As Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine gets more brutal by the day, people around the world are finding small ways to show their opposition to the invasion and sent support to the Ukrainian people. One custom LEGO store in Chicago is doing their part by releasing little LEGO figures of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as well as tiny little LEGO Molotov cocktails in honor of those remaining in the country to fight with everything and anything they have.
All proceeds from the sales of these items will go to Direct Relief, an international humanitarian aid organization that is currently working with Ukraine’s Ministry of Health to help both refugees and people who are trapped or voluntarily remaining in the country. They have been working to help folks in Ukraine get their medical needs met since before the full-scale invasion began, sending $26 million in medical aid to the nation in the past six months.
The Zelenskyy minifigure was sold for $100 a piece, and yes, they are already sold out, as are the Molotov cocktails with Ukrainian flag decals that went for $10 each. With one batch of these unofficial LEGO pieces, the company, Citizen Brick, initially raised $16,540 in direct sales and netted another $170 in Facebook donations, all of which went to helping the people of Ukraine.
The items sold out fast after they were featured on the official Ukraine Instagram account and the company soon made more, launching an even more ambitious fundraising campaign with a goal of $100,000.
“We’re scrambling to make another batch since this got picked up on the Ukrainian Instagram page,” owner Joe Trupia told Vice.
The second campaign was wildly successful, and we’re sorry to tell you that both items are sold out yet again after just a day on sale, and this time it looks like they won’t be making more, citing a “limited supply of necessary parts.” However, they managed to raise $145,000 for Ukraine and have encouraged others to make a donation straight to Direct Relief.
Citizen Brick is not affiliated with LEGO, which tends to stick to more family-friendly toy-making than Molotov cocktails but allows fans and even other companies to make custom pieces that might appeal more to their adult fans. Citizen Brick also sells “minifigs” of individuals such as a “Wasteland Biker” and a “Classic Bushman” which is definitely maybe holding a giant bong. Under accessories, you can also get a little baby Jesus.
