Thanks to the internet, the Russian invasion of Ukraine feels both very near and very difficult to do anything about. But also thanks to the internet, a post by Quentin Quarantino—the alter-ego of a 25-year old New Yorker—urging people to book Ukrainian Airbnb stays has gone viral, and created hundreds of revenue deposits to Ukrainians in just a matter of days. Catching wind of the novel way its platform is being used, now Airbnb has pledged to offer free housing to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees. Over 260,000 visitors to a dedicated page have already signed up to host or donate to the goal.
Tommy Marcus, the man behind the Quentin Quarantino Instagram account, was best-known for his memes until October, 2021. When the United States abruptly left Afghanistan and it appeared that translators and civilians would be trapped in a once again Taliban-ruled country, Marcus posted about “Operation Flyaway,” in which he crowd-sourced $7 million in just days. Funds he raised on Instagram and GoFundMe were used to privately ferry 51 people from Afghanistan to Uganda on a chartered plane.
Now, Quarantino suggests other ways to creatively support Ukrainians stuck in the crosshairs of Putin. “Support Ukrainian merchants on Etsy, whether digital downloads or physical goods that you specify do not need to be delivered. You can also book ‘AirBNB experiences’ in Ukraine.” And with hundreds of people booking Ukrainian Airbnb’s in the two days since he originally delivered the idea, Quarantino wrote “As always, I’m genuinely dumbfounded by the impact this community has on a consistent basis.”
Julie Herning, a mom in San Jose California who recently made a donation, told Tinybeans, “Imagine if during WW2 Americans sitting in the parking lot of their gym could help the Jews escape the horror of Nazi Germany with the click of a button? Hopefully someday when Putin has been defeated I’ll take my family to Ukraine. Until then, I’ll just continue to push buttons on my phone to hopefully help these people escape this unfolding nightmare.”
Another woman who made a booking in Ukraine sent the message “I’m hoping to support you and your family during this invasion. The world is watching and we are on your side. We stand with Ukraine.” The quick reply from the Airbnb hosts in Ukraine thanked her for her support and compassion, promising “We will definitely be there for you… Glory to Ukraine.”
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