Interview with Million Winner

On 2 September 2019, Ukraine heard the name of the super-winner of A Million for the Dream national promotion campaign by Rud TM on the air. Sixty-year-old Volodymyr from Kyiv Region became the winner.

We had invited the newly-made millionaire to the company’s office where Petro Rud sincerely congratulated him with the victory and solemnly granted him UAH 1,000,000 certificate.

Petro Rud grants the certificate
to the winner of A Million for the Dream promotion campaign

After that, the winner enjoyed a personal hourly tour of the production facility where Volodymyr could see how his family’s favourite ice cream was made.

Volodymyr finds out about
the secrets of production of Rud ice cream

In the end, we invited him for an interview. Volodymyr told us how he lived, what he loved, which ice cream had made him a winner, and which dream worth a million he had wanted to come true for many years.

Volodymyr is happy:
he joked and smiled a lot during the interview.

Volodymyr, could you please tell us about yourself? What do you do?

I was born in Ivankiv, Kyiv Region. I have been working for Ukrtelecom for 20 years: I maintain ATS  (ed. note: automated telephone stations), twenty of them. If something breaks down, I come and “rescue” the station, like an ambulance. Music is my hobby. I play the guitar, compose computer music and sing. However, my granddaughter is my greatest affection. She is a wonderful and incredibly funny child (he looks very satisfied).

Which of your family members share the joy of your victory?

My wife, daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter. Of course, my granddaughter is small, she is one year and a half: she does not understand anything yet, but she is already happy (he laughs).

Can you believe that you are a millionaire?

Now, when there is a certificate next to me, I believe and understand that this is for real.

At about 3:10 p.m., when we called you to tell you the good news, 2 September was no more an ordinary day in your life. Do you remember what you were doing, what mood you were in, how you answered the phone, and who was by your side?

I was at work, going from one station to another one. The connection was very poor. I thought one of my friends was playing a trick on me. So I didn’t believe it at first. And then I heard the echo and realised that the phone call was from the studio. But even then I believed it was true only by 15 %. Only my colleagues were near me at that time. However, I spoke in such a way so that they couldn’t get a clue.

So, when you heard you had won, there was no joy, only shock?

Yes, I was surprised and... shocked, that’s it (he laughs).

Who was the first person to find out you had won a million?

I called my daughter, but my son-in-law answered the phone. So he was the first.

How did he react?

He is so emotional, he started to scream! He was very happy (he laughs).

Which Rud ice cream does your family love most of all?

I love chocolate ice cream, my wife prefers Eskimo, our daughter eats different kinds, and my sonin-law likes chocolate one as well.

Why do you like our ice cream?

Because of its high quality! I had been eating Rud ice cream long before the promotion, it is really cool, I love it.

During the meeting with the company’s President,
Volodymyr promises jokingly that he will eat Rud ice cream only :)

Which ice cream made you the winner?

(He takes the package out of his wallet and shows it to us) Eskimo No. 1 is wonderful ((he smacks his lips), I want to eat another one!

Today you have received the great gift, the certificate worth a million hryvnias. Have you won anything before?

I have won 20 and 100 hryvnias in Loto-zabava. I took part in some promotions, but I never won. My daughter won a tablet once: she was the only lucky person in our family. And I had never been lucky enough. Probably, I had been waiting to get everything at once ((he shows how much it is with a gesture). And the time came (he laughs).

Now the main question: what is your dream worth a million: how are you planning to spend the money?

As I am a musician, I have been dreaming of arranging a small music studio at home for a long time.

“A music studio is my dream!”, Volodymyr admits.

Will you share the million with your family?

Of course, I will! (he starts joking) I can already imagine a meeting of “financial directors” who will be deciding: “We take this, and we won’t take that. Your studio can wait” (he laughs).

Please, fight for the studio: it is really the dream worth a million!

(he hits the table with his fist lightly), as I have had this dream for ages!

Volodymyr, so do you think dreams really come true?

They do. It is something unreal, something out of this world (he says it as if he still did not believe he had won) . I didn’t believe in Santa Claus before and now I do. His name is Rud, and he has brought me a million!

We were happy to give the main prize to such a sincere and pleasant man as Volodymyr. We would like to congratulate him on his victory again and hope that his dream worth a million will come true as soon as possible!