Today marks the premiere of the latest episode of the podcast “Listen to Violity.” This time, host Denys Minin met with Oleksiy Dobrovolsky from Mykolaiv, known to the community under the nickname AlekDob.
Oleksiy is currently a soldier in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and in the past he taught foreign languages to children. He is a teacher of English, as well as Ukrainian language and literature. Both of these areas of his profession have influenced his collecting interests.
Violity PRO Collecting / YouTube
Back in the 2000s, to entertain his students and get them interested in British culture, Oleksii wrote to Buckingham Palace. To the surprise of the teacher and students, a reply letter soon arrived. This is how Oleksii's fascination with the history of the British monarchy began. Since then, he has written again — and again received royal mail.
Today, Oleksiy's collection includes coins, awards, and other artifacts related to the reigns of the Hanover and Windsor dynasties.
Another branch of his collection honors the history of Ukraine, in particular its currency. Our guest has an Instagram blog where he promotes his favorite topic. He tells stories related to Ukrainian stamps and banknotes, as well as other artifacts he has found.
hryvnia_is_25 / Instagram
Denys asked Oleksii about the most interesting and expensive items in his collection and about the excitement of participating in auctions. They discussed historical parallels and how collecting can provide support during wartime. They also discussed little-known pages of our history, the legacy of Heorhii Narbut, rare banknotes of the Ukrainian People's Republic, and the prospect of the return of “shags.”
What do an ancient British coin and a modern stamp with a “warship” have in common? Who is cooler — British monarchs or Ukrainian hetmans? What oddities is the royal family known for, and what hidden value can a hole in a coin have? All this and much more in this episode.
The new episode of the podcast “Listen to Violity” aired on Friday, July 4, at 6:00 p.m. Enjoy watching!
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