of morale and inspiration for any side. But for a country outnumbered, outgunned and besieged, these stories can have extra resonance. And like The Battle of Britain or Dunkirk, they can symbolise more than the battle, but hope that victory may be possible one-day. In Ukraine, their such story is called AZOVSTAL.

The Battle-of-Mariupol was one of the bloodiest and most brutal of the Russian-full-scale-invasion of Ukraine. And as Russian forces closed in on the city, a small group of surviving soldiers and civilians made a valiant desperate last-stand in the tunnels of the Azovstal Steelworks. Besieged, cut-of, outnumbered and outgunned, they held off for 80 days. The story quickly became legend in Ukraine and beyond as a symbol of pride and strength of the Ukrainian spirit. So we decided to immortalise and weaponise this story.

The steel of Azovstal became a symbol of the steel of the nation and the people defending it. So from Azovstal, we forged a symbol of courage of our own.

Introducing THE LAST STEEL OF AZOVSTAL.

In a partnership between UNITED24 (President Zelenskyy’s government initiative) + METINVEST (the company behind the Azovstal Steelworks) – Using the last block of steel shipped from the Azovstal steel plant, we cut thousands of individual pieces and made them into unique bracelets.

A symbol of solidarity and the Ukrainian steel spirit. And a memorial to the courageous Azovstal defenders who sacrificed everything for a nation under siege.

Once the final block of steel made and shipped from the Azovstal factory had been located it was cut down into smaller fragments.

The Sova jewellery house designed the bracelet and the final treatment of the steel. The steel pieces were then cut, ground and finished with the Ukraine insignia and a simple black cord band was fitted. 30,000 unique pieces were created originally and released online through Ukrainian online retailer Rozetka, distributed through the National Postal service in Ukraine and abroad.

The first 30,000 bracelets sold-out in 3 days, so we went back to the block and made 70,000 more. In less than a week 100,000 bracelets were sold-out in 44 countries. The world media picked-up the inspiring story of the defenders with celebrities and public-figures wearing the bracelet and sharing their support. Above-all, The Last Steel of Azovstal symbolised to Ukrainians that their strength and perseverance will prevail.

>> 30,000 bracelets sold in the first 3 days

>> 100,000 bracelets sold out in 46 countries

>> Multiple global public figures sharing and representing the bracelet including The Pope.

>> Story picked-up across global media outlets with $114M earned media worldwide.

>> 1.2B impressions.

>> $7.8M raised to help the Ukrainian cause.

The symbolism of Mariupol in the overall context of the full-scale invasion and the last stand in the Azovstal steelworks cannot be overstated. Mariupol is a key city and the nature of the Russian barbarity to take the city has been both horrifying and a catalyst for the continued fightback. The steelworks also has significant historical resonance -- through WW1 and WW1 it never closed. Yet here it was forced to after it was bombarded for 80 days. As a fitting last stronghold and producer of the strongest metal - steel - it was a fitting metaphor for the strength of the Ukrainian spirit. There could have been no more fitting idea than use the last block of steel produced by the factory to not just immortalise the bravery of the defenders and civilians that made the last stand there, but symbolise a continuing fight where Ukraine must prevail.