Anne In the sets of adaptive clothing from Shveyna Rota, one often finds small protective angel charms made by the caring hands of 73-year-old Lyubov Salatyan from the city of Odesa.
Ms. Lyubov loves to create handmade items, and before the invasion, her works were sold in Odesa’s stores. Tourists from Ukraine and abroad eagerly bought motanka dolls, angels, decorated horseshoes, and shell paintings as souvenirs from the sunny coast.
Since the end of February 2022, everything has stopped… Ms. Lyubov couldn’t sit idly by, so she joined the active volunteer movement. — Together with her son, they helped as much as they could. In particular, Ms. Lyubov collected 3,000 vials of hemostatic medication in a month, going from pharmacy to pharmacy.
But she couldn’t forget her favorite craft. Through volunteers, along with the collected medicines and other items, she sent her angels. She had been sending such charms to hospitals since 2014. The wounded love the angels very much because they contained the power of love and prayers for their owners, warming their souls and giving hope and faith. For a while, she made angels together with children in a local rehabilitation center. Ms. Lyubov also brought her angels to a local café, where they were distributed to soldiers for free, and civilians could buy them for a donation (this initiative still exists today).
At the end of 2022, Lyubov Salatyan saw a video on Instagram from the Shveyna Rota page. She was interested in this initiative as it resonated with her work. So she sent a message offering to donate her angels to wounded defenders. This marked the beginning of a fruitful collaboration with the craftsmen of Shveyna Rota.
To date, Ms. Lyubov has made more than 32,000 charms. On average, about 1,000 angels come from her tireless hands each month. The largest number in a month was 2,100 angels!
Recently, Lyubov Salatyan found herself an assistant — Tetyana Boyko. For several months now, they have continued this work together. The craftswoman still finds ways to help. She continues to visit wounded soldiers undergoing treatment and rehabilitation in Odesa, each time giving them angels, treating them with sweets, and bowing low in gratitude for their protection.
Ms. Lyubov is sincerely grateful to everyone in Ukraine and abroad who stands by during tough times, helps, and supports Ukraine. That is why she wanted to show her gratitude to Bracelets and Peace. She sent us over 180 angels!
They are currently on sale in Cantabria, Spain. We have also given angels to some of the amazing people who have helped Bracelets and Peace with our actions to support orphanages, displaced families and, of course, Shveyna Rota. Everybody who sees them just loves them! You can tell the love and care that went into making them.
Thank you Lyubov! As you say, “Together we are strong.”
