Themes by tag: culture

Anna Kosykh, a native of Dnipro now living in the Kyiv oblast, has been passionate about Petrykivka decorative painting since childhood. After earning a degree in education, she began teaching children this traditional Ukrainian art form.

When the full-scale invasion began, Anna chose to stay in Ukraine. Though her art school closed, leaving her unemployed, she soon found a new purpose: transforming spent ammunition casings into works of art that volunteers could sell at auctions.

Anna’s first “canvas” was a used Javelin missile tube, and one of her latest pieces was a transport tube from a Javelin missile. She paints anything sent to her from the frontlines. Anna auctions off the finished pieces and donates the proceeds to support the Ukrainian army.

Journalists can connect with Anna Kosykh online or meet her in Irpin by prior arrangement.

• culture
• women
• Kyiv

Kyiv will host the third annual Protasiv Yar Festival from July 4 to 6, bringing together civic, cultural, and artistic communities in a three-day program of educational panels, live music, and public initiatives.

The festival is dedicated to the memory of Roman Ratushnyi, a prominent civic activist and soldier, whose life and work have become symbols of resistance and community solidarity. The event also aims to spotlight contemporary and traditional Ukrainian art, human rights, civic engagement, and the country’s historical legacy.

This year’s festival will include a special tribute to Roman’s brother, Vasyl Ratushnyi, who was killed in action in February 2025.

For reference: Roman Ratushnyi rose to national prominence as a grassroots organizer, leading efforts to protect Kyiv’s historic green zone in the Protasiv Yar area. He later joined the 93rd Separate Mechanized Brigade “Kholodnyi Yar” as an intelligence officer and was killed in combat on June 8, 2022.

• culture
• Kyiv

On June 28, the Lviv oblast will host an adaptive CrossFit competition for wounded soldiers, veterans, amputees, and people with disabilities in wheelchairs. These competitions have become a crucial step in the rehabilitation and social reintegration of our heroes.

The competition will be attended by 25 adaptive athletes from all over Ukraine – veterans and active military personnel who were injured while defending their homeland, underwent treatment and continue their rehabilitation.

Registration is required (the exact location will be shared after sign-up). Registered media representatives will be provided with transportation from Lviv.

Background: The event is organized by the ‘Games of Heroes’ NGO and the Charitable Foundation ‘Kharkiv with You’ with the support of the King Baudouin Foundation (Belgium).

The competition’s history dates back to 2015, when the psychological rehabilitation of severely wounded soldiers first became a pressing issue following russia’s aggression in 2014. The growing number of wounded required not only medical and psychological support but also active efforts to help them reintegrate into society and return to an active life.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• Lviv

A pre-premiere screening of the documentary People of Freedom’s Color will take place on June 30 in Kyiv, followed by a discussion.

The film chronicles the non-violent resistance of Ukrainians living under russian occupation, tracing events from 2014 to the present day. It highlights the personal stories of those who stood their ground in Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Novoazovsk, Melitopol, and Kherson.

The documentary features accounts from participants in the Yellow Ribbon and Zla Mavka grassroots movements, as well as testimonies from individuals still living in occupied cities who continue to resist. Despite the risks, they paint Ukrainian flags, hang yellow and blue ribbons, distribute posters with national symbols, uphold cultural traditions, and teach others the Ukrainian language.

Following the screening, a discussion will be held with members of the creative team, individuals featured in the film, human rights advocates, and representatives of government institutions and civil society organizations.

Pre-registration is required to attend.

For reference: People of Freedom’s Color was produced by the creative team at The Locals (Tuteshni) NGO, with support from Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces and the International Renaissance Foundation.

• culture
• occupation
• Kyiv

Svitlana Matsiuta is an artist from Kherson. For the past 20 years, she has worked as an assistant set designer in a theater.

She experienced the full-scale invasion in her hometown. During the occupation, Svitlana and her son avoided leaving home out of fear of russian soldiers. Despite financial hardship, she rejected all offers to work in the theater under russian control. In March 2022, reports began circulating in media and social networks claiming that wild geese had “downed” an enemy military plane. Inspired by this story, Svitlana created her own toy battle geese.

These toys symbolize Kherson’s unbreakable spirit and resistance. Svitlana says the battle geese are especially popular among Kherson residents who have relocated to other parts of Ukraine or abroad. She has received orders from the U.S., the Netherlands, Germany, and Italy.

