Themes by tag: Chernihiv

Back in Czechia Filip has two jobs: he is a Turkish language and literature lecturer at a university in Prague, and a chemistry and geography teacher at a school. Recently, he came to Chernihiv oblast by bicycle for the second time and joined the volunteers of the International Construction Camp (INBUT), who are rebuilding Ukrainian homes destroyed by the russians.

Last year, Filip traveled 2,000 km by bicycle from the Czech Republic to Ukraine to join INBUT. He was supposed to volunteer for a month but stayed for three.

For reference: INBUT is a project of Repair Together NGO, which launched last year. With the help of about a thousand people from 27 countries, INBUT built frames of 10 houses in place of those destroyed during the hostilities. This year, 22 foreign volunteers from 11 countries worked with INBUT: U.S., France, Brazil, Belgium, Canada, Austria, Germany, Ireland, England, Chile.

• casualties
• reconstruction
• volunteers
• Chernihiv

The Velyke Divnytstvo (Great Girl’s Gathering) project, led by Repair Together, is revolutionizing gender roles by empowering young women to take on construction tasks traditionally dominated by men. This initiative aims to open doors for women in the construction industry, providing them with equal opportunities to excel in the field.

In the village of Lukashivka, Chernihiv Oblast, Ms. Nina’s home was destroyed by the russian invasion. The project began in November 2022 with the installation of the first autoclaved aerated concrete block for a new home for Nina’s family. Since then, an all-female team has constructed the walls, installed the reinforcement belt, and completed the roof. The team is set to finish the house for Ms. Nina by the end of the year.

For reference: Over the past two years, more than 200 volunteers, including notable Ukrainian personalities, have joined the Velyke Divnytstvo project. 

Repair Together, a non-governmental organization, focuses on building a dynamic volunteer community in Ukraine, combining efforts to tackle pressing social issues with cultural and educational initiatives.

• reconstruction
• volunteers
• women
• Chernihiv

Kateryna Lukiienko hails from the small village of Zalyman in the Kharkiv region, home to about 800 people before the full-scale invasion. When the all-out war erupted, Zalyman quickly fell under enemy control. Kateryna, along with her sister Lidiia and her children, was trapped in the village with no communication. Determined to document the atrocities, Kateryna began recording everything she witnessed. She took pictures, made videos, and kept detailed notes, compiling evidence of russian crimes in the region. During this time, she survived a russian shelling that left her with a traumatic brain injury. Her collected evidence, including testimonies, photos, and videos, has been submitted to the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

Following the village’s liberation, Kateryna and her family relocated to the Chernihiv region. She is currently awaiting state compensation for their destroyed home in Zaliman.

Kateryna Lukiienko remains in the Chernihiv region and is available for interviews, both online and in person.

• occupation
• russian crimes
• women
• Chernihiv

The Sercevir Veterans’ Space has been operating remotely for over a year without a physical location. This April, the founders and participants, including military personnel, veterans, and their families, began renovating a former women’s clinic. Once completed, “Sercevir” will offer its services in-person. Currently, dismantling work is in progress. Injured soldiers, some using prostheses, are personally contributing to the renovation efforts to expedite the opening. Plans include a modern, inclusive gym, an entire floor dedicated to psychological counseling and support, legal assistance, and a children’s playroom for families to use while attending the gym or training sessions.

• casualties
• military
• psychological support
• reconstruction
• Chernihiv

The family of Maryna Shvets from Chernihiv region appealed to the volunteers of Dobrobat. After their house was destroyed in a russian shelling, the family was forced to live in a shed. After her house burned down, Maryna did not give up: she helped the Ukrainian military and her fellow villagers, baked bread and shared homemade products.

Currently, Dobrobat volunteers have started building a new two-story building with two entrances for Maryna’s family. Volunteers have already laid the foundation and the first AAC blocks. Dobrobat volunteers actively involve the local population in the construction process. According to their calculations, Maryna’s family will be able to move into a new home as soon as this summer.

For reference: “Dobrobat” is a volunteer building division that helps those in need to urgently restore housing and social infrastructure facilities in the de-occupied territories.

• casualties
• reconstruction
• volunteers
• Chernihiv

Prior to the full-scale invasion, Andriy Galyuga worked as an electrical engineer in Chernihiv. When the big war began, the man started restoring damaged power lines and volunteering. At first, he brought food and medicine to those who could not get them on their own, and later he gathered a team of like-minded people around him.

After the region was de-occupied, Andriy’s team began to restore the damaged houses of local residents, and even build houses from scratch in certain places. Later, a team of volunteers began weaving camouflage nets, and when they found out about the need for FPV drones on the front lines, they learned how to assemble these devices. Andriy started “Because we can” NGO, and his team works on a volunteer basis. Spare parts for drones are bought with donations from Ukrainians.

• volunteers
• Chernihiv

Hennadii Stukalo is an anesthesiologist, Head of the Anesthesiology Department of the Chernihiv Regional Hospital. When russia started its full-scale invasion, he was in the hospital around the clock.

