Themes by tag: culture

On April 16 The War Museum will host an event dedicated to the establishment and activities of the Kyiv Regional Center for National Resistance Training. This is one of Ukraine’s largest projects focused on preparing civilians for resistance.

The Center was the first to recruit veterans of the russo-Ukrainian War as instructors, achieving significant results through their dedicated work. Today, national resistance efforts in the Kyiv region serve as a model for similar organizations and actively contribute to the development of a nationwide network of training centers.

Speakers will discuss the organization’s history, the specifics of the training process, and how citizens can join the preparatory courses. A Q&A session will follow, offering attendees the opportunity to engage directly with the speakers and ask pressing questions.

Speakers:

Anastasiia Rymar – Officer of the 3rd Separate Army Corps, Founder of the Center

Volodymyr Avdieienko – Veteran of the russo-Ukrainian War, Head of the Center

Journalists are required to be accredited for the event.

• culture
• military
• Kyiv

On April 21, Khartiia Hub invites the public to meet Serhii Kozlov, a liquidator of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident, and Mykola Lykholobov, author of the book Family Stories of Chornobyl.

The presentation will take place in Poltava and will be moderated by volunteer and writer Mykhailo Kushnir.

Registration is required to attend the event.

Background: Family Stories of Chornobyl tells the stories of families who were forced to leave their homes forty years ago.

• culture
• Poltava

A presentation of the book “Guide to Military Leadership” will take place in Kyiv on April 16.

In the context of an existential struggle for independence, leadership is no longer just a position — it is a matter of survival. Leading military experts and combat officers (Oleh Boiko, Mykhailo Drapatyi, Hennadii Verkholantsev, Mykhailo Tsymbal, Viktor Shydliukh) will present the publication, which offers practical tools for preparing individuals to face modern challenges.

We live in an environment where the old model of peaceful life no longer works. Decisions must be made quickly, responsibility must be shared, and trust must be built consciously. The book systematically explains:

• how the roles of leaders and teams are changing;
• how their interaction is structured;
• what makes a unit resilient in critical conditions.

Participants of the presentation:

• Oleh Boiko (“Case”) — researcher of military leadership;
• Hennadii Verkholantsev (“Znakhар”) — leadership coaching researcher;
• Serhii Alymov (“Hrom”) — entrepreneur, volunteer, lecturer in military leadership.

Moderator — Inessa Kravchenko, PhD, publisher of “Koleso Zhyttia”, co-owner of an investment holding, philanthropist.

Media accreditation is required.

Background: The book was published by “Koleso Zhyttia” publishing house. The event is supported by the “Liudyna Dyvo Svitu” project.

• culture
• Kyiv

A presentation of the book “Our Long Road to April” by Mykola Shteynberg will take place on April 22 in Kyiv.

Mykola Shteynberg rose through the ranks from reactor operator, shift supervisor, and workshop head at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant to become its chief engineer during the most difficult post-accident period. He also headed a commission within the governmental committee investigating the causes and circumstances of the April 26, 1986 accident at Unit 4 of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant.

During the event, attendees will have the opportunity to speak with the author and learn more about the disaster.

Registration is required to attend.

• culture
• Kyiv

For the third consecutive year, spring songs, circle dances, chants, psalms, and choral music will be performed under Easter bells inside Saint Sophia Cathedral and in the courtyard of the Saint Sophia of Kyiv National Reserve.

The programme includes:

• blessing of Easter baskets;
• a folk art fair;
• a festive Easter bell performance at the 17th-century bell tower;
• performances by folk groups Roksolaniia, ShchukaRyba, Mykhailove Chudo, Stodyvnytsia, Shumia, and Yevshan-Zillia, as well as flute players Ivan Prudko and Yevhen Dmytrychenko;
• a children’s programme on spring traditions;
• traditional Easter egg games;
• charity workshops;
• performances showcasing kobzar and lirnyk traditions by Taras Kozub, Mykola Tovkailo, Zhdan Bezverbnyi, Dmytro Radchenko, Vitalii Kobzar, Eduard Drach, Taras Dorotskyi, Oles Sanin, Roman Lysenko, and Yurii Kocherzhynskyi;
• a shared meal for participants and guests;
• the Easter communal performance VOLODAR, featuring circle dances, traditional kryvi dances, and games from different regions of Ukraine;
• a traditional ritual of singing for married couples based on the customs of Rozkoshivka village in Vinnytsia region;
• a ceremonial singing procession around the cathedral;
• traditional dances with the group ShchukaRyba.

