How Stepan, Ukraine’s most famous cat, escaped the war to safety
Stepan is one of the most famous pets in the world. He has amassed a huge following on Instagram and TikTok.
For the past week, fans of Stepan, a 13-year-old black-and-brown-striped rescue cat based in Kharkiv, Ukraine, have been in anguish. They’ve refreshed the cat’s Instagram and TikTok feeds and begged for updates in the comments since the accounts went quiet on March 3, as Russia continued its invasion of Ukraine.
On Wednesday, nearly two weeks later, Stepan’s more than 1 million followers breathed a collective sigh of relief. He was safe and in France.
Stepan is the latest example of how influencers in conflict regions – even nonhuman ones – are able to tap into their audiences to escape danger, and how a community that creators usually may rely on to source brand deals or sell merchandise can transform into a lifeline overnight. “When you’ve got that many followers you can use them as a network to provide aid, find shelter or even help find escape routes in a war zone,” Mohamad Taufiq Morshidi, a former fundraiser for Muslim Aid Malaysia who has worked extensively with refugees, said. “Having an online network will help you survive difficult times.”
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Stepan is one of the most famous pets in the world. He has amassed a huge following on Instagram and TikTok for his Grumpy Cat-esque nonchalant expressions, and he’s often posed next to a large glass of wine or a cocktail. Stepan’s solo, at-home parties have entertained millions, including many celebrity followers. Stars like Britney Spears, Diane Kruger and Hailey Bieber have shared Stepan’s photos and videos. In November, he appeared in an ad for Valentino.
But then Kharkiv, a city in northeastern Ukraine, came under attack, and Russia bombed the city’s Freedom Square and opera house. Stepan’s owner, known to followers as Anna, lost electricity, and they took shelter in a basement. Stepan’s account went dark and followers feared the worst. Many left desperate, frantic comments and even launched a hunt for the cat in his native city to no avail.
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“I started checking the account every single day to make sure they were OK,” Kalina Newman, 24, a graduate student in Washington, said. “It’s a testament to how powerful these internet figures can be.”
By the time Stepan was tucked away on a train to the border of Poland with Anna and her two sons earlier this week, he had an online army ready to assist. Anna and her sons stood in line for nine hours before crossing into Poland on foot. That’s when the World Influencers and Bloggers Association stepped in.
The World Influencers and Bloggers Association was founded in 2019 as a global organization aimed at uniting influencers around the world. The group hosts an annual awards ceremony crowning the top content creators across continents, and its members include high-profile social media stars in Brazil, France, Ukraine, Russia, Italy, India, the United Kingdom, China and more.
