Evgeny Kazmirchuk, a retired submarine officer from St. Petersburg, has dedicated over two years to assisting military personnel on the front lines and those who have returned home with severe injuries. During this period, his initial group of enthusiasts evolved into a full-fledged charitable foundation. This article details the challenges volunteers encounter in their vital mission.
The Military Hospital Initiative
Evgeny Kazmirchuk, a graduate of the Naval Institute of Radioelectronics, had been retired for some time and engaged in business. In June 2023, a close friend, who headed a military hospital in the city, contacted him with an urgent plea for help. He explained that wounded soldiers were arriving, and the hospital faced critical shortages of essential supplies, including consumables, vaccines, and bandages. Additionally, the hospital`s rehabilitation hall was in dire need of major renovation and new equipment.
Kazmirchuk`s immediate thought was to reach out to his alumni network from the Naval Institute. The response was remarkably swift. Within just a few days, they successfully procured the necessary medications and rehabilitation equipment.
“After that, I created a volunteer group in a messenger app and started contacting everyone I knew,” the volunteer recalls. “Unfortunately, I often encountered indifference. Many asked: `What is the Ministry of Defense doing?` My response was always the same: `Let`s not look for blame, but start with ourselves, because help is needed right now.`”
Later, Evgeny launched a Telegram channel titled `Hospital Aid,` where he consistently publishes all financial reports, ensuring transparency for his supporters.
Support on the Front Lines
By the summer of 2023, the hospital had undergone significant improvements: a physical therapy room and a massage cabinet were fully equipped, a lift for wheelchair users was installed, and the operating room was modernized. However, Evgeny soon realized that more extensive support was needed beyond the hospital walls.
“The more I communicated with doctors and soldiers, and met the wounded arriving in the city, the more I became convinced that some individuals were left with disabilities due to insufficient aid directly on the front line,” explains the Navy veteran. “There was a severe lack of everything there – from bandages to evacuation vehicles.”
Driven by this realization, the volunteer broadened his focus to support evacuation teams and medical personnel in frontline hospitals. He also began delivering high-quality first-aid kits and vaccines directly to combat units.
“We acquired a minibus, prepared it for use, and gathered all necessities for a first-tier field hospital in one of the LPR settlements, including generators and food. Together with my friend Alexander Zhivaev, we transported all of this to the special military operation zone. Part of the cargo went in that same van, and part in a minibus,” Evgeny recounts. “Since then, we`ve been constantly traveling there, covering routes from Belgorod to Zaporizhzhia.”
Expanding Horizons
The word spread quickly, and the volume of requests rapidly increased. Appeals came from various military units, individual soldiers, and their families who found themselves in challenging circumstances. Evgeny`s efforts gained broader recognition, attracting more volunteers and resources.
Another friend of Evgeny`s, Mikhail Chudovsky, facilitated collaboration with a professional trainer. This led to the establishment of bi-weekly sessions for soldiers with amputations at the Judo Veterans Association in Gostiny Dvor. In addition, a psychologist provided remote consultations, offering crucial support to help them cope with post-traumatic stress disorder.
“However, the funds collected through friends and the Telegram channel were no longer sufficient,” admits the retired officer. “Some entrepreneurs, commercial entities, and even large enterprises offered their assistance. To interact with them, a legal entity was required. We realized it was time to officially register a charitable foundation.”
The Charitable Foundation
The decision was made to retain the original name: `Hospital Aid.` By this point, the St. Petersburg-based team had significantly broadened its scope, providing soldiers who had lost limbs with prostheses and modern wheelchairs, among other forms of assistance.
“It turns out that registering a foundation is not so simple,” Evgeny notes. “For half a year, the Ministry of Justice repeatedly returned our applications under various pretexts. We changed lawyers, rewrote the charter – all to no avail. Eventually, they did pay attention to us and offered us to officially register through the Public Chamber of Russia.”
The grand opening of the foundation recently took place in Moscow. Evgeny is optimistic that with official legal status and high-level support, all future operations will proceed more smoothly and efficiently.
The work is set to expand even further, as the volunteers now plan to establish a comprehensive rehabilitation center that will serve both military personnel and civilians in need.
