Themes by tag: culture
A new season of dragon boat training sessions and competitions — Dragon Boat Veterans Kyiv 2026 — will begin in the capital on May 30.
The event will bring together veterans, active-duty military personnel, and people with disabilities through sports, teamwork, and recovery through physical activity. No prior athletic experience is required to participate.
Program highlights include:
— exhibition and training dragon boat races;
— presentation of the 2026 season teams;
— sports and interactive activities for participants and guests;
— children’s and recreation areas;
— live music and informal networking within the veteran community.
Dragon boat racing is an international sport. For veterans and military personnel, it serves not only as physical activity but also as an effective tool for psychological recovery, social reintegration, and returning to active life.
Journalists are required to obtain accreditation. The event will take place in Kyiv. The location will be disclosed to registered participants and media representatives.
Background: The event is organized by the Military Sport municipal enterprise, the Veteran Corps All-Ukrainian Association, and the Mala Flotyliia Children’s Sports and Recreation Club.
A public discussion titled “Accessibility in Cultural Spaces: From Access to Inclusion” will take place at the War Museum on May 26.
The event is being held as part of National Accessibility Week and is part of the nationwide social change campaign “Accessibility Means Possibility,” implemented within First Lady Olena Zelenska’s “Without Barriers” initiative with the support of Ukraine’s Ministry of Culture and partner organizations.
Participants will discuss practical approaches to creating accessible cultural environments — from physical accessibility to communication, language, and service solutions that ensure inclusion for visitors.
The program includes the opening of a poster exhibition dedicated to inclusive language, as well as two panel discussions featuring representatives of Ukraine’s Ministry of Culture, the National Philharmonic of Ukraine, the National Museum of the History of Ukraine, the European Business Association, and accessibility ambassadors.
Speakers:
— Anastasiia Bondar, Deputy Minister for Digital Development, Digital Transformation, and Digitalization;
— Lesia Khemraieva, Head of the Department for Accessibility Policy, Gender Equality, and Mental Health at the Ministry of Culture;
— Alona Lebedka, Accessibility Program Manager at the European Business Association;
— Mykhailo Shved, Director General of the National Philharmonic of Ukraine;
— Olena Zemliana, Director General of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine;
— Yurii Ivaskevych, Accessibility Ambassador at the Ministry of Culture.
The discussion will be moderated by Iryna Uzhakova, Head of the Cultural Rehabilitation and Accessibility Unit at the War Museum.
Background: Project partners include UNICEF, Ukraine’s Ministry of Culture, the Presidential Commissioner for Accessibility, and the NGO Bezbariernist (“Barrier-Free”).
The project is implemented with support from Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through the KfW Development Bank and the Government of the United Kingdom.
The National Museum of the History of Ukraine will officially open the large-scale exhibition project “THE PATH OF HEROES. In Memory of Symon Petliura” on May 25, featuring unique artifacts from the era of the Ukrainian People’s Republic.
The exhibition marks the 100th anniversary of the tragic death of Symon Petliura, head of the Directorate of the Ukrainian People’s Republic and Supreme Otaman of the Army of the Ukrainian People’s Republic.
The exhibition is based on artifacts from the collection of the Military Historical Museum and Archive of the Ukrainian Free Academy of Sciences (UVAN) in Canada. For decades, the Ukrainian diaspora preserved these items in exile with the intention of transferring them to Ukraine after the restoration of independence.
In accordance with the founders’ “Testament,” the collection was transferred to the National Museum of the History of Ukraine. The return of this heritage has become an event of historical significance, representing not only the repatriation of museum artifacts, but also the restoration of the continuity of Ukrainian historical memory.
The exhibition features more than 200 artifacts illustrating the Ukrainian liberation struggle of the first quarter of the 20th century. Among them are personal belongings of prominent military and political figures of the Ukrainian Revolution of 1917–1921, including:
— the “Corona” typewriter that belonged to Symon Petliura;
— the officer’s bayonet of Volodymyr Salskyi, a lieutenant general of the Army of the Ukrainian People’s Republic;
— elements of the military uniforms of Yevhen Konovalets and Andrii Melnyk.
Journalists are required to obtain accreditation for the event.
Background: With support from the Pylyp Orlyk Foundation, the exhibition space on the museum’s second floor has been renovated and equipped to host “THE PATH OF HEROES. In Memory of Symon Petliura” as a permanent exhibition.
