Themes by tag: culture

Nataliia Shmahel has been practicing yoga for eight years and working as an instructor in Kherson for the past three. The youngest participant in her classes is 18, the oldest is 63.

Training sessions depend on the security situation in the city. When heavy shelling begins, the instructor notifies participants via chat that the session has been canceled. Last year, as Nataliia was heading to a class, a drone struck Kherson, forcing her to take cover under a tree.

She says that fear is something everyone experiences, but the classes help people cope by relieving tension and helping them clear their minds.

Interviews with Nataliia can be arranged in Kherson or online upon request.

Background: russian forces occupied Kherson at the beginning of the full-scale invasion on March 1, 2022. Ukrainian forces liberated the city on November 11, 2022. russian forces continue to shell the city regularly.

• culture
• occupation
• women
• Kherson

On April 24, Kyiv will host the award ceremony for the winners of the 16th All-Ukrainian competition “I Am a Journalist!” A total of 1,355 participants from across the country — children, students and teachers — submitted entries on war, loss, occupation and memory. Some of the winners will travel from frontline and recently liberated areas to receive their awards in person and share their stories.

This year’s theme, “I Will Remember,” focuses on people and events that must not be forgotten. For the first time, not only school and university students but also teachers took part, with every fifth submission coming from educators.

One of the winners is 15-year-old Maksym Kliuchko from Kharkiv. In his piece, “A Letter to My Brother Whom I Am Waiting to Return Home,” he writes:
“Your parents will wait for you until their last breath. They will look for you in every soldier returning from the station. And I… I will be your voice here. I will earn the diploma we dreamed of. I will learn the language you died for. I will carry our surname through the years so that it shines with pride.”

Maksym’s brother was posthumously awarded the Order of Courage. He is officially listed as missing in action while carrying out a combat mission. Maksym will attend the ceremony with his father and his teacher.

Among the participants is also a teacher from Kharkiv region, Iryna Kozyrkova, who recalls: “I was washing a window when a vehicle pulled up and soldiers with rifles got out. They took me outside, put me in the car and placed a bag over my head. Today I understand: I became a target because I am a Ukrainian teacher.”

Tetiana Havaha from Zaporizhzhia region writes about the first months of the war: “The most terrifying moment was saying goodbye — the first dead were buried in plastic bags; later we learned to make coffins ourselves.”

Vira Ustsova from Luhansk region writes: “Our school was destroyed by the enemy, our homes are occupied, and an occupier is now living in my house.”

The youngest participant in the competition is nine years old, the oldest is 75. The contest has become a platform for documenting the experience of war through the eyes of Ukrainians of different ages.

Journalists will have an opportunity to speak with the participants.

• culture
• Kyiv

On April 30, a meeting with psychologist and author Yulita Ran will take place in Kharkiv at Khartia Hub. She is the author of the book “Letters to Alinka,” which tells the story of a friendship between two girls who grew up doing everything together — until the main character, Alina, was injured by a landmine and lost her leg.

During the event, participants will discuss how to talk to children about loss, why it is important not to avoid the topic of disability, how acceptance and support are formed in society, and what psychological inclusion means in everyday life.

Registration is required to attend the event.

• culture
• Kharkiv

A veteran bowling tournament, “Mitsni Shary: Spring Range” (Strong Frames), will take place in Kyiv on April 26 — an event aimed at bringing veterans together through sport, support and in-person interaction.

Thirty participants — including veterans, active service members and their family members from across Ukraine — will take part in the competition. The format includes individual and doubles games adapted to participants’ physical abilities.

Journalists are required to obtain accreditation to attend the event.

Background: The project was launched by the NGO Mitsni 300 as part of efforts to create a national veteran league. The first Mitsni Shary tournament in 2025 brought together dozens of veterans and laid the groundwork for scaling up the initiative.

• culture
• military
• Kyiv

On April 25, the Urban Park at VDNG in Kyiv will become an open-air sports venue. It will host Urban Flow: Jump 2.0, a large-scale jump rope flash mob bringing together amateurs, athletes, and anyone looking to get moving.

