Friends!

Friends! Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina has become the world's 4th racket! She won in the Premier 5 Rogers Cup tournament in Toronto for Women's Tennis Association (WTA).

In the finals Svitolina won the former first racket of the world Carolyn Wozniacki from Denmark - 6: 4, 6: 0. She became the first Ukrainian tennis player in history who managed to win five tournaments in a season. Thanks to this, Ukrainian today once again updated national ranking in the world ranking and ranked 4th in it. "It's just incredible to become the world's fourth racquet. I still have a bit more to beat Andrei Medvedev's record, which is one of my goals. I want to set a new record in the world ranking for Ukraine. I am motivated, and I hope I can do it by the end of this year. This is important to me, the support of Ukrainians plays an important role for me, I really appreciate it ", - said Elina herself.

The secret of Ukrainian is simple: hard work, modesty and good luck. I'm proud of Elina Svitolina!

The Ukrainian tennis star was born on September 12, 1994 in Odessa, later she moved to Kharkiv with her family. Girl was inspired to engage in sports by her family - parents Elena and Michael and brother Julian. Parents of the girl are also athletes - daddy was wrestler, mum – likes water sports.

Friends, this is just the beginning. I am sure Elina has a lot of new achievements ahead and she can realize her dream. So, let’s support her! Go ahead to new victories!

Друзі!

Друзі! Я часто розповідаю вам про те, що у руках кожного з нас велика сила. Будь-яка людина може змінити своє життя, побудувати приголомшливу кар’єру, стати справжнім героєм чи зробити так, аби тим, хто поряд, жилося легше. Сьогодні я розповім вам історію Маріуми Бен Йосеф – ізраїльтянки, яка допомогла 46 тисячам дітей і потрапила у номінацію на звання «Героя CNN» першою серед ізраїльтян.

Коли Маріумі було 14 років, вона втекла з дому, переживши досвід насильства. Вона жила просто на вулицях Бостона – спала на лавках та харчувалася зі смітника. Це були дуже важкі два роки. Тоді дівчинка зрозуміла, що їй та іншим дітям, які через різні причини опинилися на вулиці, немає на кого покластися. Та врешті Маріум знайшла можливість повернутися до Ізраїлю, де проходили її дитячі роки. Вона закінчила школу та служила у ЦАХАЛі. У 20 років дівчина завагітніла і майбутнє материнство стало поштовхом для того, аби взятися за справу всього її життя – захищати дітей, що опинилися у складних життєвих ситуаціях.

Спершу Маріума щотижня готувала обіди для молоді, що живе на вулицях. На той час у неї вже був свій дім, тому вона запрошувала усіх до себе на обід. Тих, кому не було куди йти – залишала вдома. Це було понад 30 років тому. Зараз жінка має два будинки, де живуть підлітки віком від 14 до 21 років. Один знаходиться у Тель-Авіві, інший – у Негеві. Загалом їх називають центром Shanti House, і це дійсно «дім миру та гармонії».

За цей час Маріума Бен Йосеф допомогла десяткам тисяч дітей. Тут їм надають тимчасовий притулок та довготривалу психологічну допомогу. Маріума намагається зробити так, аби у Shanti House діти відчули себе, немов удома, у безпеці та спокої. «Це мої діти, моє життя. Ми завжди поряд 24/7. В мене не було своєї сім’ї. У цих дітей теж. Я хочу, аби вони бачили, що навіть у темряві завжди є світло».

Діти надзвичайно вдячні жінці за її зусилля та доброту. Один з безпритульних, який у 16 років опинився на вулиці, розповів: «Я жив дуже важко. Потім дістався центру і тут мене навчили розуміти, що я можу досягти будь чого. Я завжди хотів закінчити школу і мені допомогли. Тут ми знаходимо не просто дах над головою, а дім».

Чи стане Маріума «Героїнею року» CNN визначить журі 4 вересня. Та це звання не грає великої ролі. Бо вона вже героїня для тих, чиї життя вона змінила. Простягайте руку допомоги – інколи вона грає ключову роль у спасінні людини.

