As part of the project, six ambulances, a high-speed evacuation truck and a bus equipped for transporting the wounded were handed over.
Today, March 1, representatives of the non-profit organization Bamberg:ua handed over six ambulances, a high-speed evacuation truck and a bus that will be able to transport up to 11 wounded. All vehicles are fully equipped with the necessary equipment and medicines and are ready to help combat medics.
The cars will be handed over to the needs of the military, in accordance with the requests they sent to Lviv OVA.
“This valuable aid was distributed among 45 separate artillery brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, 67 separate mechanized brigades, 120 territorial defense brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, our scouts and a hospital in the Kherson region.
I sincerely thank the “People’s Defense of Lviv region”, thanks to which we have such partners as Bamberg:UA.
Special thanks to the bassist of the rock band Sportfreunde Stiller Rüdiger Linghof, who responded to the request of the head of the public organization Bamberg:UA Tanya Erlai and involved many of his friends from the cultural sphere to organize concerts in support of our state – this is how the project “Cultural Convoy for Ukraine”. Rüdiger, by the way, came to Lviv personally, and in the spring of 2022 he hosted a family of Ukrainian refugees at his home in Munich.
Many thanks to all the caring people in Germany. This is the help that saves the most valuable thing.
We really hope that the German government will also make a fair decision and hand over the Taurus missiles to us,” said the head of the regional military administration Maksym Kozytskyi.
The transfer of transport took place within the framework of the “Cultural Convoy for Ukraine” project. It was initiated by the public organization Bamberg:ua.
The project was implemented together with popular rock bands and well-known representatives of the German art industry. Funds for the purchase of equipment were collected at concerts, they were donated by fans and subscribers of musicians, actors, writers, thus helping Bamberg:ua to achieve its goal.
According to the head of Bamberg:ua Tanya Erlein, this is the first “cultural convoy”. However, the benefactors do not plan to stop there, and the next one is already actively being prepared.
“Our organization started cooperation with the cultural sector of Germany not only in order to collect more funds, but also in order to draw attention to the fact that people are dying in Ukraine,” the philanthropist added.
The organization has been cooperating with the rock band “Sportfreunde Stiller” since 2022. The band’s bassist Rüdiger Linghof, who personally came to Lviv, said that when he turned to his fellow artists, their immediate reaction was “Yes!”. And what was most comforting and surprising was that they were grateful for the opportunity to help.
Thanks to the initiative of the bass player of the rock band, 20 more musicians, actors, writers and other well-known representatives of the German art industry joined the gathering.
“From the first day of the full-scale invasion, it was important for me to help Ukrainians. As a German, I feel responsible because of Nazism during World War II. I am a democrat, and I want to gather like-minded people around me. As a representative of the cultural sphere, I believe that democracy and culture are inseparable. Democracy is what culture breathes, and vice versa.
Our task as artists is not just to write a good text, but also to actively express our position,” emphasized Rüdiger Linghof, the bassist of the rock band Sportfreunde Stiller.
For reference.
Bamberg:ua is a non-profit organization founded in 2017 by Ukrainian students of Bamberg University.
Bamberg:ua offers a wide range of services, such as:
Providing information about life in Bamberg
Help with finding housing
Assistance with the preparation of documents
Learning the German language
Organization of cultural events
Bamberg:ua cooperates with other organizations that help Ukrainian refugees.
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the organization has been raising funds to help the Ukrainian army, including the purchase of cars, ambulances, fire equipment, and special vehicles.
The partner of the organization in the Lviv region is “People’s Self-Defense of Lviv region”.
During the 2 years of the full-scale invasion, Bamberg:ua provided 136 cars and 850 tons of humanitarian goods for the needs of the military and civilian population in Ukraine. The approximate amount of assistance is about three million euros.