Designer Ruslan Baginskiy and the leader of the band Okean Elzy, Sviatoslav Vakarchuk, have unveiled a joint project called "Friend" (Druh) — a series of baseball caps whose entire proceeds will go toward prosthetics for Ukrainian military personnel at the UNBROKEN National Rehabilitation Center. This was reported by Wave RBC.UA, citing the official announcement from the Ruslan Baginskiy brand. The project unites music, design, and charity into a single product that has already attracted interest from fans of both the band and the brand.
The Musician's Handwriting as the Design Foundation
The key element of the collection is the word "Friend," handwritten by Sviatoslav Vakarchuk. The Ruslan Baginskiy brand team reproduced this handwriting as embroidery on the caps, preserving the author's intonation and the graphic texture of the handwritten text. This approach turns each piece into an object with a unique visual story: the buyer sees not just a logo, but literally the signature of a person whose music has become part of the lives of millions of listeners.
A Reference to the "Model" Album and the Collector's Edition
Separately, the project featured a collector's edition of the cap — blue with orange embroidery and the signatures of both co-authors. This color combination is a direct reference to the artwork of the album "Model," released in 2001. The song "Friend" is also included in the tracklist of this record, completing the semantic circle: the project's name, visual code, and musical context form a unified system. For fans of Okean Elzy, this is an additional reason to view the cap not only as an accessory but also as a collector's item tied to a specific era of the band's creative output.
100% of Revenue — for Military Prosthetics
According to the brand, 100% of the revenue from the collection's sales is transferred to the UNBROKEN National Rehabilitation Center, based in Lviv. The stated purpose of the funds is modern prosthetics for Ukrainian military personnel wounded as a result of the war. The center operates across several areas: treatment, prosthetics, physical and psychological rehabilitation, as well as supporting patients during their return to everyday life. Thus, the purchase of a single cap directly finances a specific medical process, rather than an abstract "aid fund."
The Scale of UNBROKEN's Work: Figures That Provide Context
According to the center's own data, since the start of the full-scale invasion, more than 27,000 wounded Ukrainians, including children, have received treatment through UNBROKEN. This figure underscores how much in demand rehabilitation services are and why even targeted charitable initiatives, such as the sale of a cap series, can have practical significance. The center does not limit itself to a one-time operation: its mission covers the entire patient journey — from the first consultation to the restoration of an independent lifestyle.
The Context of the Collaboration: Why Now
The launch of the "Friend" project in 2026 falls during a period when the need for prosthetics and rehabilitation remains critically high, and the public activity of artists and designers is increasingly tied to specific social tasks. The joint appearance of Vakarchuk and Baginskiy at the presentation — wearing the characteristic blue and black caps, against the backdrop of a stand with the brand's logo and displayed prints — became a visual manifesto of the project: two authors, two languages (music and graphic design), one goal. The "Friend" collection thus operates on several levels simultaneously — as a commercial product, as an art object, and as a tool for targeted aid.