The Luhansk Regional Museum of Local History, together with the NGO “KLIO HUB,” will present the results of the “Museum in an Emergency Suitcase” project.
“Museum in an Emergency Suitcase” is part of a large international initiative continuing the cooperation launched in 2023 within the exhibition project “Renaître dans la guerre. Louhansk. Un musée déplacé. | Revival in the Times of War. Luhansk. A Displaced Museum. | Revival During the Time of War. Luhansk. A Displaced Museum,” created in partnership between the Luhansk Museum, Geneva Heritage Lab (University of Geneva), and the Department of Contemporary History at the University of Fribourg (Switzerland).
The project continues the international dialogue between Ukraine and Switzerland on preserving cultural heritage during wartime, strengthening cultural diplomacy and partnerships between European institutions.
The final event of the “Museum in an Emergency Suitcase” project will summarize the museum team’s long-term work dedicated to preserving the cultural heritage of the Luhansk region, rethinking museum work during wartime, and searching for new ways to engage with memory, local identity, and community. The event will feature exhibition and digital projects created as an attempt to document the experience of loss, displacement, and cultural continuity.
The central part of the event will be the exhibition “Museum in an Emergency Suitcase,” which tells the story of the museum from its founding to the present day. The exhibition highlights the institution’s path through two relocations, the loss of museum premises, evacuation of collections, and the resumption of its work during the full-scale war. Special attention is paid to the museum staff — people who continue preserving the cultural heritage of the Luhansk region despite constant danger, forced displacement, and uncertainty. The exhibition raises the issue of the vulnerability of researchers and cultural workers during war, when along with threats to life comes the risk of losing memory, archives, collections, and entire cultural layers.
Background: Organizers and partners include the Luhansk Regional Museum of Local History; NGO “KLIO HUB”; the State Polytechnic Museum of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute; the Center for Culture and Arts of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute; and the Sloviansk Museum of Local History. The project was created with the support of Switzerland.
To mark Vyshyvanka Day, a special blood donation event combining Ukrainian tradition, care, and a real opportunity to save lives will take place in Kyiv. On May 21, the mobile blood donation hub “Teplokrovni” will stop near the Ivan Honchar National Center of Folk Culture.
Symbolically, the donation event will take place on the holiday itself. One of the main symbols of Ukrainian embroidery is the Tree of Life — a sign of continuity, the connection between generations, and strength passed on to descendants. This connection is also reflected in blood donation: when one person shares their blood, they give another person a chance to continue living.
“Teplokrovni” is a 13-meter double-decker bus converted into a modern mobile donation center. During the operation of the “Teplokrovni” mobile hub, more than 1,000 liters of blood have already been collected, helping save thousands of wounded military personnel and civilians.
What visitors to the “Teplokrovni” hub can expect on May 21:
1st floor — an interactive exhibition about blood and its life-giving power. Free admission;
2nd floor — a comfortable and safe donation area staffed by a professional medical team.
Participation in the donation requires prior registration.
On May 18, Ukrposhta and the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War will hold a special cancellation ceremony for the “Let’s Fill It Together” art stamp sheet on International Museum Day.
The release supports the War Museum’s fundraising campaign, launched on February 13 this year. The campaign aims to raise UAH 20 million for the renovation and expansion of the institution. The funds will be used to create new museum exhibitions beneath the “Motherland Monument” — including the “Museum of Modern Military Technologies” and the “Museum of Soviet (russian) Propaganda.”
During the event, organizers will present a collectible set featuring a postcard, an envelope, and nine stamps depicting the monument. Ukrainian artists Volodymyr Taran and Anton Lohov, as well as designers Liudmyla Nikorych and Daria Dashynhevych, contributed to the collection’s development. Each created their own interpretation of the “Motherland Monument,” a symbol of Ukrainian resilience and resistance during the russian-Ukrainian war. Together, the artworks form a multifaceted portrait of a nation undergoing a transformation of its identity amid Europe’s largest armed conflict since World War II.
The cancellation ceremony will be attended by Ukrposhta CEO Ihor Smilianskyi, Museum Director Yurii Savchuk, and the artists behind the stamp designs. All proceeds from sales of the postal products will be transferred to the Museum’s dedicated fundraising account.
