“The one who remembers wins”: how RBTNK and the Memorial Platform created a community artifact that preserves memory

In the RBTNK world, there are two special artifacts dedicated to remembrance. They are bracelets - one steel and one paracord. The first introduced us to the Memorial Platform of Remembrance, while the second was created to support it. We tell the story of how it happened and how we approached the culture of remembrance in Ukraine, in the own words of RBTNK founder Iordan Konstantinidi, below.

RBTNK is my personal interpretation of our world, where people have changed their professions and approaches, armed themselves, and united for victory. As in the real world, the war against evil does not come without sacrifice, so honoring everyone who took part in the main struggle of our time became a logical continuation of the story.

“Without their contribution, their sacrifice, and the lessons they taught us, we would not be here today”

That is how Chapter 4 of the RBTNK universe came about. The previous chapters were about characters, their superpowers, and artifacts. In the fourth chapter, we turned to Remembrance.

WHAT LIES AT THE HEART OF REMEMBRANCE

Within this chapter, our own small digital memorial appeared. Here, you shared stories about your heroes and, most importantly, about the lesson they taught you during their lives. This emphasis became key. When my sister and I were children, we loved the service Gives me hope, where users shared short stories about humanity that inspired them and supported their faith in people and goodness.

Screenshot of the RBTNK digital memorial

I sincerely believe, no matter how fanciful it may sound: if we do not learn the lessons of the past, we are unable to control the future. Every lesson is a life, memories, actions, and words left behind by specific people. You wrote about them in our memorial.

THE ARTIFACT OF CHAPTER 4

Remembrance can be not only a source of pain; it can also transform memories into strength and lessons into an enlightened path. The artifact of Chapter 4 was a steel bracelet, engraved on the inside with the name of a person taken by the war. To give remembrance a physical form in everyday life. To keep with us throughout our struggle those who left their imprint and lessons in our souls and consciousness. American service members and their loved ones wear such bracelets. A dog tag is a more personal item, while a bracelet makes it possible to preserve the memory of someone.

Steel remembrance bracelet with engraving

CONTRIBUTION TO THE MEMORIAL

After the release of Chapter 4, I felt very sad. I had invested too much in it: myself, resources, people, and relationships. It so happened that we launched just as the Memorial, whose work had inspired us, publicly asked for money for the first time to support its activities. I made a donation from the profits of the first two weeks of sales. Later, Hayane Avakyan, co-founder of the Memorial, said that we had become the first business to publicly support the Memorial. And by doing so, we showed others that donations can support not only weapons or medicine, but also Remembrance.

Hayane Avakyan - co-founder of the Memorial, and Iordan Konstantinidi, founder of RBTNK

THE ONE WHO REMEMBERS WINS

After meeting them in person, I firmly decided to begin working with the Memorial and support it more broadly. Although the subject of remembrance and its audience - is highly sensitive and painful. What is it like - to create products for people whose lives have been destroyed at this point? I had not felt such a great responsibility in a long time, and that probably inspired me more than anything.

“Knots for remembrance. A name in every one. Paracord” - the dream idea of Memorial co-founder Hayane Avakyan.

When I was thinking about this, I was in the Sumy region, in the town of Yunakivka, which is now surrounded by Russian troops. Several sleepless nights, tears, personal pain, and memories of my fallen comrades - and the ideas came. That is how the paracord bracelet “The One Who Remembers Wins” came about, created from half of our dog tag. An artifact that transforms remembrance into action.

First attempts

Paracord is an extremely strong and compact cord used by the military in field conditions. It helps bind, secure, pull, and hold. Thus, the bracelet embodies this unbreakable connection with those who have passed away. The paracord for the bracelets was braided by hand by veteran Oleksandr Savliuk.

WE HIT THE TARGET!

Nearly half a million hryvnias in one month of sales - and all the proceeds were directed toward continuing to document the stories of those who died: fallen military personnel and civilians killed by Russia, so that their names would not be forgotten. Today, more than 10,000 names have already been collected on the Memorial platform.

As a military person, I understand very well what death is. That it cannot be avoided. And that we need to speak openly about honoring Heroes and normalize such projects in our traumatized society. I too will end up there sooner or later - so why not invest in what I consider important and what will affect more than one generation of Ukrainians and the world.

Today, both RBTNK and the Memorial Platform continue to build a culture of remembrance in Ukraine. And I am proud that I can support projects such as the Memorial Platform of Remembrance and the people behind it. That is precisely why I created RBTNK.

RBTNK founder - Iordan Konstantinidi, personal archive

Thank you for your support and for sharing! Create your own remembrance artifacts: steel or paracord bracelet, so that remembrance can become a source of strength and inspiration!