Ukraine-based image marketplace sells NFTs for charity

Depositphotos, a Ukrainian-based royalty-free image marketplace, is selling NFTs of cultural sites in the country that Russia has destroyed to raise money for the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine, a government division dedicated to cultural development and historical preservation.

The marketplace is selling 38 NFTs, with bidding starting at .025 ethereum, or $43. All proceeds go to the Ministry’s crypto wallet. 

The Ministry has a fund reserved for restoring destroyed cultural objects.

Depositphotos initiated the effort, called The Revival Project, to keep attention on Russia’s war in Ukraine, said Mariia Sibirtseva, Depositphotos’s content team lead.

“If the war goes on for more than a couple of months, the tension goes down,” she said. “We don’t want this to go down because we still have a full-scale war going on in our country.”

She added that the sites depicted in the NFTs aren’t just architectural monuments, but locations where Ukranians have made memories.

Since February, Russia has destroyed over 450 cultural sites in Ukraine, including theaters, museums and administrative buildings, according to the Ministry.

Each NFT can be purchased up to 400 times. Buyers can also resell their NFTs on marketplaces OpenSea and Rarible, with 7.5% of the resale funds going towards the Ministry, in addition to 100% of the funds from the original purchase.

Six artists have designed their own series of five to seven NFTs. One series will be released each week, with the final one dropping on September 16.

“You can speak to the global audience with them, because it’s digital art,” she said. “You can reach out at the same time to all countries.”

Depositphotos is planning further activations, such as interviews with the artists and the release of merchandise featuring their illustrations, to promote the NFT collection.

Artists have sought to immortalize and support Ukraine through NFTs before. Performics Mercerbell sold 40 images from Ukrainian photographers back in March to raise funds for Come Back Alive, a Ukrainian charity that supports the country’s armed forces, volunteers and families