Volodymyr Bondarenko spends most of the day hiding in his apartment in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev.
Between hearing air raid sirens and frantically texting his family for updates, he texts with a flurry of Airbnb guests booking his room rental in the heart of Ukraine’s capital.
Sometimes he sends a crying emoji. Other times, the praying hands emoji. It’s your way of thanking those who are booking your apartment – even if they don’t intend to show up at your door.
Airbnb hosts in Ukraine are being inundated with bookings from people all over the world who have no plans to visit. It is part of a creative social media campaign to funnel money to besieged Ukrainians in need of financial assistance as Russian forces bomb their country and cut off services.
The idea gained traction. On March 2 and 3, guests from around the world booked more than 61,000 nights in Ukraine, according to an Airbnb spokesperson. More than half of those nights were booked by Americans, the spokesman said.
CNN spoke to people in the US, UK and Australia who have booked Ukrainian rentals on Airbnb in recent days.
“More than 10 bookings arrived today. That was surprising, it’s very supportive at the moment,” Bondarenko, 36, told CNN on Friday. “I have told many of my relatives and friends that I intend to use this money to help our people who are in need right now.”
Support messages
The call for guests to book Airbnbs in Ukraine began online, where supporters urged people to book rooms as close to their check-in date as possible to ensure hosts receive rates quickly. Airbnb typically issues a payment about 24 hours after a guest checks in.
Campaign organizers are also asking people to ensure that rentals are operated by individuals and not companies.
New York resident Anne Margaret Daniel saw Airbnb posts on social media and took action.
The New School literature professor booked a two-night stay in an apartment in Old Kyiv, a charming, historic neighborhood known for Orthodox churches and quirky animal carvings. Photos in the Airbnb listing show pristine hardwood floors, an upholstered gray sofa, and a slanted skylight. The two bedroom apartment is almost fully booked for the next few months.
In his reservation, Daniel included a message for the host:
“I hope you and your beautiful apartment are safe and that this horrible war ends… and Ukraine is safe,” he said. “I will see you one day, please count on it, and I will stay with you when we visit. God bless you and God be with you, your city, your country.”
His hostess, Olga Zviryanskaya, soon responded. “We will be delighted to see you in the peaceful city of Kiev and hug you,” she said.
Zviryanskaya and her three children lived in the capital for years. After Russian forces invaded and threw the city into turmoil, she packed her children and some belongings in a car and fled to the region near Cherkasy, a city in central Ukraine. The 100-mile (about 160 km) trip took nine hours.
Now, Zviryanskaya is allowing people who have no way out of Kiev to stay in her apartment. Messages from strangers provided comfort as she adjusts to her new reality.
“We are alive, but we want to live like before,” she said. “It’s very scary in Kiev. Every word of support is valuable, not necessarily money.” Someday, when the conflict is over, Daniel hopes to rebook Zviryanskaya’s apartment. This time, she intends to visit.
‘You are my heroes’, says a Ukrainian presenter
Andre Osypchuk is a retired sailor and Airbnb host in Kiev. He was surprised to see Valerie Zimmer of Brooklyn – who was born in Kiev and stayed in her apartment three years ago while visiting family – recently booked her place for a week-long stay.
Osypchuk remains in the city with his wife and two children. He has since set up an automatic message to handle the flow of requests from Airbnb.
“Thank you so much for your help, which is much needed right now,” he says. “I’ve been in line for food since morning, which I can now buy with the money you sent.”
Zimmer reached directly for him to check on him and offer help. She asked her friends to look for similar Airbnb rentals across Ukraine.
“The money will get to people directly and quickly,” she said.
New York resident Careyann Deyo, 45, booked an Airbnb rental attached to someone’s home in Ukraine to ensure her payment reached a resident. “I also donated to larger organizations, but I felt this had a more immediate impact,” says Deyo.
Deyo’s host texted her after finding out she was sending a payment, though she didn’t plan on checking in.
“I’m crying. You are my heroes,” she would say.
Source: CNN Brasil
I’m James Harper, a highly experienced and accomplished news writer for World Stock Market. I have been writing in the Politics section of the website for over five years, providing readers with up-to-date and insightful information about current events in politics. My work is widely read and respected by many industry professionals as well as laymen.
