Media Center Ukraine Producer Department

Olena Velychenko is the founder of the Grand Dog canine training center in Kherson. Together with her team, she taught dog owners how to build connections with their pets, while training dogs to assist people.

However, everything changed after the start of russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. For some time, Olena remained under occupation together with the dogs, even though her center had been destroyed by russian forces. Following the liberation of the city, she relocated to Odesa, where she began rebuilding her life’s work.

Today, the Grand Dog canine training center also operates in Odesa, providing support to children, internally displaced people, veterans, and individuals going through difficult periods in their lives. Velychenko conducts classes for children free of charge.

Olena Velychenko is available for interviews both online and in person in Odesa by prior arrangement.

• animals
• casualties
• occupation
• women
• Odesa

If you are interested in this topic, you can obtain the subjects’ contacts from the Producer Department of Media Center Ukraine.

KyivPride Park, a charity and educational event that traditionally marks the beginning of the capital’s Pride celebrations ahead of the Equality March, will take place in Kyiv on June 14. The event will run throughout the day. Admission will be granted in exchange for a voluntary donation to UNITED24’s fundraising campaign for air defence. A community advocating for its own rights also contributes daily to the security of the entire country, making support a two-way effort. 

This year, the organisers of KyivPride Park, the NGO KyivPride, have been joined by partners including the NGO Ukrainian LGBT+ Military and Veterans for Equal Rights, KharkivPride, PinchukArtCentre, the Sunny Bunny queer film festival, the Linoleum animation festival, the Memorial NGO, Underwood Brewery and others.

KyivPride Park will feature several spaces operating simultaneously, offering a range of activities for visitors. The programme will include DJ sets, among them Past Curfew with a mix of house, trance and techno, as well as an acoustic performance by Okolytsia. 

Two panel discussions will also take place. The first, titled “How to Create Vibrant Queer Communications”, will bring together creators of LGBTIQ+ YouTube channels, Instagram pages and magazines to discuss how to speak about queerness on social media and how to deal with online hate. The second discussion, “Why Transgender Identity Is Not a Way to Avoid Military Service?”, will be moderated by Leon, a transgender man and blogger. Panellists will include Emilia, a transgender veteran, and endocrinologist Ilona Khanko, author of a book about gender transition in Ukraine.

The cinema area will screen animated films from the Linoleum festival and short films presented by Sunny Bunny, followed by discussions where audiences will be able to ask questions to directors.

KyivPride will create a memorial space together with the Memorial NGO, where visitors will be able to remember those who are no longer with them and tie ribbons bearing their names. Psychologists will also be available nearby for those who need immediate support.

The theme of those who serve will run throughout the entire day. LGBT military personnel are active partners of the event. Their presence will be reflected in various parts of the programme, from discussions about military service to a dedicated area where field porridge will be offered in exchange for donations and merchandise supporting veterans will be available.

Background: This year’s KyivPride will take place across two key dates. KyivPride Park, the charity and educational event, will be held on June 14. On June 21, the KyivPride March will take place in the centre of the capital in support of equal rights for all citizens regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

About the organisers: KyivPride is a non-governmental organisation working to advance equality and human rights in Ukraine and to strengthen the influence of civil society and the LGBTIQ+ community in the country’s path towards integration into the European Union.

• culture
• Kyiv
• LGBT

If you are interested in this topic, you can obtain the subjects’ contacts from the Producer Department of Media Center Ukraine.