In addition to geese, the artist makes roosters inspired by the folk art of Maria Prymachenko and Polina Raiko. Creating these toys helps Svitlana distract herself from the shelling and keeps her dream of victory and the liberation of the rest of the Kherson oblast alive.

Svitlana Matsiuta is available for interviews online or in person in Kherson, by prior arrangement.

• culture
• occupation
• women
• Kherson

On June 22, Kyiv will host the “Match for Heroes 2.0” charity amputee football tournament. The event will bring together veterans, Ukrainian celebrities, and business leaders to raise awareness for adaptive sports development in Ukraine and support fundraising for the Ukrainian Football Association’s “Liga Duzhykh” (League of the Strong) social project, which helps military amputees reintegrate into active life.

This year’s event will be held in the format of a tournament according to amputee football (football on crutches) rules. Four teams will compete in two semifinals, a third-place match, and a final. Each match will consist of two 20-minute halves with a 10-minute halftime break.

Over 50 amputee football players from across Ukraine will take to the field for the tournament. Ukrainian celebrities will join as goalkeepers, including Yevhen Klopotenko, Oleksandr Sydorenko (Fozzy), and others. According to amputee football rules, the goalkeeper can only play with one arm, so the other will be secured under a special corset to maintain fair play conditions.

Background: The event is co-organized by Mastercard and Oschadbank in partnership with the Ukrainian Football Association. “Match for Heroes 2.0” builds on last year’s successful initiative where amputee veterans on prosthetics first played alongside Ukrainian stars. That inaugural event raised 7.7 million UAH for sports prosthetics at Superhumans Center.

• culture
• Kyiv

Ukrzaliznytsia has launched a one-of-a-kind art train showcasing a photo exhibition by Howard Buffett. More than just a mode of transport, the train serves as a mobile gallery. The project came to life with backing from the Howard G. Buffett FoundationOver the course of four months, it will stop at 63 railway stations across Ukraine.

The exhibition, titled Courage of a Nation, spans three train cars and captures the resilience of the Ukrainian people through the lens of American philanthropist and photographer Howard Buffett. The concept was developed by two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Mohammed Muheisen. Each car has been specially outfitted for the exhibition, complete with curated lighting and musical accompaniment to enhance the viewing experience.

For reference: The Howard G. Buffett Foundation fully funds the project.

• culture

The NGO “Live Despite Everything” invites media representatives to a community workday at the Memory Garden — a unique space dedicated to preserving the memory of soldiers who lost their lives fighting for Ukraine. The event will take place on June 22 in Kyiv.

In March 2025, 38 large trees — a gift from the Netherlands — were planted in the garden. During the workday, participants will install supports and prepare tree pits to ensure the trees root properly.

Speakers:

• Olha Zhurba, co-founder of the NGO “Live Despite Everything”, author of the Memory Garden concept, project lead, and wife of a fallen soldier;
• Olena Balzhyk, initiative coordinator, landscape designer of the Memory Garden, and head of the company TERi-TORi.

Accreditation is required to attend.

• culture
• dead
• military
• Kyiv

On September 4, 2023, Taras Kozub was injured and lost his left arm during a combat mission in the Zaporizhzhia sector. He served as a soldier in the 25th Separate Assault Battalion, which was part of the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade “Magura” at the time.

Before his service, Taras worked as a craftsman, making ancient musical instruments such as the kobza, bandura, lyre, and torban, and he taught at a kobzar art school.

A recent video of Taras playing the traditional beggars’ song “There Is No Truth in the World” on the lyre has gone viral online. Taras performs the piece using a custom device attached to the shoulder of his amputated arm. He crafted the lyre himself, in 2017. Taras is also a member of the Veterans Theater.

Journalists can talk to Taras in Kyiv or online by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• Kyiv

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) donated one of its legendary Sea Baby naval drones to the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in World War II. This veteran drone was part of the SBU’s fleet of maritime surface drones that struck 11 russian ships and damaged the Crimean Bridge during the full-scale invasion. 

The exhibited model is a reusable drone, designed to return to base after completing its mission. 

This particular drone successfully executed multiple operations, traversing over 4,000 kilometers in the Black Sea. Notably, it engaged in a naval battle with russian aircraft in December 2024. Although the drone sustained significant damage, it completed its combat objectives and returned to base. The drone is currently not being used for its intended purpose because of the damage, so it has been fully decommissioned and transferred to the museum for public display.

• culture
• Kyiv