Friends!

Friends! August 4 is the day of memory of Zeev Jabotinsky. He is a journalist and politician, one of the symbols of the formation of Israel, a man who foresaw the independence of Ukraine. He has long insisted on the principles that Ukrainians and Jews should not quarrel, but act as a whole.

Zeev, or then Vladimir - was born in Odessa on October 18, 1880. One of the greatest shocks in Jabotinsky's life was the bloody pogroms swept by the Russian Empire at the early twentieth century. Then he decided at any cost to fight anti-Semitism, and put more effort into the revival of the Jewish state. He began to study his native language, broke off ties with his former environment, and soon left the general press.

Jabotinsky, as nobody knew and understood, what was true nationalism. He knew what he was prepared to do to create a Jewish state and therefore supported those who dreamed abouttheir own state. Even then, in the Russian Empire, he appealed to the Jews to support local national movements, and especially Ukrainians. Because they are strong allies in the fight against a common enemy. Jabotinsky said: "I, a nationalist, will not recognize myself as a citizen of the second class in Russia at a great price. I consider myself basically the same master in this state as a Russian; I demand that the state adapt to my national requirements precisely as it should adapt to the demands of Russians, Ukrainians, Poles, Tatars, etc. "

Zeev was a highly educated man, but his mind, knowledge and faith made him a visionary. For it was he who was the only publicist who foresaw the creation of Ukrainian and Jewish powers when it seemed something impossible.

Jabotinsky did everything possible to counter pogroms in Ukraine in 1917-1920. He was the initiator of the creation of Jewish armed formations to protect against pogroms. But this decision was rejected by the Central Rada.

"When I die, you can write on my grave:" This is the man who signed an agreement with Petliura, "said Jabotinsky. The agreement included the creation of Jewish armed self-defense units as part of the Army of the Ukrainian People's Republic. By signing the agreement, Jabotinsky hoped that the troops of the Directorate would strongly suppress any attempts at pogroms in their occupied territories. He said: "... neither Petliura, nor Vynnichenko, nor the rest of the prominent members of this Ukrainian government have ever been called" pogromers ". Although I did not personally know them, yet I am well aware of this type of Ukrainian nationalistic intellectual with socialist views. I grew up with them, and I was fighting with them against anti-Semites and Russifiers - Jewish and Ukrainian. Neither me nor the rest of the thinking Zionists of Southern Russia convinced that people of this type could be considered anti-Semites. "

During the First World, Jabotinsky fought as part of the British Army's own Jewish Legion. After the war, he created Jewish self-defense in Jerusalem, which became the nucleus of the Israeli armed forces. In 1920, self-defense resisted the Arab extremists who tried to arrange a pogrom. The British authorities accused Jabotinsky of having sentenced him to 15 years' imprisonment. But the world community was protesting, and it was soon released.

Unfortunately, Jabotinsky did not have time to see with his own eyes the things that he predicted - neither the independent State of Israel nor Ukraine. He died on August 4, 1940 in New York, and ordered to bury himself in Jerusalem. But many years itd id not happen. Political opponents did everything to prevent the testament to be fulfilled.

Finally, in 1964, Jabotinsky was reburied on Mount Herzl.

Jabotinsky was a true nationalist, one of the symbols of Israel, a wise and sincere man. He was never afraid of being a white crow and taking decisions for which he even condemned the Jews himself. But in the end, he left an outstanding track in the state of Israel, in his formation and in the fact that this fantastic idea once happened. He left a lesson for Ukrainians - if you see something with which you can not tolerate, do not sit idly by, but act.

Friends!

Friends! Today is the day of memory of the outstanding Ukrainian opera and chamber singer Boris Hmyrya.

Boris Hmyrya was born on August 5, 1903 in Lebedyne in Sumy Region. Father Roman was a stoneman, mother of Anna - a sword. Family was so poor that even the bread was split by thread. At the age of 11, Boris graduated from school and immediately went to work. He was a courier in court, a stoker, a sailor, and a loader. Because of that injured his back.

