“I am your brother.” Hollywood actor Richard Gere addressed Ukrainians on the occasion of Independence Day and read a poem by Yuriy Izdryk

American actor, Golden Globe winner, star of the films "Pretty Woman" and "Hachiko: The Faithful Friend" Richard Gere recorded an address to Ukrainians on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of Ukraineʼs Independence. He read a poem by Yuriy Izdryk and expressed his support for Ukrainians.

The video was shared by the NGO “Ukraine WOW”, which organized the filming of the actorʼs address in New York.

"To all the people of Ukraine, to each of you, I extend my warmest greetings and express my full and unwavering support. Happy Independence Day of Ukraine! I stand by you. I am your brother," said Richard Gere.

The actor read Yuriy Izdrykʼs poem "The Other" translated by Roman Ivashkiv and Erin Moure. He read the last lines of the poem in Ukrainian.

Co-founders of “Ukraine WOW” Yaroslava Gres and Yulia Solovey told about a funny moment in the history of filming this appeal. The project was prepared for a long time with the actorʼs team and until the last moment they did not know whether everything would happen.

However, in June, an interview was published on Latvian Television, in which Gere said that he was working on reading a poem by a Ukrainian poet. This was later spread by Ukrainian media. Thatʼs how the organizers realized that the project was confirmed.

• Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Richard Gere has consistently and publicly supported Ukraine, condemned Russian aggression, and participated in charitable initiatives. In particular, in 2022, he sold his own 1999 Jaguar XK8 convertible and directed the proceeds to humanitarian aid to Ukrainians.
• The actor also participated in the Concert for Ukraine charity concert in New York and participated in the 2023 First Ladies and Gentlemen Summit, where he openly condemned Russiaʼs war crimes.

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