Themes by tag: 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

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Eleos-Ukraine NGO has taken up the task to equip shelters for internally displaced persons. In 2023, Eleos-Ukraine team decided to create a Day Support Center in Chernihiv, so that everyone could receive both physical and psychological support. The day center “St. Olga’s Women’s Hub” will open its doors on January 15. Psychological training and physical rehabilitation, in particular yoga, will be organized here for local residents and IDPs. In addition, the Center will offer employment consultations. An educator will also work in the hub, so that mothers attending classes at the Center could leave their children with them.

• casualties
• psychological support
• Chernihiv

The Peli Can Live charitable organization has constructed new modular houses for 10 families in Chernihiv Oblast to move into new homes through Project Home Again. The project plan aims to build new housing in place of the destroyed households, more than just to give people a roof over their heads. These efforts are designed to ensure families gain access to housing and employment opportunities in native villages or cities, as well as such an approach having a positive impact on people’s mental health.

The founders of the project did not choose specific families but turned to the Chernihiv Military Administration to provide information about the affected communities that are in need of support. Seniors, young families, and three generations families living together are getting new homes. The Tera M construction company has been part of the CF’s team since April 2022, creating modular houses for those who lost their homes due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

• casualties
• reconstruction
• Chernihiv

Yuliia Dudysheva is a refugee from Crimea. Before the full-scale invasion, the girl lived and worked in Chernihiv oblast. She was working in advertising, and sometimes helped friends renovate their homes.

After the liberation of Chernihiv oblast in the spring of 2022, Yuliia quit her job and began looking for a new path for herself. In June of this year, the girl began to renovate, restore and decorate apartments for those who had to flee from the war. The first people Yuliia helped were her friends, who allowed the woman to furnish their home. Later, the Crimean woman met another family that needed help with repairs and design. Yuliia is active on social networks, where she shows the entire process of home renovation. Subscribers support her “Coziness for IDPs” project, in particular, they help purchase materials needed for renovation works.

• reconstruction
• women
• Chernihiv

At the onset of the full-blown war, Nadiia’s husband stood up to defend the country and joined the Territorial Defense. He was killed while holding the defense of Chernihiv region in March 2022. Three children became fatherless. The house that the man was building for his family was destroyed by the occupiers. Nadiia was offered to sell the land, but she refused because she dreamed of rebuilding the house in memory of her loved one.

Currently, Dobrobat volunteers are helping to restore the house. They have already brought building materials to the construction site.

• dead
• reconstruction
• russian crimes
• volunteers
• women
• Chernihiv

Yurii Zdor took up arms back in 2015, when Russia first attacked Ukraine. For the man, it seemed the only logical decision to make. He fought in different brigades and completed his military service as the 72nd Brigade named after the Black Cossacks member. The fighter was on standby when the full-scale invasion broke out, he has packed up all his belongings. Yurii’s wife Svitlana stayed at home in Chernihiv, and her husband went to Kyiv.

Yurii and his unit took part in heavy battles in Kyiv, Chernihiv, Donetsk and Luhansk regions. He was seriously wounded and lost his leg while fighting in eastern Ukraine. Yurii’s spouse says that waiting for her husband for stabilization point discharge was the hardest part, then she found he was getting treatment from the intensive care unit and never left him.

Yurii and Svitlana reside in Chernihiv. They are ready to talk to journalists, both offline and online.

• casualties
• military
• Chernihiv

One of the areas of work of the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) in Ukraine is non-technical survey of the territory and clearance of explosives. The DRC work involves training sappers of the State Emergency Service and volunteer civilians to search for explosive ordnance. Since the contaminated areas are quite large, DRC is raising the number of demining specialists who, after completing their training, will get a job in the organization. Deminers work in Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Mykolaiv regions together with the State Emergency Service, because it is sappers who have to remove explosive objects. In addition, the organization provides grant support to those affected by mines or other explosive remnants of war.

For reference: Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine’s territory has become one of the most contaminated with explosives in the world. According to the UN, it will take dozens of years to demine the country.

• Chernihiv
• Kharkiv
• Kyiv
• Mykolaiv
• demining

On October 7, a school reconstructed by the Brave to Rebuild project volunteers to get running in the Chernihiv region. The building suffered from a full-scale Russian invasion. 

The school is housed in the Mazanka Ukrainian traditional hut built in 1923 is the great thing about this particular school. Among other things, the volunteers rebuilt the walls using authentic technology: they kneaded sand and clay with straw with their feet in a specially prepared container. The resulting mass was beaten to create the right consistency. The local community was also involved in the work. 

The roof and windows were replaced, and a ramp was installed. And artists painted a mural with traditional Ukrainian ornaments on the school.

Prior accreditation is required.

• children
• reconstruction
• Chernihiv