The event demonstrates how a simple jump rope can become part of modern urban culture — dynamic, accessible, and visually engaging.

Program includes:

• an open warm-up session with Kateryna Nikitina;
• showcase performances and jump rope tricks by Anastasiia Kosenko;
• a DJ set by Yampolsky;
• a mass jump rope flash mob for all participants.

Journalists are required to obtain accreditation to attend the event.

Background: Urban Flow: Jump is a format that combines sport with music, rhythm, and the urban environment. No special training is required — participants simply need to show up and join in.

The event is organized by the Mass Sports Agency of Ukraine with the support of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine.

It is part of a broader movement promoting accessible sport in urban spaces and encouraging simple forms of physical activity that can be easily integrated into everyday life.

• culture
• Kyiv

Leonid Cherniavskyi is a distinguished coach and vice-president of the All-Ukrainian Kyokushin Budo Karate Organization. He spent five months in occupied Kherson after russian forces seized the city at the start of the full-scale invasion. In summer 2022, he managed to evacuate to government-controlled territory in the Mykolaiv region.

After the de-occupation of the right bank of the Kherson region, Cherniavskyi proposed opening a children’s karate section in the village of Mykhailiv.

At first, the karate club operated in an old kindergarten building, part of a school that had survived a missile strike. Later, the need for a larger space arose, and the club began renovating a damaged cultural center. International donors helped restore the building, and British sponsors purchased tatami mats. Today, parents of the students help maintain the club.

The “Katana” karate club currently has 32 children — both local residents and children from nearby villages in the Kherson and Mykolaiv regions. In bad weather, they sometimes walk 5 kilometers to training, as heavy rain makes roads impassable. The coach travels by moped from the neighboring Mykolaiv region.

In more than two years of operation, students of the club have competed in European and world championships. Two girls have become Candidate Masters of Sports and won prizes at international competitions. The “Katana” karate club has become one of the largest sports organizations in the Kherson region.

Journalists can arrange interviews with Leonid Cherniavskyi, as well as with students in the village of Mykhailiv in the Kherson region or online.

Background: Kherson was occupied by russian forces at the beginning of the full-scale invasion (March 1, 2022). The Armed Forces of Ukraine liberated the city and the right-bank part of the region in November 2022. The area continues to be regularly shelled by russian forces.

• children
• culture
• occupation
• Kherson

The NGO Care Academy (Akademiia Turboty) is presenting its social and educational initiative “Different Together” and its main character, Pascal the Cat, who has a bionic ear and paw.

The initiative aims to foster a culture of accepting differences and respecting others among primary school children.

Visitors can meet Pascal and learn more about the initiative at the Book Country festival in Kyiv.

Schedule:

• April 23–24 (Thursday–Friday): 12:00–18:00
• April 25–26 (Saturday–Sunday): 10:00–18:00

The Care Academy’s mental health space is an interactive zone at the festival, where children and adults can meet Pascal and discuss care, support, respect, and acceptance of differences. The programme features creative, physical, and educational activities led by ambassadors, influencers, bloggers, authors, and public figures.

Highlights include a fitness session with veteran, psychologist and athlete Oleksandr Chumak, who was part of the Ukrainian team that won a regatta at the Invictus Games in Düsseldorf; a workshop titled “Metal Paw: How Bionic Prosthetics Are Made”; “Talisman of Faith,” a pottery session with veteran and ceramic artist Volodymyr Dovhan (DOVGAN-ART); and a masterclass “Friendship Bracelets” by Oleksandra Paskal.

The full programme is available online.

Background: Pascal the Cat is the central figure of the initiative. The character was created by Care Academy in cooperation with Daria Herasymchuk and named after Ukrainian gymnast Oleksandra Paskal, who, after sustaining a severe injury and losing a leg in a missile strike, continued training and inspiring others.

Care Academy is Ukraine’s first online child development platform focused on mental well-being, operating on its own methodology.

• culture
• psychological support
• Kyiv

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