Journalists are required to register in advance to attend the event.
On May 16–17, the MHP Run4Victory Kyiv Marathon will take place in central Kyiv. For the first time since the start of the full-scale war, the event will open its city routes for mass participation. All registration fees and donations will go toward prosthetic treatment for Ukrainian servicemen and servicewomen through the Protez Foundation.
Participants can choose from several distances depending on their level of preparation:
- 42 km — full marathon for experienced runners
- 21 km — half marathon for trained participants
- 10 km — endurance race
- 5 km and 2 km — introductory and charity runs
- 500 m — “People Titans” inclusive race
- 500 m — pet-friendly race (all distances allow participation with dogs)
- Online distance — participate remotely from anywhere
- Free children’s races: 500 m, 300 m, and 100 m
Background: The event is organized for the third consecutive year by MHP in partnership with the MHP-Hromadi Charity Foundation. The sports organizer is NewRun.
On May 14, the War Museum in Kyiv will host the event “Ukrainian Rescuers: Heroes of the Past and Present,” dedicated to the Day of Remembrance of Ukrainians who rescued Jews during World War II.
The discussion will focus on the phenomenon of rescue, the moral choices people make during wartime, and how the memory of World War II is being reinterpreted through the experience of the modern russian-Ukrainian war.
A total of 2,713 Ukrainians have been awarded the title of Righteous Among the Nations — the fourth-highest number in the world. The War Museum continues to collect stories of people who risked their lives to save others during the nazi occupation.
Among the guests will be Anatolii and Olena Tartakovski, children of Righteous Among the Nations recipient Lidiia Savchuk from Vinnytsia region, who together with her parents hid a Jewish man, Isak Tartakovski.
The discussion will also feature Oksana Chertsova, a lecturer at the Institute of International Relations of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, a volunteer from Bucha, and a representative of the Nikolaienko family, recognized as Righteous Among the Nations for rescuing Jews in Babyn Yar. She will share her experience of living through the russian occupation of Kyiv region in 2022.
Sofia and Volodymyr met through sports. Sofia came to a gym in Kyiv where her future husband worked as a coach. She is a trained teacher of Ukrainian language, literature, and history, while Volodymyr is a professional CrossFit athlete and coach with 15 years of experience.
The couple decided to open their own gym. That is how the T11CF sports space was established in Kyiv.
On March 4, 2022, Volodymyr joined a combat unit of the National Guard of Ukraine. He took part in the battles for the village of Moshchun in Kyiv region, the liberation of the Kyiv region, and later fought on the Zaporizhzhia front.
During that time, the project was put on hold. The gym eventually opened in September 2024. Later, thanks to a grant from the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation, the sports space expanded into a network of two locations.
Today, T11CF is not only about sports, but also about community. Soldiers, veterans, professional athletes, and people with disabilities train there.
Interviews with Sofia and Volodymyr can be arranged both online and in person in Kyiv by prior appointment.
On May 15, Kyiv’s War Museum will host a public discussion titled “Chingene in Crimean Tatar Lists — From Rescue to Deportation: Little-Known Stories of Crimea’s Roma.”
The discussion will focus on the dramatic history of the Chingene — Crimean Roma (literally translated from Crimean Tatar as “Gypsies”) who were partially assimilated with the Crimean Tatars, or Qirimli. The Chingene are considered guardians of the Crimean Tatar musical tradition.
During the Nazi occupation of Crimea and the genocide of the Roma, many Chingene identified themselves as Qirimli, while Crimean Tatars in turn tried to save them by including them on Crimean Tatar registration lists. After the soviet reoccupation of Crimea, those same lists were used on May 18, 1944, to deport the Chingene alongside Crimean Tatars to Central Asia, the Urals and Siberia.
After they were later allowed to return to their historical homeland, many Chingene came back to Ukraine together with Crimean Tatars and continued preserving Crimea’s musical traditions by performing at weddings and ethnic celebrations within the Qirimli community.
The discussion will explore the history of the Chingene, the origins of the parallel name “Daifa,” and the differences between Chingene and Krymy Roma communities. Speakers include Romani studies scholar Natalia Zinevych, ethnologist Oleksandr Rybalko and researcher of Romani culture and literature Yanush Panchenko. The discussion will be moderated by Roman Kabachii, a researcher at the War Museum.
