Themes by tag: culture
The Superhumans Center, an all-Ukrainian center for war trauma featuring prosthetics, reconstructive surgery, and rehabilitation, invites its friends and supporters to attend the SuperPeople Cup veteran mini-football tournament on August 23.
Tournament line up:
- Superhumans team
- Carpathian Bears veteran team
- FC Karpaty Lviv veteran legends team
- Ultras Karpaty Lviv veteran team
- Halychyna Rehab Center veteran team
- Ultras Veres Rivne veteran team
- FC Rukh media team
- Academy of the Ukrainian Ground Forces military team
The event will take place in the Lviv oblast. The SuperPeople Cup will be awarded to the winners.
The event will be attended by Myron Markevych, meritorious football coach of Ukraine, and former coach of the Metalist, Dnipro, and Karpaty clubs.
On August 23, Bucha will host events to commemorate National Flag Day and Ukraine’s Independence Day.
- A formal ceremony in honor of National Flag Day.
- A memorial service to honor the memory of fallen Heroes, held in observance of both National Flag Day and Independence Day.
- A religious event. Prayer for Ukraine, led by the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, His Beatitude Metropolitan Epiphanius of Kyiv and All Ukraine. The service will be followed by a laying of flowers at the Memorial.
- A formal ceremony (awards presentation) to mark National Flag Day and Independence Day, along with a concert by the National Academic Orchestra of Folk Instruments of Ukraine.
On August 21, the War Museum will open MONUMENT, an exhibition exploring the evolving symbolism of Ukraine’s most iconic sculpture, the Motherland monument, in the context of the ongoing war.
Towering over the Dnipro River, the steel figure long stood as a legacy of the Soviet era. But after February 24, 2022, it came to embody the resilience and defiance of the Ukrainian people. That transformation reached a pivotal moment on August 6, 2023, when the Soviet coat of arms on the monument’s shield was replaced with the Ukrainian coat of arms – trident. The change redefined the monument as a national symbol of struggle and endurance.
The exhibition brings together documentary and artistic perspectives. Photographer Denys Semenets captured the monument during this period of historic change, while graphic designer Vadym Blonsky reimagined its image in works that quickly gained traction across social media.
MONUMENT marks a midway point in a three-year project aimed at reframing the sculpture’s meaning. The exhibit invites visitors to reflect on what has been achieved, consider the present moment, and envision the Motherland’s future role as a symbol of national identity and resistance.
The project was conceived by Yurii Savchuk, director general of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in World War II, and curated by Liudmyla Melnyk, head of the museum’s Public Communication and Information Department.
Participants include graphic designer Vadym Blonsky and photographer Denys Semenets.
Event accreditation is required.
On August 21, Kyiv will host the premiere of the concluding episode of the documentary series “The Last War” — titled “The Ukrainian Curse: Builders and Destroyers of Empire” — produced by Ukraine’s Public Broadcasting team. The screening will take place as part of the event “Ukrainian Independence: Over 300 Years of Struggle”, commemorating the 34th anniversary of Ukraine’s Independence.
“The Ukrainian Curse: Builders and Destroyers of Empire” is an investigative project by journalist and TV host Myroslava Barchuk, featuring Ukrainian and Western intellectuals. It explores how, over four centuries, Ukrainians contributed to the construction of the russian imperial project — and how that empire gradually morphed into a self-devouring monstrosity. The film debunks the myth of “one nation”, chronicles Ukrainians’ attempts to break free from imperial shackles, and highlights key battles for freedom.
Background: The event is organized in partnership with Ukraine’s Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications.
The Lviv Habilitation Center | HAB, Ukraine’s first veterans’ center, in partnership with the NGO Spravzhni, will host a special Independence Day gathering, MOVE ON SPORT: Sunset Swim, on August 24 at a lake near Lviv.
The charity event is designed to support veterans and their families, offering a space for connection, psychological recovery, and physical activity. Guided by the slogan Strong When We Are Together. Alive While We Fight, the initiative blends community building with wellness-focused activities.
Participants will be able to choose between 500-meter and 1,000-meter swims. The swim is non-competitive, allowing each person to set their own pace. Routes will follow all safety protocols, and the SkyLake venue offers full accessibility for wheelchair users. The program will also feature discussions on adaptive sports and psychological recovery, presentations of veteran-focused sports activities, and a networking area with coffee, personal stories, and informal conversations.
MOVE ON SPORT: Sunset Swim unites veterans’ organizations, sports clubs, and engaged community members around a shared mission. Proceeds from civilian participants’ charitable contributions will go toward developing a veterans’ swimming group, covering training and coaching expenses. Participation is free for veterans, and their families are encouraged to spend the day together.
For reference: The Lviv Habilitation Center was established as a barrier-free transitional space for veterans, helping them move from the acute trauma of war toward stabilization and reintegration into active life. Founded with the support of the International Charitable Foundation Alliance for Public Health, the center has welcomed more than 800 residents over the past two years.
The NGO Spravzhni is building a barrier-free rehabilitation and recreation facility in the village of Stilsko, near Lviv. Designed as a meeting place for veterans and civilians, it fosters recovery, dialogue, and cooperation, creating opportunities for new ideas and partnerships.
The MOVE ON SPORT event is made possible through the support of Swim4U, K3swim, the Trostianets community, and the SkyLake venue.
On August 30, Ukraine and its diaspora communities worldwide will host the 8th annual nationwide run titled “I Honor the Warriors, I Run for the Heroes of Ukraine”. This initiative pays tribute to the defenders of Ukraine who gave their lives for the country’s freedom and independence.
