"Make Guitars, Not War"

Bruce Coffman here, writing from the comparative safety of my home in Texas. I'm creating this GoFundMe to help my good friend Nikita Zhemerenko in Ukraine realize his goal of becoming a luthier ("guitar builder") by completing his first round of handmade electric guitars.

VERY long story short: I first came in contact with Nikita ("Nick") after I read these stories:

https://www.guitarworld.com/news/nikita-zhemerenko-kharkiv-ukraine-auction

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/a-ukrainian-music-obsessive-parts-with-his-record-collection

telling how his apartment had been destroyed by a Russian missile during the first days of the war in Ukraine. After I purchased some of the items he sold via eBay, Nick and I struck up an "email-pal" friendship that has only grown stronger over time. The amount of respect I have for Nick and his unwavering desire to continue on his path – in the worst possible set of conditions imaginable – is simply impossible for me to describe.

UPDATE 11/01/23 – here's a brand new GuitarWorld article on Nick:

https://www.guitarworld.com/features/nikita-zhemerenko-swft-guitars

ANYWAY... one of the byproducts of Nick's "fifteen minutes of fame" was that a number of guitar parts manufacturers/vendors stepped up to supply Nick with parts/hardware (and especially some of the many specialized tools) to set-up his small one-room workshop with what he needed to build custom guitars. He's now at a point where he needs additional support to complete his first round of "builds". Here's Nick describing how the funds will be spent:

"With the money raised I will be able to pay rent for the workshop for several months – this is paramount. I also need missing components, such as electronics and fittings. Part of the funds will go towards paying for postage and painting the guitars. I have installed frets on guitars, but to get them to perfection I need to buy a quality set of fret tools. I used improvised means, etc. I'm doing this for the first time - it's not perfect. Initially, all this seemed like small things and I didn’t even take it into account. But in the end, these little things add up to a budget that I ultimately couldn’t handle."

I'm hoping that you'll join me in supporting Nick and his goal to"Make Guitars, Not War" (my words, not his) and that, like me, you'll take a moment to consider how deeply "The Flame" still burns inside of so many in Ukraine who just want to get on with their lives in peace.

Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions or comments you may have.

Cheers,

Bruce