Themes by tag: culture

Tetiana Romaniuk experienced the beginning of the full-scale invasion alongside the Rapid Response Teams of the Red Cross Society in Ukraine. Her volunteer skills proved invaluable when evacuating people with limited mobility from parts of the Kyiv oblast and from frontline areas in the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.

In August 2022, Tetiana joined the volunteer Hospitallers Medical Battalion. She went to the front lines with five years of experience working in emergency situations. For over three years now, Tetiana has been working under extreme conditions, often at great risk to her own life.

Tetiana recalls one particular evacuation: her crew was rescuing the same soldier for the second time. The Hospitallers vehicle came under fire but only the car was damaged.

During breaks between evacuation missions, Tetiana embroidered traditional towels to distract herself from her experiences. It is also a way to help preserve Ukrainian culture, which is being destroyed by russian forces.

Journalists can speak with Tetiana Romaniuk online or offline by prior arrangement.

• culture
• doctors
• volunteers
• women

The project is aimed at military personnel in Kyiv for rotation or recovering from injuries. The project’s goal is to help servicemembers who have just returned from the front line recover psychologically and physically, relieve stress, improve their mood, and boost morale.

The methodology, developed by Hanna Buraho, a Gestalt therapist and the founder of the Spirit Rehabilitation Center, is based on interacting with animals (horses, dogs, and cats).

Group sessions in hippotherapy, canine therapy, and psychotherapy are conducted with groups of 12 military personnel. The sessions consist of several stages. First, participants gather in a circle and work with a psychotherapist. Then, they move to the stable where they get acquainted with the horses, groom them, and treat them with snacks under the supervision of a hippotherapist. Finally, they ride the horses and perform exercises with them.

Since its inception in the summer of 2022, the project has attracted approximately 5,000 participants.

Journalists may cover the Spirit Warrior project by prior arrangement.

• animals
• culture
• military
• psychological support
• Kyiv

When the full-scale invasion began, Diana Rudenko was 17 years old. She worked as a waitress in her hometown of Mykolaiv and dreamed of becoming a tattoo artist. Her beloved was a defender of Mariupol and was captured by the russians. While waiting for his return, Diana learned tattooing and piercing techniques.

In January 2024, she began attending events in Mykolaiv to support prisoners of war. She had the idea to create “Needle Storm”, a project that would unite tattoo and piercing artists and involve them in charity work.

In April 2025, her beloved returned from captivity, and now he supports her work.

The third round of the “Needle Storm” initiative will take place on December 20–21. Artists from all over Ukraine are organizing charity workdays, donating all proceeds to support military needs.

You can speak with Diana Rudenko online or in person in Mykolaiv by prior arrangement.

• culture
• women
• Mykolaiv

When Olha Valianyk’s husband enlisted at the outset of russia’s all-out attack, she quickly realized how isolating the experience could be. She longed for a space where she could share her fears and frustrations with people who truly understood – without judgment, unnecessary questions, or explanations.

Motivated by that need, Valianyk launched The Power of Waiting in April 2025 in Lutsk, under the auspices of the organization Nomad Live. The initiative is designed to support partners of military personnel, offering a safe environment where they can be heard, access professional guidance, and find pathways to emotional recovery amid ongoing uncertainty.

Since its inception, the project has hosted 17 events, ranging from psychological support groups and art therapy to bodywork and nature-based practices, engaging a total of 174 women.

Journalists interested in covering the program in Lutsk can arrange to attend meetings and speak with Valianyk in person or online. Participants are also available for interviews.

• culture
• women
• Lutsk

A solemn ceremony to lay a coin of St. Nicholas under the mast step for Ukraine’s first inclusive sailing boat, Illia, will take place on December 6 in the Lviv region. The boat is named in honor of fallen soldier Illia Rudnikovych. The coin-laying ritual, an ancient tradition dating back to the time of ancient mariners, has always symbolized protection, good luck, and a safe return home.

Ukraine’s first inclusive boat is a project aimed at adapting sailing for people with disabilities. All those affected by the war, who require not only physical but also psychological rehabilitation, will be able to join this active form of recreation.

The boat’s design is based on the blueprints of the French sailing boat Bac à Voile. The 12-meter-long, 3.5-meter-wide boat has a completely flat deck to allow for easy and safe movement of the crew. Furthermore, the boat’s structure will allow it to approach any shore and facilitate the boarding and disembarkation of people with disabilities.

The boat is scheduled to launch in April or May of 2026.

Journalists will have the opportunity to see the boat and speak with those involved in its construction in the Lviv region by prior arrangement.

For reference: The Galician Sailing Federation and Inclusive Sailing of Ukraine are constructing the inclusive sailing boat at the Kitva Shipyard.

