Themes by tag: culture

On March 2, the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War will host a memorial event titled “6700,” dedicated to honoring the victims of the 1943 Koriukivka tragedy. A total of 6,700 people were brutally killed on March 1–2 and 9 by Nazi occupation forces and their allies — the Hungarian 105th Light Division — who burned the settlement to the ground along with all its residents, from infants to the elderly and infirm.

The event launches an annual tradition of candle-lighting at the War Museum to commemorate the murdered civilians of the town of Koriukivka in Chernihiv region. This crime stands alongside Nazi atrocities in Lidice (Czech Republic), Khatyn (Belarus), and Oradour-sur-Glane (France).

Today, as russia deliberately commits war crimes against Ukraine’s civilian population, the Koriukivka tragedy takes on renewed significance, requiring reflection and international attention. All democratic forces must condemn crimes against humanity and remind the world that such crimes have no statute of limitations.

Background: The event is co-organized by the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance and the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War.

• culture
• dead
• Kyiv

Five Ukrainian veterans will participate in the international open-water swimming competition Oceanman Lago d’Orta (Italy). They will compete in the 2 km and 5.5 km distances.

All members of the team are veterans with amputations and severe injuries. Each has gone through war, prolonged medical treatment, and rehabilitation. They are currently preparing for the international competition and train four times a week.

Team Members:

• Ivan Khalupa — veteran of the 10th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade. He lost a leg in combat. Swimming became part of his systematic rehabilitation. He has experience in international competitions.

• Ihor Oliinyk — veteran of the 67th Separate Mechanized Brigade. He began swimming after being wounded to restore psychological balance.

• Serhii Khrapko — lost an arm and a leg in 2015. Participant of the Invictus Games and Warrior Games. Has extensive experience in sports rehabilitation.

• Volodymyr Shanayda — was wounded in 2023. After a year of treatment, he began swimming. Oceanman will be his first international competition.

• Ihor Bystryi — combat veteran since 2016. He was wounded in 2022 by a cluster munition. After rehabilitation, he continues his sports training.

The project aims to support veterans’ participation in an international sporting event and highlight the role of sport in physical and psychological rehabilitation. It promotes the development of veteran sports and raises awareness of recovery through sport.

By prior arrangement, journalists may cover training sessions in Kyiv.

Background: The project is implemented by the charitable foundation YANKO Fund. Logistical support is provided by the concierge service FlyPoint. The team trains under the supervision of medical specialists, coaches, and rehabilitation professionals. The Oceanman organizing committee has provided the athletes with complimentary entry passes for the competition.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• Kyiv

Official delegations from partner countries visiting Kyiv these days in support of the Ukrainian people will see the art object — a specially illuminated damaged carriage No. 5 of train No. 103 Chop–Barvinkove, which was struck by russian attack drones on January 27, 2026.

The installation “Pulsating Pain” was created by lighting designer and founder and art director of the contemporary light art laboratory Expolight Arts, Mykola Kabluka.

Light in this work serves as an instrument of memorialization. It does not decorate or soften — it highlights the metal wounds, deformed surfaces, and traces of impact.

Background: On January 27, train No. 103 Chop–Barvinkove was attacked by russian drones: two exploded near the train, one in front of the locomotive. Another drone struck a carriage carrying 18 passengers. Six people were killed in the carriage and two were injured. Around 300 people were evacuated to safety.

The contemporary light art laboratory Expolight Arts works with light as a medium of meaning and transformation, creating light installations, media art, and participatory projects in which technology, sound, and digital tools merge with artistic expression, shaping new ways of emotionally experiencing space.

Expolight Arts represents Ukraine on the global art scene, develops cultural initiatives, and builds international collaborations, shaping a new Ukrainian language of light art.

• culture
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

On February 24, an exhibition dedicated to the anniversary of russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine will open at the Ivan Franko National Academic Drama Theatre.

The exhibition serves as a reminder of the duration and necessity of the struggle — for territory, freedom, identity, and people. A special focus is placed on prisoners of war, particularly the defenders of Azovstal and other Ukrainians who remain in russian captivity. An important message of the project is the need for societal consolidation around bringing Ukrainian defenders home.

One of the visual works displayed on the theater’s facade will be an illustration by Kateryna Prokopenko, reminding viewers that not all Azov fighters have returned home, and that their memory must remain alive through action and support.

The sculpture “Dancing Stones” by artist GORN symbolizes the search for meaning. Even stone can take on the form of movement, but without meaning it remains stone. The exhibition reflects on the different roles within the shared struggle and on the purpose that unites Ukrainians today.

For reference: The exhibition was initiated and curated by the Image and Information Department of the 1st Corps of the Azov National Guard of Ukraine. The project was created with the participation of the Association of Families of Azovstal Defenders, which represents the voices of families of captured defenders and shapes the artistic and public dimension of the struggle for their return.

• culture
• Kyiv

In the city of Boryslav, Lviv region, Ukraine’s first winter adaptive sports center for male and female war veterans with lower-limb amputations has begun operating at the Bukovytsia ski resort.

