Themes by tag: Cherkasy

With the beginning of the full-scale war, Mykola Volyka, a resident of Lebedyn village in Cherkasy oblast, was approached by a fellow soldier and asked to make 300 staples for his unit. Mykola, who had never dealt with metal before, set up a forge right in his yard. He studied blacksmithing together with his friends, whom he also invited to join in. Later, he involved his fellow villagers to the forge to produce not only staples, but also potbelly stoves, axes, pickaxes, anti-tank hedgehogs and spades.

Tetiana Chepur, now a craftswoman in the forge, says that women actively took up the new activity. And now they are the main workers as a total of five female blacksmiths volunteer at the forge. They often work in the evenings after finishing their day jobs.

Since the forge was created, volunteers managed to make 156,000 staples, 13,000 pickaxes and 10,000 spades.

• volunteers
• women
• Cherkasy

Yevhen Kompanets ended up in a wheelchair as a result of an industrial injury in 2011. At that time, in the hospital, he met his future wife, who worked as a nurse. And now, together with their daughter, they cook goodies in their kitchen for Ukraine’s defenders. 

The family started volunteering in April 2022. They work every day and have already prepared 150 thousand dishes for the defenders. These include dumplings, pancakes, donuts, pies, and chebureks. (The dumplings are oven-ready meals, so service members only need to defrost them). In addition, the family prepares borscht dressings and cutlets and even manages to send more than 7 tons of pork fat to the defenders. The family invests their own money in the work, and caring people also help with donations.

Journalists can talk to Yevhen by phone, online, or site visit after February 15.

For reference: February 24, 2024, Ukraine marks 2 years since Russia commenced its unprovoked criminal full-scale invasion. This attack was the culmination of the initial war of aggression that Russia has been waging against Ukraine for 10 years. This armed conflict was ignited on February 20, 2014. Back then, Russians invaded the territory of Ukrainian Crimea giving no obvious sign of its covert military operation in the now-occupied peninsula. After that, Russia started a war in Ukraine’s east. 

• food
• volunteers
• Cherkasy

Hasidic pilgrims have been arriving in Uman, Cherkasy region to celebrate Rosh Hashanah for a week. This year, the celebration of the Jewish New Year falls on September 15-17. It is widely known that Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, founder of Breslover Hasidim, is buried in the city.

Security measures are being tightened in Uman. From September 11 to 21, a special regime of entry and exit, as well as the citizens’ travel through the city will be in place. Journalists who want to cover the celebration must obtain special permits.

Earlier, the regional authorities recommended that pilgrims refrain from visiting the country, given the war and regular mass shelling.

• religion
• Cherkasy

Liudmila Kulyk is a physical education teacher in Cherkasy. She holds classes on various sports activities for children of the city and children of IDPs despite the fact that, due to the war, there are a lot of mattresses in the gym in case it needs to be quickly turned into a shelter:

“During the first half of the year, all students were on distance learning. At the end of October, the school was prepared to house internally displaced persons. Desks had been taken away from all classrooms and these mattresses had been brought in. However, we are already used to them, sometimes we use them for exercise,” — said the teacher.

• children
• Cherkasy

The volunteer project “Marriage for a Hero” was launched in early summer last year. During this time, thanks to this charity initiative, turnkey weddings were organized for several couples. (The project operates in Cherkasy city and region, but recently newlyweds from Kyiv city have also applied).

For reference: The Cherkasy city resident Svitlana Olifer, who has been engaged in the wedding business for seven years, decided to organize a volunteer project entitled “Marriage for a Hero” after the full-scale russian invasion of Ukraine. The woman gathered a team of photographers, cameramen, make-up artists and florists who helped in implementation of the holiday for free. Sometimes restaurants or catering establishments are ready to provide services under special terms. In general, newlyweds will have to spend only on wedding outfits.

• military
• volunteers
• Cherkasy

Svitlana Olifer from Cherkasy has been running a wedding event business. After russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, she came up with the charity volunteering project Marriage for a Hero. She put together a team of photographers, videographers, makeup artists, and florists who help organize a ceremony free of charge. Restaurants and catering businesses are sometimes prepared to offer their services on special terms. Overall, the couple will only have to buy their wedding gear.

• military
• Cherkasy

The city of Uman in Cherkasy region, where tens of thousands of Hasidic Jews gather every year to celebrate the arrival of the Jewish New Year, is expecting a visit of more than 10,000 pilgrims this year. Despite the prohibition of the Security Service of Ukraine, Hasids have already begun gathering in the city where the founder of Breslov Hasidism Rabbi Nachman is buried.

According to local authorities, more than a thousand people have already arrived in Uman from Israel. This year, Rosh Hashanah falls on September 25-26. The largest influx of religious tourists in the city is expected after September 20.

• religion
• Cherkasy

Since the beginning of the full-scale war, Cherkasy Zoo has provided shelter to 70 displaced animals. However, the zoo lacks funds to keep them. Previously, the zoo could pay for itself by selling tickets to visitors. Now, the number of visitors has decreased by a factor of three, while the needs of the institution have grown significantly. In addition to food for newly arrived residents, the zoo is also trying to raise funds for the construction of new enclosures.

• animals
• Cherkasy

Yevhenii Kompanets from Cherkasy makes varenyky for soldiers at the frontline together with his family. He claims to be using a special family heritage recipe—the dumplings are tastier, and the dough remains fresh longer. The family makes up to 2,000 varenyky dumplings per week, sending them to the frontline in freezer bags.

• volunteers
• Cherkasy