Red Dress Challenge: Five Belarusian Celebrities Don Gowns for a Heartfelt Cause

Five prominent Belarusian men recently made headlines by donning red dresses to support children with heart conditions. The provocative photo project featured Vladimir Pugach, the lead singer of J:Mors, basketball player Alexander Kul, TV host Dmitry Kokhno, restaurateur Alexey Sadovoy, and strongman Kirill Shimko. On February 25, they challenged their social media followers to sell 30 tickets each for the “Red Dress MTS” charity fashion show. In return, they promised to wear red dresses and post the photos online. Within two days, all 150 tickets were sold, and the men kept their promise, showcasing their support in a unique and attention-grabbing way. The creative duo Kanaplev+Leydik was behind the provocative photo session.

The Inspiration Behind the Red Dress Challenge

The inspiration for this unusual act of support came from 16-year-old Ulyana, who managed to raise $6,000 in a week through social media for her friend’s heart surgery. Ulyana continues her charitable work, raising funds for Artem from Grodno and other children with heart conditions. She also encourages people to buy tickets for the “Red Dress MTS” charity fashion show, with all proceeds going towards treating children with cardiovascular diseases. The five men, touched by Ulyana’s initiative, decided to support her cause in their unique way.

The Power of Social Media and Celebrity Influence

“The first tickets were sold within a minute after posting on Facebook,” said Dmitry Kokhno, a TV host and participant in the challenge. “The next ones were sold within half an hour.” When asked if it was easy to decide to wear a dress, all participants agreed that when it comes to helping children and raising awareness, any means that attract attention are justified, even if they provoke the audience.

Breaking Stereotypes for a Good Cause

“Knowing the goal, it’s easy to decide on the action,” Dmitry Kokhno stated. “A red dress for me is self-irony, which everyone should be capable of. We are not doing this for fame—we are all famous enough. But if such a silly thing as a man in a red dress can be capitalized for the benefit of children, I am all for it and happy to participate.”

Vladimir Pugach, the lead singer of J:Mors, admitted that his friends and relatives were extremely surprised when they found out he would be photographed in a red dress: “Such actions are not typical for me. And no, it was not comfortable for me on the set today. But if you need to shout loudly to make people stop and pay attention to the problem, then you need to shout. If you need to wear a red dress, please, I don’t mind.”

Overcoming Fears and Prejudices

When asked if they were afraid of being called unmanly, Vladimir responded decisively: “If you are afraid that wearing a dress will make you less manly, then that is the first sign that you have a problem with it. I am just glad that everything worked out. And I am not ashamed of anything.”

The participants sold 150 tickets in 48 hours. It took a day for Kokhno, Sadovoy, Pugach, Kul, and Shimko to decide to fulfill their promise. And another eight hours to take the photos.

The Photographers’ Perspective

The creative duo of photographers Kanaplev+Leydik shared that before the shoot, they prepared for the worst, but all the participants were calm and relaxed.

“They all deserve great respect. These are real men who, despite prejudices, decided to experiment. We are all ready for the fact that there will be a lot of negativity. But loud denial is also a result in this case. The worst thing that can happen in such a situation is indifference. And we hope that no one will pass by indifferently.”

The Impact of the Red Dress Challenge

The organizers of “Red Dress MTS” thanked all the participants for their good deed:

“I can only applaud these men,” said Tatiana Kurbat, a representative of MTS. “On behalf of the mobile operator and the magazine “City of Women,” I thank all five men. Of course, we do not call on everyone to undress or wear dresses for charity, but if such methods work and can save a child’s heart, then sometimes you can have some fun.”

To help children with cardiovascular diseases, you can send a text message to the free number 553 with the text: “Gift heart donation amount.”

You can also transfer money through the website of the Chance Foundation, by clicking on the “provide assistance” button. In the “who to donate to” field, you need to specify “heart.”

All those who donate to children with heart disease an amount from 400 thousand Belarusian rubles and above will automatically be included in the list of guests of the charity show—there are still free seats for it. To receive your invitation, you need to contact the editorial office of the magazine “City of Women” at 80175418121.

The Red Dress MTS Charity Fashion Show

The “Red Dress MTS” charity fashion show is part of the international movement “The Heart Truth Red Dress Collection.” The first “Red Dress” fashion show took place in New York in 2002. The funds raised were used to treat children suffering from heart diseases. Since then, charity fashion shows have become an integral part of New York Fashion Week.

Belarus joined the global movement in 2010. At charity fashion shows, famous Belarusian women showcase red dresses, aiming to draw attention to the problems of cardiovascular diseases in children and raise funds for their treatment. Over the years, tens of thousands of dollars have been raised.