TNMU Students and Staff Make Trench Candles for Our Defenders

Volunteers of I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University joined the All-Ukrainian movement “Trench Candles”, started in Kharkiv, and launched the campaign “Share the warmth with our defenders”. First, the initiators announced the collection of necessary materials (cans, candles, corrugated cardboard). Students and staff of the university have been making trench candles for two weeks, because the cold days are approaching, so these tools will be needed for more than one month. The trade union committee of TNMU joined the action, thanks to which 30 kilograms of paraffin was purchased.

Our volunteers found kettles for heating wax and paraffin. They were obtained by Nazar Krulyk in the dormitory where he lives. The Department of Public Health and Health Care Management welcomed a team of volunteers within its walls. At the Department of Microbiology, Virology and Immunology and in the yard of the Biology Building, wax and paraffin are melted, and in the classrooms they cut cardboard and fill cans with it.

Our “fighting ants” (that’s what the volunteers who make candles call themselves) thank the caring citizens of Ternopil for their help in collecting consumables, in particular Oleksandr Pilhun, Yuliia Selivanova. More than 400 candles have already been made today. And more than 200 have been sent to the frontline, and there is already a request for the rest.

Students take a responsible attitude to work, making trench candles even on weekends. They come after classes and devote more than 4 hours to this important work. We remember those who dedicate their time: Oksana Podoliukh (MM-218), Viktoriia Liakhovych (MM-218), Nelia Humeniuk (MT-201), Vitalii Izhytskyi (MM-374), Tamara Nych (MM-220), Tetiana Shevchuk (MM-220), Nazarii Krulyk (MM-373), Lilia Berezhnytska (MM-615), Oleksandr Muzychko (MM-374), Damir Saidametov (MM-423), Erika Lototska (MM-306), Diana Shepetiak (MM -213), Ruslana Khrustavka (MM-314), Liliia Hrytsevych (MM-220), Ilia Omelchuk (MM-219), Liubov Zamoiska (MM-316), Andrii Borokh (MM-625), Bohdan Sunak (MM-215), Liudmyla Zhorniak (MM-215), Anastasiia Kuhai (TCC-502), Nataliia Pustova (TCC-504), Oksana Yahnych (MM-374), Sofiia Berehuliak (MM-213), Daryna Sichevska (MM-210), Daryna Kucher (MM-220), Andrii Svirzhevskyi (MM-220), Mark Ivanov (MM-220).
One small-sized trench candle actively burns for about 3 hours, thanks to which you can boil one litre of water in 24 minutes (at a temperature of +/- 0°C, in the experiment a can from canned fish – 10×3 cm was used). This candle is difficult to put out with the wind, it is moisture-proofed, fits easily in a pocket, and can be ignited more than once. This is a great thing, cheaper than gas canisters and does not require additional accessories. It can be used both for heating/cooking food, and for making a fire from raw (wet) firewood, for heating small rooms, and simply for warming hands.
We use different cans – from cat food to larger ones. We do not take very large cans, because they require a lot of consumables.
There is a constant need for cardboard, cans and paraffin. Any type of paraffin is suitable, dirty, old, clean, coloured, scented, as well as wax, stearin, etc. We use corrugated, 3-5-layer, soft cardboard. Materials can be brought to the administrative and biological buildings of our university.
Volunteers of TNMU express their appreciation to the priests, in particular Fathers Petro Porohonko and Ihor Drapak, for providing church candle holders. We have a completely zero-waste production – we make balls for kindling candles from their wicks.

TNMU Press Secretary, Yanina Chaikivska.
Photographs by Mykola Vasylechko and Olena Pokryshko.