Journalists can request the full programme of the event.

Background: Easter at Saint Sophia of Kyiv revives traditional Easter customs in the historic and cultural heart of Kyiv. The event is jointly organised by the National Reserve Sophia of Kyiv and the Ivan Honchar National Center of Folk Culture, in partnership with the Vytoky project by Zagoriy Foundation.

• culture
• Kyiv

The Free Fight Cup of Ukraine and the nationwide memorial tournament “Defender of Ukraine” will take place in Dnipro on April 18–19.

The tournaments are organized on the initiative of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, the Physical Training and Sports Directorate of the 1st Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine “Azov,” and the 12th Special Purpose Brigade “Azov.” The event is held in partnership with the Upgrade Sports Club and the Vataga Boxing School.

Background: Free Fight is a Ukrainian combat sport of mixed martial arts created in 1995. It features minimal restrictions on techniques and emphasizes well-rounded, universal training for athletes.

• culture
• military
• Dnipro

This week, the team at World Central Kitchen plans to deliver 25,000 traditional Easter breads (paska) and holiday food packages to hundreds of communities across Ukraine, including in the Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, Khmelnytskyi, Lviv, and Kyiv regions.

The Easter program will reach both frontline areas and communities hosting internally displaced people.

In addition, community kitchens established by World Central Kitchen for displaced residents will host group paska baking events. These gatherings offer people an opportunity to come together and celebrate Easter within their communities.

By prior arrangement, journalists are invited to cover the initiative — producing photo and video reports, written features, or interviews with participants and team representatives. Media outlets may also request photos taken by World Central Kitchen photographers for publication.

• culture
• food

On April 8, in cooperation with the National University of Food Technologies, a masterclass on baking traditional Easter bread (paska) will be held with the participation of children of veterans, employees of the Police Protection Department of the Kyiv region, and internally displaced persons.

The event will take place in Kyiv. The baked goods will be delivered to Ukrainian soldiers undergoing rehabilitation. Participants will not only learn baking skills but also express their gratitude to Ukraine’s defenders ahead of Easter.

Program:

• joint baking of Easter bread (paska)
• introduction to Easter traditions
• informal communication
• preparation of festive gifts for Ukrainian soldiers.

• children
• culture

The Communications Department of the Territorial Defense Forces Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (TRO Media) has announced the journalism competition “War Through the Lens.” It offers media professionals — reporters, photographers, camera operators, and documentary filmmakers — an opportunity to showcase their work on national resistance, the defense of the state, and the heroism of the Ukrainian people during the full-scale russian-Ukrainian war.

Professional journalists, camera operators, photographers, bloggers, and entire newsrooms are invited to participate. The main requirement is that the work must have been published in Ukrainian or international media between April 22, 2025, and April 26, 2026.

Submissions will be evaluated in eight categories: video report, written report, radio report/podcast, photo report, interview, documentary film, and best camera work. The jury will include Ukrainian media professionals who have become members of the Defense Forces of Ukraine.

A separate award will be given to the best communications officer of the Defense Forces of Ukraine. Applicants may also nominate press officers of military units and areas who have demonstrated professionalism in working with the media over the past year.

An “Audience Choice Award” will also be selected through online voting.Applications are open from March 31 to April 27, 2026.
Finalists (shortlist) will be announced from May 28 to June 5, 2026.
The award ceremony will take place on June 6, 2026, at the documentary festival “War Through the Lens” in Kyiv.

• culture

Two years ago, Lviv resident Maksym Vintoniv created his first miniature — the entrance of the building where he grew up. He gave the piece to a friend. A year later, while visiting, he took a photo of it and posted it on social media. The post quickly went viral. People started reaching out to Maksym, saying they would gladly order a similar miniature.

Among them were Ukrainians who had lost their homes in Mariupol or Kharkiv and asked whether he could recreate their apartment entrances based on descriptions. Now he creates miniature copies based on photographs or people’s memories. They can be used as night lights, as tiny bulbs inside the models actually light up. Maksym plans to put one of these pieces up for auction to raise funds for the army.

Journalists can arrange to speak with Maksym Vintoniv both online and offline in Lviv, by prior arrangement.

• culture
• Lviv