We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Iordan Konstantinidi. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Iordan below.

Iordan , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

I genuinely enjoy running a business and building a community around a mission that unites people with the same values. Creating meaningful projects and translating my ideas into something that resonates with others gives me a sense of purpose I wouldn’t trade.

But of course, the everyday reality of being a business owner is far less romantic. There’s production to oversee, collaborations to evaluate, communication to review, new projects to develop, customers to connect with. Sometimes I’m the one personally writing to journalists, influencers, friends, or colleagues asking for support with a new initiative. I have an amazing team, but RBTNK is the project of my life, and I feel a responsibility to be deeply involved in every part of it.

At the same time, I have another duty – one that is equally important and far more demanding. I’m a military medic, serving on the battlefield. And if you ask me whether I would ever give up one role for the other, the answer, in our reality, is no.

One part of me fights on the front line, protecting our country. The other part fights on the cultural front, shaping a new mindset and helping build a memorial culture that honours our defenders. One is physical, the other symbolic, but both contribute to Ukraine’s victory.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Iordan Konstantinidi, and I am a military medic in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and a creative director and founder of RBTNK – a Ukrainian brand that creates wartime artifacts and custom jewelry. Before the full-scale invasion began, I managed a multibrand store and owned a casual clothing brand in Odesa, which I started during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 to support everyone who works despite any obstacles along their path.

After I joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 2022, I restored the brand and reimagined and built on its concept. RBTNK became my way to show how the collaboration between the rear and the frontline becomes the only way to achieve victory, how everyone plays a crucial role in this shared struggle, how the brand I created long before the full-scale war has evolved, and how I have changed myself.

What clients need to know is that RBTNK is more than just a brand; it’s a gamified universe dedicated to all of us living through wartime experiences.

This communication style didn’t happen by chance. For many of us, especially in the military, viewing the completion of missions as a video game is a coping mechanism. It’s a way to process events that often feel too surreal or intense to fully relate to in reality. By imagining yourself as a character levelling up, everything becomes psychologically easier to handle. This idea resonates not just with defenders but with volunteers, journalists, and everyone holding up our future victory.

The RBTNK world is built in collections, which we call Chapters. With each Chapter release, the universe expands the core concept and presents a corresponding Artifact.

The First Chapter is the foundation of our universe. It is dedicated to its six characters: Defender, Medic, Rescuer, Volunteer, Journalist, and Employee. The role defines the nature of missions, their dominant superpowers, and how they interact with each other. Characters also possess specific skills and equipment that help them complete missions and provide protection. Originally, the Artifacts of this chapter were patches, t-shirts, and eventually the tags.

The Second Chapter introduces the main artifact: the steel dog tag. Its power lies in its uniqueness. The token contains all important information about the character and makes them recognizable to everyone else. These personal tokens help distinguish friends from foes.

In the Third Chapter, the superpowers come back. Just like people, by forming pairs, the superpowers create a unique bond that multiplies achievements and expands the universe. This step focuses on how the core frontline superpowers (Power, Courage, Fortitude) pair with the rear superpowers (Empathy, Wit, Versatility) to balance one another and complete the mission of unity.

Our latest chapter at the moment is the memorial chapter, called “Keep the memory of your Hero.” After you discover your character, superpower, and personal artifact that help you to stand through the darkness of war, it is time to take a moment and remember the ones who gave their lives in this fight. The artifact of this chapter is a memorial bracelet. It preserves and honors the memory of the fallen. Memory is an integral part of RBTNK; without this chapter, the story of the fight would not exist. Memory makes everything real.

I am most proud of how we have built the RBTNK world, step by step and chapter by chapter. Our work is a constantly expanding narrative, and the mission is a reflection of my own transformation, from a creative director of a clothing brand in Odesa to a combat medic. The brand’s transformation from its original concept, a brand named “Rabotnik” (Worker), dedicated to the creative sector workers to the current RBTNK, reflects its current mission: to be the connection between the creative rear and the frontline. This personal journey is what gives the brand its authenticity.

The entire RBTNK concept is designed to carry one global mission, to help everyone believe in our eventual victory.

RBTNK is a brand that creates wartime artifacts based on the concepts developed within our gamified world. Our core mission is embodied in our main products, which serve as personal symbols of strength, resilience, and unity.

Our central artifact is the Steel Dog Tag. It is fully customizable—you can engrave the name of the brigade, company, dates, names, personally meaningful messages, or even simple images. This way, the tag becomes your own artifact meant to bring you strength and support you in the toughest moments. Besides the steel tags, we offer a special tag made from silver and clothes patches.

Our paracord and steel bracelets, as mentioned previously, are the products dedicated to the memorial culture. They were created to become wearable memories, to serve as reminders of our fallen heroes. Initially, such bracelets were worn by comrades of the fallen at the front, and later they began to be worn in the rear as well, to pay tribute to the memory of the dead relatives and friends. The bracelet serves as a reminder that their story will forever be a part of our struggle and future victory. Memory, seen and heard – heals and unites. And those who preserve it will win.

In addition to our products, we engage in several initiatives. We collaborate with organizations on charitable limited-edition drops, donating parts of the profits to charity. We also gift our tags to defenders who are currently undergoing rehabilitation, and run a “suspended” tags campaign, in which people from the rear can send a tag to a defender as a small token of gratitude for their service. Every mission and chapter we launch is furthering our goal of uniting the front and the rear.

There are many things I’m proud of at RBTNK – from our community to the meaning our products carry, to every project we launch. Nothing we do is accidental; every step is guided by a clear mission and idea.

Projects like “Suspended Tags,” “Memorial of Heroes,” and our collaborations with NGOs and the Saint Javelin platform have shaped our identity. RBTNK began as a brand meant to honor our soldiers, but today it’s becoming a force that helps define what memorial culture in Ukraine looks like. Each project is our way of not only remembering defenders but supporting them in a tangible, practical way. As a soldier, I know firsthand that the most important thing for defenders is to feel remembered and genuinely cared for, especially by people living far from the front lines or outside Ukraine. And I’m proud that RBTNK contributes to building this culture of remembrance.

Our motto is “Victory belongs to those who remember,” and every day we move forward with that purpose.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

My resilience is built from the countless human stories and messages we receive. On our website, we created a section where people who’ve received a suspended tag can share their words, and the amount of gratitude and warmth we get there is truly overwhelming. Every message is a reminder that what we do matters, that these tags bring a sense of being remembered. Knowing that someone thought of them, that someone cared enough to honor them creates a connection that goes far beyond a physical object.

These stories are what fuel us. That’s why we started sharing the stories of our “Superheroes” on Instagram. We want more people to hear the voices that inspire and motivate us every day.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

Beyond staying connected through social media, we always try to step outside the digital space and meet our audience in real life. It’s important for us to build a living, human connection – to speak with people, hear their thoughts, and feel their reactions.

We regularly participate in festivals and public events. Recently, for example, we joined the youth festival Molodvizh, and it was incredibly meaningful to engage directly with teenagers, share our ideas, and see how they respond. We even created a special tag specifically for this event because we truly believe that youth is our driving force.

At another Kyiv-based event, Kurazh Bazar, we built a stand where anyone could suspend tags for soldiers and leave personal messages for them. For us, witnessing people’s expressions, emotions, and sincerity in moments like these is priceless. It reminds us why we do what we do.

We aim to create these kinds of interactive, meaningful initiatives on a regular basis, because they help foster a genuine community and build loyalty rooted in shared values, not just products.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://rbtnk.world/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rbtnk.world/