“I come to children alongside the Church”: an Italian clown speaks about volunteering at near-frontline Slobozhanshchyna
Pimpa, the Italian clown (real name: Marco Rodari), once again visited the Kharkiv region to perform a concert program for children at the Cathedral of St. Nicholas, the Wonderworker. Marco is the descendant of the children’s writer Gianni Rodari, known for creating Cipolino. He is also the founder and representative of the Italian clown association ‘To Make the Sky Smile’ (‘Per Far Sorridere il Cielo’), established in 2015.
The press service of the Kharkiv Exarchate reports.
The clown has worked in Syria and Iraq, and since March 2022, he has been in Ukraine, particularly in Kharkiv and the Kharkiv region. He says it makes him happy to see children smile, so he does everything he can to make them smile more.
Pimpa is not just a clown; he is also a volunteer who contributed to restoring the destroyed library in the town of Izyum by arranging a children’s space there. The actor is a believer, which he often emphasizes, stating he comes to people and children alongside the Church.
Bishop Vasyl Tuchapets, Exarch of Kharkiv, expressed gratitude to Marco for his selfless service to children and for bringing smiles to the cities suffering from Russian aggression.
“Every time a child smiles, the sky smiles,” says the Italian clown, admitting that he cannot sit at home in peace when Ukrainian children are crying.
Kharkiv children and their parents know him well and eagerly look forward to seeing him each time because hearing children’s laughter despite the sirens and alarms is so important.
The UGCC Department for Information
