PLEASE HELP VAGANOVA STUDENT KARINA SOLDATOVA

[MadameP]

Several dancers have today put up public photographs on Instagram of a notice concerning Vaganova student, Karina Soldatova, who has leukaemia and is in urgent need of financial assistance. Health care in Russia is expensive and many families simply cannot afford it. It is so very sad.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BF3Rvg8IJeE/?taken-by=anna_skvor

and

https://www.instagram.com/p/BF3YCc4heSKH8HXQM8j3HOt7AWzn6LYGKUo2Rk0/?taken-by=svetkaa_

I hope one of the links will work, showing the same notice. The first was put up by Anna Skvortsova, now at Stanislavsky, and the second by Svetlana Russkikh, now at Mariinsky.

Please if anyone can help, it would be such a wonderful thing. I am sure anyone at Vaganova could be contacted about this.

[Buddy]

From your post I was only able to access the first contact. The part that can be copied translates as follows (Google translation.)

anna_skvorЛЮДИ ПОЖАЛУЙСТА ПОМОГИТЕ Нужно 100л крови Пожалуйста не будте равнодушными неё вся жизнь ещё впереди КРОВЬ МОЖНО СДАВАТЬ ЛЮБОЙ ГРУППЫ

Google translation:

anna_skvor ️LYUDI PLEASE HELP necessary 100l blood Please do not be ravnodushnymi her whole life still ahead Blood can be taken by any group

https://www.instagram.com/p/BF3Rvg8IJeE/

[MadameP]

I tried to fix the second link. Hope it now works.

[MadameP]

DEAR FRIENDS!!!! URGENT HELP NEEDED. Please treat with understanding. After all, each of us can be in this situation. At the graduate Academy of Russian Ballet. Vaganova Soldatova Karina (19 years) found acute leukemia (blood cancer) !!! The girl needs help. Pozhaluysta❗❗❗Davayte Unite and will collect the money but who can .... It is very kind and bright person !!! People beg do not be indifferent !!!! Sdelayte repost possible .... For questions write in a personal or comments !!! This girl has all of life is yet to come ....

This is the google translation of the comment Skvortsova wrote on her VK page where she posted the same message (VK is the Russian equivalent of Facebook.)

[MadameP]

Ksenia Ziganshina has put up this page, which several dancers have copied, and which contains details of an account into which anyone can make donations. Hospitals in Russia have severe blood shortages and obviously getting blood for Karina is crucial. Apparently each course of chemotherapy is 27,000 rubles. I cannot get google translate to work, but if anyone else can, please do so!

https://vk.com/id12929041?z=photo12929041_417536774%2Falbum12929041_00%2Frev

[Buddy]

I'm unable to copy this page to Google a translation. If you can post it from another dancer's site I might be able to copy it. 27,000 rubles is about $400.

[Buddy]

Russian Academy of Ballet Vaganova

Friends! Thanks to everyone who responded to the call for help Karine Soldatov and continues to do so!

Karina acute leukemia, and she needs a large volume of blood and medicines for treatment.

In the Savings Bank [Сбербанк] have an account - you can transfer money to the card: 4276 3800 6359 8994. With the note "For the treatment of Karina Soldatova"

Here under this post, we will publish the names of those who transferred money to the card, so you do not worry!

Here's the list of donators under the picture of the lady and the two men in costumes. Donations have generally been under $100 with two about $300 (20,000 rubles).

https://www.facebook.com/academyvaganova/

[Buddy]

I'm going to try to make a donation to the bank account Monday. If it works I'll post the details on how best to do this.

Many donations have been under ten dollars. Others have been for under $100. Several donations have been between $150 and $200. I'm guessing that much of this has come from the students.

A few donations down from the picture of the two men in costumes and the woman you can click on "View [number changes] more comments" and then you can click on the "see more"s for a complete listing.

https://www.facebook.com/academyvaganova/

[Buddy]

In three days there have been about 200 donations. About half are less than $10 and the other half around $15 (1,000 rubles) or slightly more and a few over $100. My very rough estimate is that this would pay for about seven "courses of chemotherapy".

[MadameP]

I do not know how many courses of chemotherapy would be needed, or what the prognosis is, but this is so great - very many good and kind people.

[Buddy]

I've emailed the Vaganova Academy asking for specific information on how to make a direct bank transfer. Does anyone know who a good person might be to contact there and their email if possible? Does anyone here know how best to make a donation?

This is the information that my bank says that it has to know about the bank in Russia handling this.

Swift Code

The bank name and address

IBAN

Bank account name and account number

[Natalia]

I am very sorry for Ms Soldatova's serious health problems. My thoughts and prayers are with her.

Having experienced problems in the "aftermath" of making monetary donations to Russia, I'd caution all well-meaning donors to be careful.

EDITED TO ADD:

Russia seems to be "Ground Zero" for int'l internet hacking and identity theft. My husband, who is Russian, always sends "cash" via Western Union to family or friends in need. Hubby's sister in StP picked up & delivered our donation. My sis in-law is a pediatrician at an affiliated hospital.