During the first open training sessions, veterans learned the Three-Track Skiing technique — skiing on one ski using two outriggers — under the guidance of alpine skiing instructors, physical therapists, and veterans who completed certified training in the United States.

Going forward, within the Hub, veterans will receive ongoing free access to the Bukovytsia ski infrastructure, modern adaptive equipment, adaptive skiing lessons from professional instructors, and peer-to-peer mentorship.

According to Oleksandr Shvachka, veteran and president of the Alliance of Veterans organization, the creation of the Hub at the Bukovytsia ski complex is one of the stages in developing a large-scale infrastructure for the physical and psychological rehabilitation of Ukrainian veterans through adaptive alpine skiing.

By prior arrangement, journalists may cover the activities of the hub.

For reference: The Hub was initiated by the public organization “Alliance of Veterans” as part of the Adaptive Skiing for Veterans project, with the support of the Bukovytsia ski resort, the charitable foundation Razom for Ukraine, and the Boryslav City Council.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• Lviv

On February 21, the exhibition “KHERSON: NOT/stolen” will open in the capital. The event is timed to the fourth anniversary of the start of russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the Day of Resistance to the Occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.

The joint project “KHERSON: NOT/stolen” brings together studies and homages to looted museum artworks created by Ukrainian artists. Its goal is to support the Kherson Art Museum, which was looted by russian occupying forces before the city was liberated in November 2022.

For reference: The project was launched in 2024 as a study of the stolen collection of the Kherson Art Museum. It now seeks to draw attention to all Ukrainian museums that have been looted by russian occupying forces since the occupation of Crimea in March 2014 and up to the present day.

• culture
• occupation
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

Petro Prysiedko has worked for several years at DTEK, where he is responsible for the design and development of the mobile application and online account platform for the YASNO project. During a lighthearted discussion with colleagues about unconventional business ideas, he came up with the concept of a “subscription” service for chickens and eggs.

In 2024, he applied for a business grant program. His startup was selected among the five winners — Petro received financial support and began implementing the idea.

Currently, he has one coop for 20 chickens and plans to build another in the spring. The rental service operates on a subscription model: for 1,000 hryvnias per month, a person chooses a chicken, gives it a name, and receives an “egg box” with 20 eggs. If the hen lays more eggs during the month, Petro donates the monetary difference to the Defense Forces. All 20 birds are already reserved, and there is a waiting list for new ones.

Journalists may speak with Petro Prysiedko both online and offline in Kyiv by prior arrangement.

• animals
• culture
• Kyiv

On February 19 in Kyiv, the Unmanned Systems Forces, together with cadets from the capital, will present a unique art project. During the event, they will unveil the State Coat of Arms of Ukraine woven from combat drone fiber optic cable delivered from the front line.

The trident was created specifically for the Day of the State Emblem of Ukraine, which is marked on February 19. Dozens of kilometers of fiber optic cable were used for the installation. Military personnel will attend the presentation and share real-life cases in which fiber-optic drones saved lives.

Accreditation is required for journalists.

• culture
• Kyiv

In March 2026, Dhruv Boruah plans to build a bicycle in Kyiv using decommissioned weapons. He intends to ride it more than 3,300 kilometers — from the capital of Ukraine to London. Along the way, he plans to stop in Lviv, Berlin, Amsterdam, and Paris. Through this journey, he aims to demonstrate the transformation of instruments of destruction into a vehicle for peace, movement, and connection. The initiative is called “WAR TO WHEELS.”

Dhruv plans to make the bicycle electric and hopes to involve the local community in the process.

By prior arrangement, journalists can speak with Dhruv Boruah and learn more about the initiative.

He will arrive in Kyiv on February 27. The bicycle is expected to be assembled during the first week of March, and the ride from Kyiv to London is tentatively scheduled for mid-March.

For reference: Dhruv Boruah is an entrepreneur and traveler from London. He previously visited Ukraine in 2012. In the past, Dhruv built a bamboo water bicycle by hand and rode it on rivers around the world, collecting plastic waste to raise awareness about plastic pollution.

• culture
• Kyiv

On World Whale Day, February 19, the Kyiv Whale will light up again in the capital. It is Ukraine’s largest eco media art sculpture, created from recycled plastic collected by Kyiv schoolchildren. Its new soundtrack is an audiovisual program featuring the sounds of Kyiv’s rivers.

The main goal is to draw attention to the problem of clean water in Ukraine, which has worsened as a result of the ecocide committed by russia. The project also aims to emphasize our shared responsibility and the importance of public oversight in addressing this issue.

Journalists will have the opportunity to learn more about the project. Accreditation is required to attend the event.

For reference: As Ukraine approaches 2026, the state of its water resources is assessed as critically strained. The cumulative impact of systematic attacks on port infrastructure, tanker fleet accidents, blackouts, and the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant has led to unprecedented pollution of both marine and freshwater resources.

Scientists report more than 50,000 dead dolphins and up to 50% loss of the mussel population — natural sea filters. They have also recorded approximately 83,300 tons of heavy metals in bottom sediments following the destruction of the Kakhovka HPP, 5,000 tons of fuel oil, and a 55-kilometer sunflower oil slick in the Black Sea.

• culture
• ecology
• russian crimes
• Kyiv