Stepan (cat)

Stepan (Ukrainian: Степан) is a Ukrainian striped cat who gained worldwide popularity on social media for his calm nature and jaded posture, making him Ukraine's most popular cat.[1] He has more than one and a half million followers on Twitter and Instagram.[2] Since 2019, Stepan also has an account on the TikTok network.[3] By August 2023 Stepan had 1.3m followers on Instagram.[4] In 2022 Stepan's Instagram page helped raise almost 15,000 euros humanitarian aid for Ukraine.[4]

Stepan
Stepan on the cover of Times Monaco
SpeciesFelis catus
SexMale
Born2008 (age 14–15)
Kharkiv, Ukraine
OwnerAnna
www.instagram.com/loveyoustepan/

Biography

Stepan was born in 2008 in Kharkiv. Stepan's owner, Anna, found him when he was little.[5] He has since lived with her in a high-rise apartment building in Saltivka, Kharkiv.[6] In 2020, during the quarantine period, Anna recorded the first video of Stepan, and it received several million views. Since then, Anna has been posting new photos and taking pictures of Stepan almost every day, always coming up with new images for Stepan.[3] Initially Anna posted in Russian.[4]

According to The Moscow Times' YouTube channel, by July 2021, the cat's fame had crossed the country's borders, with Stepan "capturing the heart" of the Russian Internet.[7]

In November 2021, Britney Spears drew attention to the cat in her post.[8] The publication had more than 1.1 million likes and almost nine thousand comments.[9] Soon after, the Italian fashion house Valentino published an ad for one of its handbags, featuring the cat Stepan.[1]

On February 24, 2022, Anna and Stepan were surprised by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, during which violent bombings are being carried out in Kharkiv, with the destruction of part of the city, including residential neighborhoods, causing dozens of deaths and injuries. After the invasion began, Stepan's social media accounts confirmed that both the cat and its owner survived the bombings, finding themselves in a shelter. Stepan's photos have been accompanied by photos of the destruction caused by Russian forces, and messages calling for an end to the invasion and a return to peace.[10][11] After Stepan and his family escaped to Poland, the World Influencers and Bloggers Association helped them find a safe house in France.[6][12]

Following the Russian invasion the social media posts of Stepan switched to Ukrainian.[4] Stepan's owner Anna told the BBC "We've all changed mentally after seeing what sort of thing this 'Russian world' (a concept of a cultural and political space promoted by Russia) really is."[4]

In August 2022, Anna adopted a kitten, Stephania; she is a tabby and looks a lot like Stepan.[13] In November of that year, Stepan was appointed as an 'ambassador' by the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy as part of their 'Save Ukrainian Culture' campaign.[14]

In 2022 Stepan's social media pages helped raise almost 15,000 euros for food, medicine and other care for other Ukrainian animals who suffered in the war.[4]

According to the instagram account of Stepan the Wine Cat. It has returned to its home in Ukraine, Kharkiv.[15]

In August 2023 Stepan had 1.3m followers on Instagram.[4]

See also

References
  1. "This is a success: Valentino ordered an advertisement from Stepan's cat (photo) - Global Happenings". Global Happenings. Retrieved 2022-03-04.
  2. "Харківський кіт Степан потрапив до Instagram Брітні Спірс (фото, відео)". ФОКУС (in Ukrainian). 2021-11-25. Retrieved 2022-03-04.
  3. "Conoce a Stepán, el gato que causa sensación en TikTok por una expresión muy singular". El Comercio (in Spanish). 2021-08-02. Retrieved 2022-03-04.
  4. Shevchenko, Vitaly (2023-08-19). "Cat and dog influencers help Ukrainians cope with war". BBC News. Retrieved 2023-08-19.
  5. "Кіт із аристократичним поглядом з Харкова став зіркою Мережі". ТСН.ua (in Ukrainian). 2021-07-26. Retrieved 2022-03-04.
  6. Lorenz, Taylor (March 17, 2022). "How Stepan, Ukraine's most famous cat, escaped the war to safety". Washington Post. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
  7. Sleepy Ukrainian Cat Captivates Russian Internet | The Moscow Times, retrieved 2022-03-04
  8. "Український кіт став зіркою світових соцмереж. Його перепостила навіть Брітні Спірс". BBC News Україна (in Ukrainian). 2021-11-25. Retrieved 2022-03-04.
  9. Цьомик, Ганна (2021-11-26). "Тисячі підписників і повідомлень: кіт Степан в Instagram Брітні Спірс". Суспільне | Новини (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2022-03-04.
  10. Flood, Rebecca (2022-03-03). "Famous meme cat from Ukraine uses viral platform to plea for end to the war". Newsweek. Retrieved 2022-03-04.
  11. "Ukraine Becomes the World's "First TikTok War"". The New Yorker. 2022-03-03. Retrieved 2022-03-04.
  12. Carson, Erin (March 17, 2022). "Stepan the Internet-Famous Cat Escapes Ukraine, Finds Safety". CNET.
  13. "Stephania (@stephania_girlcat) • Instagram photos and videos".
  14. Cat Stepan becomes ambassador of ‘Save Ukrainian Culture’ project, Urkrinform, 7 November 2022
  15. "Instagram".
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