[Mme. Hermine]

I know this may sound strange, but PayPal operates in Russia as well, and if the school or someone were already set up with them, then the only thing anyone here would need is the official email they would have to designate to which they would like the money sent. I just checked this on the phone with PayPal. It would make things much simpler on this end anyway.

[MadameP]

The following YouTube upload also offers an alternative for donating for those who wish to give small amounts but do not know how to do so. Russianballetvideos2 is offering a service whereby he will collect smaller amounts from people who would otherwise have to pay ridiculous amounts for doing a bank transferral, and then he will transfer the collated amount. This upload gives details of where to pay money and this is the way I have chosen to pay, since I know this method is completely safe.

[Buddy]

Thank you all.

I have looked at the Russianballetvideos2 video and although the person’s intent seems good, I have to mention that this poster is a very controversial one (making very severe video attacks on the Mariinsky Ballet's current administration).

The poster does say that large donations should be made by normal bank transfer routing through the Vaganova Academy and gives their contact address.

info@vaganovaacademy.ru

I have just emailed them an inquiry.

Added:

I've also just sent a second email to the Vaganova Academy asking if Paypal can be used, as suggested by Mme. Hermine.

Added added:

Natalia, I continue to keep your advise above in mind. Thank you.

And one more:

Karina Soldatova does seem to be getting a very good response from small donors in Russia according to the Vaganova numbers posted. This is heartwarming.

[Mme. Hermine]

OK I talked to Paypal again, and had a few questions for them.

Best case scenario would be if the school: a. Has a Paypal account already, and b. Has some sort of nonprofit status in Russia.

(I know that sounds obvious, but bear with me).

If that is the case, then they would provide an email address for the donations.

There would still be some fee involved such as what they call a crossborder fee and/or currency conversion.

However their usual fees for receiving money would be much less

The transaction would be more secure

and from our end much more simple.

If the school doesn't already have an account, then they would have to create one, from their end, obviously in order to receive the money.

I deal with Paypal a lot and their customer service is very helpful. So that is what I can find out right now.

[MadameP]

So many people would like to help and that is so great. I know that Vaganova does not have a PayPal account. Maybe they COULD create one? That would be a great solution. Buddy, with regard to the RBV2 video and suggestions therein, I can only say that I know the account holder personally, and can vouch for him 100%. I realise that this does not help you insofaras you don't know ME either, but I could not allow your comment to go unanswered. I don't know what else I can say, other than I KNOW that all he wants to do is help Karina and every amount donated will go to her fund and he is paying the bank transfer fee himself so that others do not have to. Everyone must do as they think best. I just think - I and every person who reads this forum, is a ballet lover and that girl may not have long to live and I hope anyone who can help, will help. She has a rare talent, as do all VAganova students, and they give up their childhood to dedicate themselves to the art form we all love, an art form that has the power to take us away from our everyday lives and to a place of beauty. She has the misfortune to live in a country where health care is expensive and inadequate but we at least can HELP, to the best of our abilities. By whatever means, PLEASE everyone help...

[Mme. Hermine]

As far as I've been told on two conversations with PayPal, there isn't any reason they can't create an account. If they have some sort of official Charitable Donation code (don't know how it works) they could enter that information while creating their account. As it goes here, creating the account usually also involves entering bank information, and when money congregates in the PayPal balance, you can deposit it into the bank from there. Once it's set up, it's really simple. The only hurdle here is that there's a certain amount of suspicion (really, money to Russia) but quiet persistence usually pays off, and of course, people in Russia at least have the advantage of knowing who the Company and School are, so one doesn't have to explain. If there is no charitable designation available to them, I think the worst case scenario fee wise is something like 2.9 percent. On a 400 dollar donation (just as an example) that would be about 11 dollars.

Also worth noting is that I don't know whether any type of fee is assessed by the bank on the Russian end for receiving.

So there we are so far! And if I can do anything regarding this I'm glad to help. PayPal and I have been "buddies" for many years (I'm not an employee, just a user of the service) .

[Mme. Hermine]

_{MadameP, please check your mail!}

[Natalia]

Our Western Union sending got through to my sis-in-law just fine. Donation taken to Karina's hospital for only Karina's use.

Buddy, glad that you mentioned that YouTube connection. You said it but I was thinking the same. "Over our dead bodies.. " (wink) There are other ways to help Karina.

[Mme. Hermine]

Was it very costly?

[Natalia]

About $15 for anywhere up to $150/200...a fee to ensure that the money really gets there. WU has never failed us. Next best thing to a person hopping on a plane with cash.

[Mme. Hermine]

Could be worse!

[Dreamer]

I am with Natalia when it comes to the convenience of Western Union for sending money to Russia. There is a even less expensive option (around $7) when the money becomes available within 48 hours instead of 24 hours. Though, It may not be worth for someone making a $20 donation.

[Mme. Hermine]

A group of friends could get together and send a larger amount comprised of smaller amounts...