Awards in a plastic bag. Medals in a drawer. Certificates behind the cupboard. Sound familiar? That is what "storing" awards looks like in most Ukrainian families. Olha and Oleh Stepnykh from Kharkiv know this firsthand — Oleh himself has served in the military since 2017, and his awards waited a long time for a worthy presentation.
And then something happened that changed everything.
From a bag of awards to a workshop of our own
The idea came at the end of 2019. One day Olha saw how her husband's awards were lying in an ordinary plastic bag, and said plainly:
"I look — the awards are just lying in a bag. I tell him: listen, it shouldn't be like this."
Olha Stepnykh
They began looking into it, searching for a solution. It turned out that almost no one in Ukraine was making quality wooden display cases for military awards. The market was empty. The need was enormous. The couple decided: we will make them ourselves.
But on 24 February 2022 everything came to a halt. There was no time for display cases.
A promise that could not be left unfulfilled
On 29 June 2022, in the village of Rubizhne, Oleh's brother-in-arms was killed — Yaroslav Tsurkov, call sign "John". Oleh had managed to promise him that he would make a personal display case for his awards.
"We put all our strength, all our resources into the fact that we are compelled to make that very display case."
Olha Stepnykh
It was this promise that became the point from which the real work began. Not a business plan on paper, not a startup with investors — but a promise to a fallen friend. The couple restored the workshop and began making display cases. First for fellow soldiers. Then — for their families. And then orders started coming in from all over Ukraine.
500 thousand from the state — and new equipment
Olha applied to the "eRobota" program — and received a grant of 500,000 hryvnias. For the Kharkiv region the amount is twice as large as in other regions — this is how the state supports business in the front-line zone.
The money went toward specific things: woodworking equipment, shelving, workbenches, materials. Not on marketing, not on nice offices — on the tools you work with by hand.
According to Oleksandr Kotukov, director of the Kharkiv Regional Employment Center, around a thousand entrepreneurs took advantage of the program. Together they created more than 1,000 jobs and paid more than 80 million hryvnias in taxes. In conditions where more than 100 enterprises have left Kharkiv, this is a serious figure.
What we make today
Over this time the workshop has grown from a single product to a full catalog. More than 30 models of display cases — for different awards, different budgets, different stories.
Display cases for awards — classic formats
The most popular line. Three sizes for different numbers of awards:
Grand display cases and display cases for challenge coins
For a flag, knife and weapon
Albums, patch books and wall boards
Why handmade is a matter of principle
We could order stamped pieces. Cheaper, faster, simpler. But no. Every display case is handmade from natural wood. No plastic, no MDF substitutes.
Because an award is not decor for a shelf. It is a feat captured in metal. And storing it in something cheap is wrong.
We do the engraving ourselves too. Name, call sign, unit, dates of service — everything that matters to the owner. Some order display cases in memory of the fallen — and then every letter carries special weight.
Who comes to us
Over this time we have come to understand that our clients are specific people with specific stories:
- Soldiers returning from service who finally want to present their awards properly
- Wives and mothers who order display cases for husbands and sons — sometimes as a surprise
- Families of fallen heroes — for them the display case becomes a memorial in the home
- Commanders looking for a worthy gift for a soldier
- Volunteers and public organizations — for award ceremonies and tributes
The team is growing
We started as a couple. Now there are already employees in the workshop. One of them — Valeriia Androsova, joined in December. Her father — a former law enforcement officer, also with awards. Valeriia says that for her this is not just a job, but creative work with meaning.
Our plans are to launch a second production line and to keep hiring people. Demand is growing, and we want every order to be completed on time and without compromises in quality.
How to order
The simplest way is to write to us directly. On the contacts page there is Viber, Telegram, WhatsApp and a phone number. Tell us how many awards you have, which exactly, whether you need engraving — and we will select the best display case for you. Or make a custom one.
We deliver throughout Ukraine — Nova Poshta, Ukrposhta. Pickup from Kharkiv is also possible.
Based on materials from "Suspilne Kharkiv", February 2025.