• culture
• Lviv

From November 30 to December 7, participants from across Ukraine will compete in nine adaptive sports at HART, the country’s first national multisport event for military veterans recovering from injuries, wounds, or illnesses sustained in the defense of Ukraine.

Team events will include wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby, and sitting volleyball. Individual competitions will feature archery, indoor rowing on a simulator, laser run, powerlifting, cycling, and swimming.

Athletes are free to join.

For reference: Around the world, adaptive athletics have become a cornerstone of veteran rehabilitation. In the United States, the Warrior Games have spurred thousands of recovery programs. In the United Kingdom, the Invictus Games reshaped public attitudes toward wounded service members. Similar initiatives in Canada, the Netherlands, and Australia have helped build statewide “sport-based recovery” programs that integrate rehabilitation, mentorship, and social inclusion.

Ukraine is following suit. With support from Ukrgasbank, the Come Back Alive Initiative Center and the Ministry of Veterans Affairs have launched HART as a comprehensive sports-based rehabilitation effort for veterans.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• Kyiv

Before the full-scale invasion, 18-year-old Dmytro Tereshchenko planned to become a boxer. However, on February 24, 2022, he enlisted in the Territorial Defense in the Chernihiv oblast. He served on the border and later deployed with his unit to the eastern front.

In March 2023, Dmytro sustained multiple injuries in the Luhansk oblast, and doctors had to amputate his leg. The veteran underwent treatment in Ukraine for five months before traveling to the United States for a prosthetic fitting. During this time, his military unit listed him as AWOL (absent without leave), which halted all his payments. He is now engaged in a legal battle to have this status revoked and his payments restored.

A photographer in America suggested that Dmytro try modeling. After returning to Ukraine, the veteran compiled a portfolio and sent it to modeling agencies. He began his career with a presentation of an adaptive clothing collection. He also walked the runway at Ukrainian Fashion Week this year.

Dmytro Tereshchenko is available for interviews online and in person in Kyiv by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• Kyiv

In Kramatorsk, less than 20 kilometers from the front line, The Aquarium. Amazing Fish exhibition space continues operating despite escalating danger. Founded by Roman and Iryna in 2020, the venue quickly built the largest collection of marine fish in the Donetsk region before the full-scale invasion upended daily life.

Visitors can still see a wide range of aquatic species, from tangs to flagfish, as well as an ocellate river stingray that has become one of the hall’s standout residents.

As fighting edges closer to the city, some residents fleeing Kramatorsk have entrusted their own fish to the aquarium. Frequent power outages, at times lasting up to two days, pose a serious threat to the animals, and the facility now relies on a donor-funded generator to keep its tanks running. The team says they need a second generator to balance the load and ensure the fish remain safe.

Roman and Iryna are also weighing whether to relocate their marine collection to a more secure location if conditions deteriorate further.

They are available for interviews both in person and online.

• animals
• blackout
• culture

Before the full-scale invasion, Viktoriia and Bohdan Popov ran a family workshop in Sloviansk, Donetsk Oblast, working alongside their parents. Together, they kneaded clay, molded and fired products, polished, decorated, and painted each piece.

When the full-scale war broke out, the front line reached Sloviansk, and enemy shelling began to devastate the city. In April 2022, the Popovs evacuated to western Ukraine, returning nine months later to find their workshop damaged by Russian strikes. Following another nearby explosion that rendered the building unsafe, they were forced to find a new workspace.

In November 2025, a Russian shell destroyed their home. Fortunately, Viktoriia and Bohdan were away at the time. They are now living with relatives on the outskirts of Sloviansk and plan to rebuild their house. Having saved their equipment, the couple continues to create ceramics, determined to keep their craft alive.

The Popovs are available to speak with journalists, both in Sloviansk and online.

• casualties
• culture
• russian crimes

Early this winter, Kyiv will host HART, Ukraine’s first national multisport event for military veterans recovering from injuries, wounds, or illnesses sustained in the defense of the country. From November 30 to December 7, participants from across Ukraine will compete in nine adaptive sports.

Team events will include wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby, and sitting volleyball. Individual competitions will feature archery, indoor rowing on a simulator, laser run, powerlifting, cycling, and swimming.

Athletes are free to join.

Around the world, adaptive athletics have become a cornerstone of veteran rehabilitation. In the United States, the Warrior Games have spurred thousands of recovery programs. In the United Kingdom, the Invictus Games reshaped public attitudes toward wounded service members. Similar initiatives in Canada, the Netherlands, and Australia have helped build statewide “sport-based recovery” programs that integrate rehabilitation, mentorship, and social inclusion.

Ukraine is following suit. With support from Ukrgasbank, the Come Back Alive Initiative Center and the Ministry of Veterans Affairs have launched HART as a comprehensive sports-based rehabilitation effort for veterans.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• Kyiv