"I'm a maximalist, but each of us can do this." A priest from the Lviv region raised 18 million UAH for the Armed Forces of Ukraine
Hieromonk Makariy Dutka has been in the monastery for almost 28 years. He was the hegumen who led the Holy Dormition Univ Lavra for 15 years. Besides volunteering, Father Makariy is a professional athlete - he is an International Master of Sports in powerlifting in the weight category up to 75 kilograms. This year, he lifted 190 kilograms. The hieromonk is also the author of seven books.
A few days ago, you were raising funds for drones for the 68th Separate Jaeger Brigade named after Oleksa Dovbush. This fundraiser was completed within a day with 700 thousand hryvnias.
The charitable project "Birds of Victory" started fundraising for drones for the 68th Brigade, which is fighting in the Pokrovsk direction. They also added a video message from warrior Nazar Hrytsyshyn, who, to put it mildly, said that the situation for our military in this direction is currently very difficult. And I decided to help with this fundraiser because I was deeply moved by this.
I understand that the boys are in grave danger. I prayed to God and said, "God, help me!" and set everything else aside. Before that, I was raising funds for a monocular for our local soldier, calling, sending messages, and reaching out to different people from morning till night. In just six hours, we managed to raise 500,000 UAH. After eight hours, we had 620,000, and by the end of the day—700,000!
This allowed us to cover the need for three Mavics for the brigade, each costing 160,000 UAH. The remaining funds will go toward helping other soldiers. Bishops, ordinary people, and those I contacted privately contributed to the fundraiser. There were also two transfers from Kyiv—20,000 and 25,000 UAH—but I don’t know who made these donations.
You started fundraising in 2024. What was your first fundraiser like? Why did you start it at that time?
I was the abbot of the Holy Dormition Univ Lavra for almost 15 years. When the full-scale invasion began, I was in the middle of my third term, so to speak. At that time, I consulted with Father Iona, the former abbot, about how we could contribute to the fight. There was an urgent need to help people fleeing the occupied territories. We took in 120 refugees and fully supported them at the monastery for a year.
Last December, I stepped down as abbot, which gave me much more time, so I wanted to continue helping in some way.
Do you also engage in sports professionally?
In February of this year, I won the Sparta UPC Powerlifting Cup in Kyiv, lifting a 190-kilogram barbell. That’s when I decided to start a fundraiser for 100,000 UAH. I managed to close it within a day. Since then, I have continued my efforts.
At first, I dedicated my competitions to Dmytro Kotsiubailo, Da Vinci, then to pilots, and later to Valerii Zaluzhnyi. Over time, I began organizing fundraisers in various ways to support the army.
The next fundraiser took place on April 15, 2024. When I won the Ukrainian Championship and set my personal record, I launched a fundraiser for 500,000 UAH. People donated, and I kept thinking of new ways to reach out. At first, I asked privately, then I turned to parish priests. From the 10th to the 15th million, parishes helped me the most. I called priests from Lviv, Ternopil, and Ivano-Frankivsk regions, and they organized Sunday collections after services. The biggest contribution came from the Sambir-Drohobych Diocese, where I involved 51 parishes, and around 45 parishes from the Stryi Diocese. In total, more than 200 parishes supported my fundraiser—mostly from the UGCC, but also a few from the OCU.
Right now, I’m raising the final 200,000 UAH to reach the 18th million. (By the time this article was published, the priest had already raised 18 million UAH. – Ed.)
Which brigades do you help?
Primarily, I support the 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade—about 70–75% of my efforts go there. However, I also assist the 77th Separate Airmobile Brigade, 68th Separate Jaeger Brigade, 420th Rifle Battalion, 7th Border Guard Detachment, 45th Separate Artillery Brigade, and 80th Separate Air Assault Brigade. In total, I support around 10–12 units.
How do you manage to raise such large sums, given the current decline in financial support?
Thanks to the work of journalists, it’s easier for me to reach out to people privately. Usually, they have already heard or read something about me. For example, if I see someone like Ms. Maria on social media and learn that she is a deputy, I look up her contact information and ask if I can reach out to her. In 95% of cases, people respond and donate to the fundraiser. I also contact acquaintances—for instance, my former classmate, Bishop Mykola, has helped several times.
Additionally, I participate in auctions. I search the monastery for icons and paintings that don’t have significant historical value or were gifted, and with the abbot’s permission, I auction them. We also sold a paper-cut artwork by Brother Demyan, a Merited Master of Folk Art of Ukraine. Another monk embroidered an icon, which I auctioned for 350,000 UAH—it was the first replica of the Uniiv Mother of God icon. Another brother, who is a blacksmith, crafted an item from a Russian tank barrel and sold it.
I know that you donate part of your funds to prosthetics for our soldiers.
Yes, I donate 20% of the proceeds to prosthetics for wounded soldiers. I raised one million UAH for a prosthetic leg for Oleksandr Moldakhovsky from the 24th Brigade—he is already walking on his "iron leg."
Now, I have collected another one million UAH for Yevhen Scripnichuk from Chernivtsi, who lost his leg near Chasiv Yar. He wants to return to the front. I managed to accomplish this with the support of two parishes in the Czech Republic—one in Prague (Church of St. Stephen) and another in Pardubice.
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What motivates you and how do you manage to keep going?
I believe that each of us can do this. I'm a maximalist—when I started sports, I wanted to achieve something, to become an international master of sports. I've also written books, and in the end, seven of them have been published.
I love the army and look at the guys with admiration. My fundraising efforts are a way of showing gratitude to them. Since I don't have major responsibilities in the monastery apart from prayer, participating in gatherings, and performing certain household duties, I dedicate my entire day to this work. It brings me a sense of peace.
I recently remembered from school that there is a book called "The Red and the Black" by Stendhal. The main character was smart, knew the Bible well, and said: "In the Catholic Church, I could have been the Pope, but in Napoleon Bonaparte's army, I don't even know if I would have been a decent corporal."
At the start of the large-scale war, society was very united, but now there is noticeable fatigue and demotivation.
It’s important for us now to unite and get more involved in helping. For me, the army is what provides our protection and gives us peaceful skies. I can't imagine not doing something for them. When a commander calls and asks for help, I am ready to even approach the president. I can't refuse a soldier on the front lines. They shouldn't have to ask—they should have everything they need without asking! It seems to me that if I stop doing this, I will go to a military unit and become a chaplain, so I can help in that way, because I can't find peace otherwise.
We need to help the army primarily because we must not forget that the war is ongoing. It exists, it is brutal. And if we don't support the front lines, we won't wait for victory. I believe the guys at the front see what we're doing. If they saw that we're living only for our own pleasure and don't think about them, many of them would say, "Why should I keep fighting?"
We must show the military on the front lines that we are also fighting!
It should be noted that Father continues to raise funds to purchase a night vision binocular for soldier Sviatoslav Liashenko from Peremyshlyany, who serves in the 71st Separate Rifle Brigade. This brigade is carrying out combat missions on the frontline in the Kharkiv direction.
The AGM NVG-40 NL1 night vision binocular is needed for safer vehicle movement during nighttime, as the vehicle's headlights are turned off for the safety of the personnel heading to the positions. Ordinary lights can reveal the vehicle's position, and the enemy could launch a fire attack on the personnel.
The binocular costs 250,000 UAH. So far, 60,000 UAH has been raised.
https://www.privat24.ua/send/d5thz
https://send.monobank.ua/jar/6o548eEajf
Kateryna Sadlovska
Photo provided by Father Makary Dutka