In the most difficult days of the russian advancement, over 50 wounded people in need of surgery were once brought to the hospital within an hour. Hennadii, together with other doctors and medical personnel, saved patients and even performed extremely complex operations in the conditions of power, heat and water supply outages and under artillery fire as well as during shelling.

When performing surgery, they had to use improvised means to illuminate the operating room (head torches, ordinary flashlights and mobile phones), because there were constant power cuts. In order to warm the wounded, they even had to cover them with plastic bottles with heated water.

Journalists have the opportunity to communicate with the doctor both online and in person.

For reference: on April 2, 2022, Kyiv region was completely liberated from russian occupation. By April 6, 2022, the Defense Forces completely liberated Chernihiv region. On April 11, 2022, the then Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi announced that full control over the state border had been restored in Sumy region.

• casualties
• doctors
• russian crimes
• Chernihiv

Larysa Zahryva devoted 25 years of her life to education. The woman worked as a teacher, and in 2022 she headed the Social Services Center in Chernihiv oblast. With the beginning of the full-scale war, Mykhailo-Kotsiubynske village, where Larysa lived and worked, was occupied. For 37 days, the woman continued going to work and taking care of elderly people who remained in the village. Larysa hid documents from the russians and was at gunpoint five times. The invaders came to her house in the middle of the night and interrogated Larysa’s husband.

After Mykhailo-Kotsiubynske was released, Larysa managed to found the University of the Third Age with the support of the UN Development Program. Currently, several areas of study are available there: the Faculty of Healthy Lifestyle, the Faculty of Philosophy, and the Faculty of Applied Arts. In addition, Larysa created a project to ensure mobile social assistance – a car with volunteers helping residents with house chores that travels around Chernihiv oblast.

For reference: on April 2, 2022, Kyiv region was completely liberated from the russian occupation. By April 6, 2022, the Defense Forces fully liberated Chernihiv region. On April 11, 2022, the then Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi announced that full control over the state border in Sumy region was also restored.

• occupation
• russian crimes
• women
• Chernihiv

Scientists of the V. V. Tarnovskyi Chernihiv Regional Historical Museum continue to make records of historical artifacts in the village of Yahidne in Chernihiv oblast. (In the spring of 2022, the occupiers kept more than 300 local residents in inhumane conditions for almost a month in the basement of the school).

Specialists have been making trips to the school in Yahidne since September of last year. During this time, they examined and described more than 1,000 artifacts, which include: clothes, shoes, personal belongings, backpacks, books, boxes from enemy dry rations, tubes of antiseptics, russian newspapers, wooden pallets that the prisoners had to sit and sleep on and even plastic water bottles, which people had to use as a toilet. Experts have already finished describing all the rooms in the basement. And now they are still documenting (photographing and making records) artifacts on the territory of the settlement, including: remnants of enemy equipment, uniforms and ammunition boxes. They are also in communication with local residents.

All items studied by the scientists will remain in place. The authorities plan to create a memorial complex in Yahidne, and the school basement, where the prisoners were kept, will be a part of it.

Journalists have the opportunity to learn more and join the trip of the museum’s scientific staff to cover their work.

For reference: The village of Yahidne is located near Chernihiv. At the start of the full-scale invasion, the russians set up a command point in a local school. In its basement, they kept local residents — 299 adults and 67 children — for almost a month. (Almost the entire population of the village). The area of the basement is 197 square meters. Due to the lack of space, people had to sleep sitting up, and they also had trouble breathing. Ten people died then.

In February, the famous American TIME magazine released a cover with the Yahidne village basement.

• casualties
• occupation
• russian crimes
• Chernihiv

Researchers at the Tarnovskyi Chernihiv Regional Historical Museum discover historical artifacts that remain in the basement of a school in the village of Yahidne in Chernihiv Oblast. A place where the occupiers kept over 300 local residents in inhumane conditions for almost a month in the spring of 2022.

Experts have been visiting a local school in Yahidne since September last year. During this time, they have examined and documented more than 600 findings. Among material evidence, there were pieces of clothes, shoes, personal belongings, knives, books, boxes of enemy military rations, hand sanitizer bottles, Russian newspapers, wooden pallets on which the prisoners had to sit and sleep, and even plastic water bottles that served as a toilet. The specialists are now done with describing the items of evidence in 5 rooms and are now searching the gym (the largest space in the basement). The work is scheduled to be completed in February.

All examined items will remain in place. The authorities plan to convert the school basement into a museum. 

Journalists are welcome to join the museum’s researchers and cover their work.

For reference: The village of Yahidne is located near Chernihiv. At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the Russians set up their headquarters in a local school. They forced 299 adult local residents and 67 children into the school basement and held villagers captive for almost a month (almost an entire village). The basement area is 197 square meters. For lack of space, people had to sleep sitting up, and there was also a lack of oxygen. 10 people died.

In February, the famous American TIME magazine released a cover with the Yahidne village basement. 

• casualties
• dead
• occupation
• russian crimes
• Chernihiv