Coach Alex Kushkov established the Dynamo Fencing Center in Newton Center 11 years ago. Since then, he has shaped hundreds of talented young people into world-class fencers, giving back to his homeland of Ukraine all the while.
Three of Kushkov’s students — Oleksandr Shirpal, Andrii Slastin, and Kushkov’s son, Daniel – have performed especially well under his teaching. Shripal won gold in both the Premier Challenge RJCC and the Rockland RJCC in Junior Men’s Saber fencing, and Slastin clinched the gold at the Morris Cup in the same category. Daniel Kushkov also competed at the Rockland RJCC in the Cadet Men’s Saber category and walked away with a gold medal.
But the three rising stars do not plan to keep their awards. Instead, they will give them to Ukraine, in an act of solidarity with the embattled nation and its many brave defenders.
“It’s a way of helping the soldiers realize that we stand with them,” said Daniel Kushkov. “It shows that we care about them, even though we can’t see them.”
Kushkov was born in Ukraine and still has family there. He, along with his father, represent just two of many thousands of Ukrainians living abroad who are concerned about the situation in their place of birth. “The war has been pretty tough mentally,” he said, “and seeing the soldiers and some of my parents, friends, and relatives affected is terrible.”
Oleksandr Shirpal has similar views on the conflict, and he decided to contribute his medals for similar reasons. Also Ukrainian by birth, he said that the Dynamo Fencing Center has acted as a second family to him. “It’s almost a dozen fencers from Ukraine that Coach Kushkov has provided with a family in a way and a home.”
“Without him I wouldn’t be where I am right now,” he added.
For Coach Kushkov, helping his fencers achieve their goals goes hand in hand with his efforts to assist his homeland. “When the war started,” he said, “ I called the president of the National Federation of Ukraine and asked how I could help.” The president’s reply was to ask Kushkov to give shelter, food, and housing for the many Ukrainian youths that were displaced by the war – and the rest is history.
The impressive competitive record of the club – with its Saber program being among the top 10 in the nation – has not only allowed Newton and Greater Boston to foster talented athletes, but has also helped countless Ukrainians get back on their footing. According to Kushkov, “We are taking care of them. We’re helping them to continue their competitive career.”
Back in Ukraine, Kushkov is using his network to distribute personal packages addressed to Ukrainian soldiers containing socks and other clothing items as well as the medals – Kushkov said that “he is very proud” of his students for deciding to include their awards.
Kushkov said the process of giving the medals “could be pretty emotional,” as in one instance when Kushkov’s second son, Ben, gave a medal to a wounded Ukrainian officer, which the officer first refused to accept. But then, Kushkov noted, “He said, ‘Okay, I will accept this medal. But only as a promise to come back from war.”
Further aid and assistance to Ukraine is provided by Kushkov’s Dynamo Fencing Foundation, founded in 2019, which has evacuated more than 800 people out of Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital city, and is actively providing Ukrainian refugees and orphans with food.
Andrey Sarkanich is a junior at Newton North High School and a Fig City News intern.
