Themes by tag: culture

For the third consecutive year, soldiers undergoing treatment, prosthetic fitting, and rehabilitation at the UNBROKEN Center in Lviv are marking Christmas in the Ukrainian tradition – gathered around a shared table with traditional dishes, carols, and a nativity scene. This year, the nativity play has emerged as the central symbol of the holiday, blending the sacred and the everyday, pain and hope, history and the lived reality of war.

At UNBROKEN, the nativity scene is conceived as a fully developed theatrical production, carefully shaped with the audience’s traumatic experiences in mind. The production is directed by Igor Bilyts, chief director of the Maria Zankovetska Theater, who views the nativity scene as a distinctive form of folk theater in which the sacred naturally coexists with the mundane, and timeless archetypes remain recognizable across generations.

Among the performers is Mykhailo Fatieiev, a soldier with the 103rd Brigade of the Territorial Defense Forces who sustained a severe spinal injury on the front lines. During rehabilitation, Fatieiev has turned to writing plays, painting, and acting in stage productions, including Sam na Sam (“Alone with Myself”), a performance based on his own text.

Sharing the stage is Valentyn Oleksienko, a tank driver from the Kyiv region who survived a complete spinal cord injury. After months fighting for his life and nine months of daily rehabilitation, he appears in the production not in pursuit of a role, but for the experience of presence – a sense of support and shared rhythm. According to the director, this is where the strength of theatrical practice for veterans lies: the chance to simply be themselves, without the need to explain or prove anything.

This year’s Christmas dinner for veterans will be held on December 26. On December 27, the nativity scene will be performed on Lviv’s Rynok Square and will be open to the public.

Media representatives must be accredited to attend the event.

For reference: The Ukrainian nativity scene is among the country’s oldest and most intricate forms of folk theater. First mentioned in the 17th century, it was initially performed by members of the Kyiv and Lviv brotherhoods and students of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. Over time, it evolved as a puppet theater, a live dramatic performance, and a Christmas ritual – all at once.

• culture
• Lviv

The Christmas meeting is an annual reporting event held by the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War, established during the full-scale invasion. For the fourth time since 2022, museum staff will present the institution’s activities from the past year.

Guests will include representatives of state authorities, cultural figures, diplomats, and military personnel.

The program includes:

• Presentation of the museum’s 2025 public activity report by General Director Yurii Savchuk;
• Addresses by representatives of state authorities, the Defense Forces of Ukraine, and partner institutions;
• The handover of the Bethlehem Fire to the museum by the Plast scouting organization;
• A performance by soloists of the National Philharmonic of Ukraine;
• Christmas caroling;
• Illumination of the Motherland Monument in the colors of the state flag of Ukraine.

The event will take place on December 25. Journalists must be accredited to attend.

• culture
• Kyiv

This holiday season, World Central Kitchen (WCK) is introducing Kutia kits in Ukraine — seasonal food kits inspired by one of the most significant Christmas traditions in the country.

Kutia, a traditional dish made from wheat, is prepared on Christmas Eve and holds deep cultural significance for Ukrainians. For families living under conditions of war, displacement, and loss, the ability to prepare this familiar holiday dish helps them maintain a sense of continuity, dignity, and unity during difficult times.

Each Kutia kit contains the non-perishable ingredients needed to prepare the dish at home, including wheat, poppy seeds, dried fruits, walnuts, and honey, as well as a simple recipe.

As part of the pilot project, WCK will distribute 20,000 Kutia kits to families in frontline and near-frontline communities across eight Ukrainian regions: Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, and Chernihiv oblasts.

Media are invited to cover the distribution of Kutia kits in the Kharkiv, Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, Zaporizhzhia, and Mykolaiv regions, pending security assessments. Interviews with the leadership of the World Central Kitchen mission in Ukraine are available in person (in Lviv or Kyiv) or online. WCK can also provide photo and video b-roll from distribution sites upon request.

Background: World Central Kitchen began providing food aid in Ukraine immediately after the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022. Since then, the organization has continuously adapted its work, combining emergency food provision with innovative long-term food access projects. To date, WCK has provided over 292 million meals across the country.

• culture
• food
• volunteers

On December 21, journalists are invited to the presentation of Share the Light, a new light art installation that will illuminate the facade of Kyiv’s Central Railway Station.

Speakers at the event will include:

– Mykola Kabluka, Master of Arts in Lighting Design and Founder of Expolight; 

– Oleksandr Pertsovskyi, Chairman of the Management Board of JSC Ukrzaliznytsia;

– Akim Galimov, Journalist, Screenwriter, and Producer of historical documentaries.

Share the Light is dedicated to Ukrainians who, as a result of the war, are living with power shortages and prolonged darkness. The project’s creator, artist and lighting designer Mykola Kabluka, says the installation is intended to bring people together through a symbolic gesture – sharing resilience, luminous memories and hope through beams of light cast onto the country’s main railway station.

From December 21, the longest night of the year, through Christmas on December 25, the installation will operate on generator power. Visitors will be able to interact with the artwork by scanning a QR code, allowing them to choose the color of their “inner light” and leave a short message displayed on the station’s facade.

Media accreditation is required to attend the presentation.

For reference: The project is being implemented by the Expolight Arts contemporary light art laboratory, with support from the national freight and passenger rail operator JSC Ukrzaliznytsia.

• culture
• Kyiv

During the Christmas holidays, Lviv will host a series of events. On December 24, the Didukh will be installed in the city. On December 25, a Mourning Carol will be held at the Field of Honorary Burials. The Parade of Star-Bearers also known as the Flash of the Christmas Stars festival, will take place on December 28.

Journalists have the opportunity to review the full program of Christmas events.

For reference: The Didukh is a Ukrainian Christmas decoration made from sheaves of grain. Originally a pagan idol, it is a symbol of the ancestor-protector, as well as a symbol of harvest, well-being, and wealth.

• culture
• Lviv

On December 25, Kyiv will hold its annual Christmas star march, reviving centuries-old Ukrainian holiday traditions. Participants will carry octagonal stars in tribute to those who have given their lives for the country, creating a moment of unity and remembrance amid ongoing war.

First held in 2014 during the Revolution of Dignity, the march has become a symbol of resilience and continuity, open to anyone wishing to take part. Veterans and active-duty service members are especially invited to join. The procession will feature traditional Christmas carols performed by Kyiv folk ensembles ShchukarRyba and Stodivnytsia, accompanied by the ringing of the city’s main bell towers, adding to the ceremonial atmosphere.

Journalists are invited to review the full program of events in advance.

Reference: Organized by the Ivan Honchar Museum.

The tradition of caroling and nativity scenes featuring stars has been documented in Ukraine since the 17th century. Today, in cities and villages across the country, both children and adults take part in caroling, carrying hand-painted, multicolored stars. The Christmas star symbolizes the Star of Bethlehem that heralded the birth of God and has long been understood as a sign of light triumphing over darkness.

• culture
• Kyiv

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