In 1930, when Hmyria was 27 years old, he eventually continued education - entered the Kharkiv Engineering and Construction Institute. These were very difficult years. The lack of money, constant fatigue and the worst thing - the Holodomor on Ukrainian lands. Because of it died- his father and sister, and his mother was saved by the boy. And in such conditions of life he still found strength .. at singing.

His voice was extraordinary. A gift of superior forces. On the fourth year at Boris Student's concert, they were invited to study at the Conservatory. At the same time, the Institute of Hmyria did not abandon - graduated with honors in 1935, a year later he was a postgraduate student. And at the same time - one more exception - he, still a student, was invited to work at the Kharkiv Opera House.

After graduating from the conservatory, Hmyrya became the winner of the All-Union vocal competition. Then he got the second place, and the first one was not taken by anyone. After that, the Bolshoi Theater, the Leningrad and Minsk opera at the same time invited Hmyria on incredibly advantageous terms, but then he began to work in Kyiv and refused to leave the city.

In the Kiev Opera and Ballet Theater, Boris Romanovich worked from 1939 to 1957 with a break. Almost a year - in Kamyanets-Podilsky.

In June 1941 Boris Hmyrya left for summer vacation in Crimea. Friends sent him a message - in Kiev came German troops, should not return. Therefore, Hmyria left for Kharkiv. There, he tore his back when he carried his heavy suitcases and got to the hospital. When he was treated, the city also included German troops.

Despite this, he was not banned from singing. On the contrary, there is a legend that the Ukrainian singer had to sing to the Hitler. He learned the aria from Wagner's opera, which nobody else has ever performed in the world, and had to sing it. But the plan was different - the Soviet government was about to throw a bomb to the theater just during the concert of Hmyria. But it happened that Hitler was not there, and the bomb did not explode, only the ceiling cracked itself.

The first wife of Boris Hmyria, Anna Ivanovna, grew severely ill and died in 1950. His second love he met at the vacation- a woman named Vira was a physiologist, her husband was missing during the war. They lived calmly and peacefully - he loved how a girl cooked, she - maintained the warmth and warmth in the house.

His voice was loved by thousands of listeners. The Soviet authorities did not let the singer perform abroad, despite the fact that there were mass applications for the performances of Hmira appeared in concerts and opera parties from the USA, Canada, Italy, England, and Holland. The answer was one: "Singer is sick." But they were allowed to work quietly at home - the singer was constantly harassed, instead of basso parties he was charged with performing parties for baritone and tenor. In the end, he was forced to leave the Kiev Opera House altogether.

But before Boris Romanovich did not speak, he always performed Ukrainian folk songs and works on poems of Kobzar. So one of the audience told: "I was at a concert in Leningrad, where Hmyrya performed works by Taras Grigorovich. At some point, it turns out not leading, but Boris Romanovich himself, with his soft, velvet voice, announces "My Thoughts, My Thoughts" with a commentary: "This verse Taras Shevchenko wrote here in St. Petersburg in 1839. In it, he with extraordinary power expressed his love and torturers for his native Ukraine, and his hopelessness to visit his native places again. "

And then this grief and hopelessness was pouring so that the cry was crying, and I will never forget this performance of Hmyria. Then I bought a disc and listened to him constantly "Dumas" to Shevchenko. So, Shevchenko did not perform any more, but he will hardly ever perform. "

Boris Hmyrya dreamed of the Ukrainian variants of F. Schubert's "Winter Road", all works on P. Tchaikovsky's music. On this occasion, appealing to well-known Ukrainian poets V. Sosyury, O. Novitsky, I. Pukchka, but all their translations were rejected, and to realize the planned time wasted time - he suddenly died.

Boris Hmyrya died on August 1, 1969. The prominent Ukrainian is buried on Baykovoye cemetery in Kiev.

Friends! Boris Hmyria was not just a talented singer, he was a genius of a song. Unfortunately, in Ukraine his name is not mentioned as often as it should be. So be sure to listen to his masterpieces today or tell the story of life to your friends.