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Russian land is being sold as NFTs and the proceeds are going to Ukraine

Russian land is being sold as NFTs and the proceeds are going to Ukraine
Battle for Donbas: Russia is starting new phase of its Ukraine operation
France 24

A group of colleagues in Georgia are selling pieces of Russia off as NFTs and are donating the proceeds to Ukraine.

On their website, Russia for Sale, potential buyers can browse the map of Russia and select which territories they’d like to pocket. Each area is priced differently and comes with its own “weirdly authentic” coat of arms.

Over 2,400 Russian regions are up for grabs, with all proceeds going towards the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine’s crypto wallet. A total of 20 have been sold so far, raising 5.80125 Ethereum crypto coins, which is equivalent to around $17,600 USD.

Moscow sold for a whopping 5 Ethereum, which is equivalent to around $15,200 USD.

A message on the webpage reads: “As an answer to Russian imperialist aggression we decided to sell Russia’s territories for good! Putin is known for grabbing other countries’ lands. So, let’s give him the taste of his own medicine.”

The creative endeavour received a stamp of approval from Alex Bornyakov, deputy minister of digital transformation of Ukraine.

Bornyakov praised the project as a “brilliant idea”, and added: “ I've always had a thing for the wittiest people who make unusual connections between words and ideas. Thank you.”

The clever creatives won’t be stopping at simply selling off bits of Russian land.

They have two more launches in the pipeline; one where buyers can snap up Russian buildings, and one where they’ll be auctioning off the “stuffed granddaddy of the red revolution” Vladimir Lenin.

The project was put together by a group of colleagues at creative agency Leavingstone, which is based in Tbilisi, Georgia.

The agency’s co-founder and creative chairman Levan Lepsveridze said: “I believe in ideas, in innovative projects like ours that can truly help people. It can also serve as an inspiration for other individuals so they could also contribute in any way possible to support Ukraine in these devastating times. Strength is in unity.”

In a statement on the website, the group wrote that they are deeply concerned about the invasion of Ukraine.

They wrote: “We have a strong connection to Ukraine’s culture and people, all of which are currently defending themselves against the most evil regime of our time: the Russian Federation.

“Moreover, most of us have faced Russia’s brutality in our own lives. The military aggression in 1992 and 2008 significantly impacted our Georgian team members, who experienced first hand how destructive the Russian invasion can be.”

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