The GUNIA brand has been embroiled in a scandal involving pro-Russian MMA fighter Georgiy Gudzi
The Ukrainian jewelry brand GUNIA Project found itself at the center of a high-profile scandal after featuring an athlete with pro-Russian views in its new campaign. The brand’s team has already officially acknowledged its mistake and publicly apologized to its audience.
To mark Ukraine’s Independence Day, GUNIA released a special patriotic collection of gold-plated letter pendants. The design is based on the legendary Ukrainian alphabet created by Heorhiy Narbut—an outstanding graphic artist and the designer of the first banknotes of the Ukrainian People’s Republic and the national coat of arms of Ukraine. Thirty-two prominent Ukrainians were invited to participate in the large-scale photo project “Alphabet,” who, according to the creators’ vision, “shape modern Ukraine” and define its identity. Among the ambassadors were poet Lina Kostenko, singer Jamala, Eldar Sherifov, Yelyzaveta Olaleye, Yivha, Iya Andrushchak, Yosyp Sanden, Kazhanna, and many other prominent figures.
However, the choice of the figure representing the letter “Ґ” sparked a wave of outrage and criticism online. That figure turned out to be multiple-time MMA world champion Heorhiy Gudzi. Attentive social media users immediately noticed that on his personal pages, the athlete systematically demonstrates support for the “Russian World” and promotes pro-Russian narratives.
Ukrainian society reacted strongly to the fighter’s inclusion in a project dedicated to national identity and Narbut’s legacy. In response to the reputational crisis, the GUNIA brand promptly removed the content featuring the athlete and published an official statement of apology.
“We at GUNIA acknowledge our mistake and would like to sincerely apologize. We have taken note of your reaction to the inclusion of multiple-time MMA world champion Heorhiy Gudzi in the photo project. Your reaction is justified. Our goal was to showcase people who shape a strong image of Ukraine and modern Ukrainian identity in culture, sports, literature, music, the military, special services, and other areas of our lives. At the same time, we overlooked important aspects of his public image. This is our responsibility. That is why he will not be included in the list of project participants,” the brand’s statement reads.
The company also added that it remains fundamentally important for them to promote Ukrainian culture and develop it around the world. The team assured that it has already drawn firm conclusions for the future to ensure that similar incidents involving the vetting of ambassadors’ reputations never happen again.
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