Glass And Bullets Melt: How Veterans Develop Business During Rehabilitation And Rotations

Imagine: there are eight of them. Eight veterans, active military. Returning home on vacation, for treatment, or during rotation, they find a real oasis within the walls of the workshop and immerse themselves in creativity. Eight men take off their armored personnel carriers, load bearing equipment, and military uniforms, put down their assault rifles and put on work aprons.

In the workshop, they cure themselves with work: they blow goblets with bullets from glass, sharpen knives, sew belts... For them, it is not just a job or a hobby but a rehabilitation and the magical ability of the craft to heal people.

For each other, they are not just colleagues. These men have created a veteran community of understanding and support. Together they rejoice in their own victories, together they experience the losses of their relatives.

Andrii Nesmachnyi, a veteran with ten years of experience, an active military serviceman, an officer, and a founder of the Batart craft workshop, told ZN.UA about the path of a veteran in the army and in civilian life; about the need to create something with your own hands and the opening of a workshop; about the war and the restoration of the work of the workshop in Irpin.

Andrii graduated from the military lyceum but decided not to continue his military career and studied at a civilian university to become a programmer. However, life returned him to the path of a military serviceman, and in 2010 he decided to join the service. These were different divisions, in particular in Kyiv. The last one was the state security department.

In 2014, Andrii wanted to resign, but the war, which was still called anti-terrorist operation at that time, began. And he remained standing in defense of the country. Performed combat missions in Donetsk region and Luhansk region. And in 2018, he resigned and became a civilian… 

 

“Andrii, was the transition to civilian life difficult then?”

“It is difficult to call it exactly a transition. Rather, the reconfiguration of one’s inner world and landmarks, which lasted half a year. This time was needed in order to choose the vector of further development.

This time passes differently for each veteran. The main problem is that many people get lost and disoriented at this stage. For me personally, the most difficult thing was to understand what I wanted to do in general. I am used to military service. Eight years, from 2010 to 2018, is quite a lot. Moreover, work in military units implies a rather strong professional deformation. The military has a problem of perceiving everything as black and white, good, and bad. No shades of gray. Here we had to readjust a little.

I simply did not know what profession to choose. Studied the software before going into service. But to work, you need a level of knowledge, their constant updating and support. But eight years of service — and now you are no longer so relevant on the labor market.

At first, I used standard approaches. Probably, the first thing that comes to mind of most military personnel is security. Worked as head of personal security. And later I decided to open my own business.”

“Is your own business your veteran craft workshop? How did you manage to start it?”

“I opened our workshop in 2019 not as a business at all. For me, it was never a story about money. It all started trivially. I was at home. Saw a piece of paracord and started weaving, made the first bracelet. I posted a photo on Facebook, and someone wanted to buy it. I sent the received funds to ComeBackAlive. And then the orders came one after another.

In a friendly way, I ‘recruited’ another brother to work. We rented a small room - eight squares. The workshop was called Batart. My nickname was Bat, so that’s how the name emerged.

Then the staff was increased, services were expanded, and we began to manufacture glasses with fused bullets. Later we moved to a new premises. At that time, my main job was in the field of security, and this activity was called a good deed”.

“As a military professional, did you have premonitions and certain knowledge that a full-scale invasion would take place? Did you prepare for this?”

“There was a certain flow of information that could, in principle, be analyzed. No one was sure, no one believed one hundred percent... But two weeks before the invasion, my brothers and I bought all the equipment. And on February 24, everyone mobilized.

I had no particular horror or shock. There was anxiety, but in a slightly different format than that of civilians. There was some chaos, especially for those who did not serve at that time, for veterans. Where to mobilize? Where is the collection point? As if all this was discussed, but in practice it did not work. So, until all these issues were settled, there was some concern.

Then I again joined the ranks of the Armed Forces. At first, we worked in the Kyiv region. Then the road to the east was waiting for us. I served in Donbas, then in Kherson region. I was injured there. As they say, I caught some fragments in the armor. Nothing serious, but it was necessary for me to be treated a bit.”

“So, you returned to Kyiv region. What fate befell your workshop in Irpin?”

“The workshop was located in the area of the so-called Irpinsky Lypky. It was the main point of destruction during the fighting in the city. In short, there was little left of the workshop.

At a certain point, it happened that our entire team went to Irpin. We talked and decided to restore the workshop. Moreover, I was there and could control the processes. Initially, we planned to rebuild the old workshop premises. However, after evaluating the entire scope of work, we abandoned this opinion.

We found a new room. It was also slightly damaged: roof and windows. But the main structure survived. We agreed with the owner about the restoration at our expense against the rental fee. Then we needed help, and we got it. I applied to participate in the project competition from the Ukrainian Veterans Fund #Varto: Golden Hands and won. So now we have the funds to restore the premises and purchase new equipment.

People want different engravings on our products especially for their personal events. Previously, we were not able to do this because we did not have special equipment. Later we were able to purchase a laser with grant funds. There are plans to purchase equipment for cutting plywood for the production of wooden containers. We will pack our glass products using it. Making such boxes by hand is long and troublesome. The maximum productivity of one person is 15 boxes per day. This does not cover the demand. The equipment will make it possible to produce up to 100 boxes per day, and we will even be able to sell containers to third-party contractors.

There will also be equipment that will help speed up the knife production process. There are plans to expand the knife shop. Part of the funds will also be used to purchase materials. It will be possible to monitor the market and choose metals that fluctuate greatly in price, sometimes weekly.

And then – ceramics. This will be a completely new direction of the workshop. So, we will be able to prepare well for it.”

“What products can be purchased at Batart right now?”

“We have several directions: bracelets; glass, i.e. glasses with molten bullets; knives Personally, I work with glass. I had never had such experience before, but somehow, I decided to try it, and it worked.”

“Please tell us about your team.”

“There are nine of us, eight of us are veterans, active servicemen. Everyone came to the workshop at a certain stage. Regarding this, I have fixed principles: it is better to train someone who has a desire, than to take to the team a person who is able of doing things and knows how to do them but has no desire.

The workshop is staffed by someone who is on rotation, on vacation, in rehabilitation, etc. Everyone is fighting, but we catch these moments between the periods of service and create. In general, our team does not have any craftsmen with extensive experience. Here are just guys who like to do something with their own hands and are not afraid of a new business. As for every master, for me the workshop is a personal form of rehabilitation, medicine for the soul.

And, of course, the workshop is primarily the people who work in it. And only then it is products.

Here, the workshop forms a friendly and fighting team, and in no other way. We are no longer just colleagues and brothers. We are more than friends. Close in spirit, with similar values and views on life.

Our team of handymen has an irreparable loss — one of us, Karim Gulamov, is a fallen warrior, for a year now. You truly understand war only after the people dear to you begin to leave this world.”

“How do you distribute profits, where do the funds go?”

“What do you mean by where? Of course, to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Before the invasion, we sent all funds to donations. Because it was a matter for the soul. After the invasion, when we began to restore the work of the workshop, 50% of the profit goes to donations, and the rest is our stream funds. It is necessary to develop the business and cover costs.

We also have such an internal law – if any of us needs funds for rehabilitation after an injury or if someone withdraws after an injury and receives 800 hryvnias in material support, we help each other from this common purse.

I think we all have a common dream now. I want not a single trace of the enemy to remain on the blossoming land of Ukraine. That’s all. We work for it, we don’t stop. Both at the front and in the workshop.”.

Read this article in Ukrainian and russian.