Participants can honor a specific fallen hero — whether a loved one or a stranger — by running in their memory. Organizers also encourage sharing stories of these heroes on social media using the hashtags #RunForHero_2025 (#БіжуЗаГероя_2025) and #Run2025 (#забіг2025) to help preserve and pass on their legacy.
Participants can choose one of the available distances: 2 km, 5 km, or 10 km. Each community or organizing group determines its own course.
Background: The organizers of the Run in 2025 include the Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine, the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, the National Police of Ukraine, the Department of Youth and Sports (Kyiv City State Administration), the National Museum of the Revolution of Dignity, Kyiv Military Hub, NGO “Glorious Epochs of Ukraine”, NGO “Association of Medics of the Revolution of Dignity”, NGO “Unbreakable Mothers of Ukraine”, Trukhaniv Island Recreational Complex, NGO “LEGION ATO”, and NGO “Perspektyva-Obolon Youth Center”.
A unique mobile library called “Booksin” (a play on “book” and “caterpillar”) is traveling across Ukraine, delivering books — and a sense of community — to communities, particularly those with high concentrations of displaced persons. The bookmobile brings more than just books; it also fosters lively communication. For instance, writers organize interactive readings, games, quizzes, and cultural activities for children and adults.
This initiative was made possible thanks to Libraries Connected, a UK library association, which donated the bus after a crowdfunding campaign. Recognizing the crisis caused by war, British librarians wanted to support Ukraine’s access to literature.
The vehicle previously served in Warwickshire County’s library network, including in Stratford-upon-Avon — Shakespeare’s hometown. The bus is specially equipped for its mission: it has bookshelves, a librarian’s workstation, a laptop desk for readers, and even a ramp for accessibility.
In Ukraine, it was rebranded with a whimsical “Booksin” design — a book-carrying caterpillar — and made its first stop in Kyiv oblast in spring 2025.
Journalists can arrange interviews with the head of the “Library Country” Charitable Foundation in Kyiv and see the bookmobile in action. In September, the mobile library will head to Cherkasy oblast.
Background: The project is organized by the “Library Country” Charitable Foundation.
Kyiv is now holding football training sessions for people with visual impairments. The classes are free, and everyone is welcome to join. The training is conducted at a comfortable pace, making it easy to adapt and enjoy the game. Participants are guided by an experienced coach who helps them master the specifics of this sport.
Background: The new “blind football” initiative is launched by the League of the Strong. Football for the visually impaired is part of a broader social program by the Ukrainian Football Association aimed at developing adaptive football.
On August 29, the Day of Remembrance of the Defenders of Ukraine, the Illia Hrabar Charitable Foundation and the Memorial Platform will host the national event Table of Remembrance 2025.
The initiative calls on participants to set aside a single table in a public venue or institution and keep it unoccupied for the entire day, symbolically awaiting an honored guest who will never arrive. Last year, more than 800 establishments across Ukraine took part, along with venues abroad.
This year, organizers are inviting participation from a broad range of institutions, including:
– restaurants, cafés, coffee shops, and other dining establishments
– military units
– schools, universities, bookstores, and libraries
The Table of Remembrance campaign was first organized in 2023 by Mariia Hrabar, in memory of her partner, Illia Hrabar, who was killed in combat, and in tribute to all Ukrainians who have died defending their country. In 2024, the Illia Hrabar Foundation joined with the Memorial Platform to expand the project nationwide.
Journalists can arrange interviews in Kyiv with Mariia Hrabar, as well as with participants involved in this year’s commemoration.
The Illia Hrabar Charitable Foundation was established to honor the legacy of its namesake, a fallen defender of Ukraine. The foundation supports children’s development, sponsors sports organizations and competitions, and assists community groups caring for children with serious illnesses.
Illia Hrabar was born in the village of Kapulivka in the Dnipro region. He studied in Lithuania and graduated from the Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts before building a career as a sound producer in the Kyiv region. At the start of russia’s full-scale invasion, he joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He was killed in action near Bakhmut, Donetsk region, on December 24, 2022, at the age of 33.
The Memorial Platform, a non-governmental organization, works to foster a culture of remembrance in Ukraine by preserving the stories of fallen defenders and civilians killed in the war.
On August 24, Ukraine’s Independence Day, the international art project SYMBOLS OF IDENTITY will take place — a powerful symbolic act uniting Ukrainians across the globe through the revival of “vybiika”, an ancient Ukrainian technique of woodblock printing on textiles.
27 participants from 20 cities and countries around the world, including the U.S., France, Spain, Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Montenegro, and Japan, will come together online to simultaneously create “vybiika” towels — symbols of memory and dignity. Each participant designed their own unique stamp patterns, embedding personal stories into the artwork.
A special highlight is the participation of Ukraine’s 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade “Chorni Zaporozhtsi”, representing strength, dignity, and resilience.
In Kyiv, the National Museum of Decorative Arts of Ukraine will host the main live event, which will be streamed online to connect with global participants. The art event will also feature an exhibition of “vybiika” towels and printing stamps at the Museum of Ukrainian Diaspora. This additional public location will be directly connected to the main event.
Journalists can speak with the project’s initiator, artist Karina Haieva, and other participants by prior arrangement.
Background: The project was initiated by artist Karina Haieva in partnership with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Department of Affirmation of Ukrainian National and Civic Identity, the All-Ukrainian Youth Center, the National Museum of Decorative Arts of Ukraine, and the Museum of Ukrainian Diaspora.
Vybiika is an ancient fabric-printing technique using handmade stamps that dates back to 11th-century Ukraine. Rare surviving examples from the 17th–18th centuries are preserved in museums. Today, this technique has nearly disappeared, so the project aims to revive the craft and unite Ukrainians worldwide.
