Themes by tag: culture
Kharkiv welcomed a unique new addition to its cultural landscape this week as the Kharkiv Korolenko State Scientific Library unveiled a library bus arriving from Tallinn, Estonia, just ahead of All-Ukrainian Library Day.
The 12-meter Volvo vehicle, a gift from colleagues at the Tallinn Central Library, arrived as part of humanitarian aid. The city administration of Estonia’s capital also financed the delivery of the mobile library to Kharkiv.
Designed to bring books and resources to communities without access to stationary libraries, the bookmobile is outfitted with shelves holding up to 4,000 books, computer stations, and workspaces for both librarians and visitors. In Estonia, it previously served readers in remote areas, bridging gaps in access to literature and information.
Now, the mobile library will travel throughout the Kharkiv region, where more than 50 public libraries have been utterly demolished and an additional 180 damaged since the onset of full-scale russian aggression. The Kharkiv Korolenko State Scientific Library, one of Ukraine’s oldest and largest libraries with a collection exceeding seven million items, has also suffered significant damage from shelling.
Journalists are welcome to cover the bookmobile by prior arrangement, as it is still being equipped for its new role serving local communities.
Oleksandr Ivanko, a retired captain of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and an aircraft engine engineer, has transformed tragedy into creativity. He joined the military in 2012 and first faced the realities of full-scale conflict during a UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Upon returning to Ukraine, Ivanko immediately enlisted to defend his country.
His service came at a high cost. Ivanko was severely wounded when a Kh-59 missile struck a helicopter, resulting in the amputation of his leg.
Afterward, he underwent prosthetic surgery at the Superhumans Center in Lviv. During his rehabilitation, Ivanko discovered a passion for music. He completed DJing courses and now performs sets while also playing bass guitar in the center’s therapeutic band.
His performances have reached distinguished audiences, including Ukraine’s presidential couple, Volodymyr and Olena Zelenskyy, and Prince Harry during his visit to Ukraine. Ivanko has also shared the stage with prominent Ukrainian acts such as Zhadan i Sobaky, Druga Rika, Tin Sontsya, and the Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Lviv National Philharmonic.
Expanding his pursuits beyond music, Ivanko started his own business – an online store offering products for meditation and spiritual practices.
Journalists can arrange interviews with Ivanko in Lviv or online, by prior arrangement.
An open training session titled “A Run with the Strong” will be held in Kyiv on September 27. All are invited to join veterans from the “Strong 300” running club for a community run. This event brings veterans and civilians together to run at the same pace.
There will be a distance suitable for any fitness level. Participants can also look forward to making new connections and hearing inspiring stories of resilience from people who have persevered after the war.
Background:
Organizer: Union of Wounded Military of Ukraine “Strong 300”.
Partner: The Ukrainian Athletic Federation.
The swim was part of the annual international project Neda el Món, which brings together athletes from around the world.
The Ukrainian team, consisting of Ihor Oliinyk, Demian Dudlia, and Maksym Hrinchenko, joined 24 other swimmers in conquering one of the most challenging and unpredictable routes. Despite squalling rain, thunder, and rough waves at dawn, the team persevered. They covered 12.8 kilometers in an impressive 4 hours and 50 minutes.
The veterans are returning to Ukraine on September 26. Journalists can meet with them in Kyiv to hear their thoughts upon arrival. Separate interviews with the participants can be arranged in Kyiv, Dnipro, or online.
Journalists can request photo and video materials of the swim.
More information about the participants is available here.
Background: The Ukrainian team’s preparation was facilitated by the public organization “One Team Force” – a community dedicated to finding effective ways to provide personalized support for the comprehensive recovery of injured soldiers, from initial rehabilitation to long-term social integration.
A can’t-miss celebration for pet lovers and their furry friends comes to Kyiv on September 27.
This year’s gathering carries a major fundraising goal: raising 500,000 hryvnias to support Mariupol volunteer Mykhailo Puryshev. Once an entrepreneur, Puryshev has spent the past three years rescuing both people and animals from frontline areas, evacuating them from areas subject to constant enemy fire and delivering food and medicine.
The program includes a pet-friendly fair, speed dating for owners, an introduction to canine therapy, educational talks and discussions, creative workshops, lighthearted competitions for pets, and an evening of stand-up comedy.
For reference: The picnic is organized by the media platform #Shotam, known for covering positive news and stories, together with its partner Holy Doggy, a project dedicated to promoting canine therapy.
An advance screening of the documentary Life From Scratch will take place in Kyiv on September 23 spotlighting the lives of elderly displaced in Ukraine. The film follows residents of the country’s only private settlement for seniors forced from their homes, built by the Miracle Village Charitable Foundation and the Charity Hansen Ukrainian Mission with support from American philanthropist Dell Loy Hansen. Its subjects include elderly evacuees, people with disabilities, and parents whose children are either serving on the front lines or held in captivity.
Set to air soon on national television, the documentary highlights the daily hardships, resilience, and determination of some of Ukraine’s most vulnerable communities. The project aims to raise awareness of their needs and foster dialogue about support at the state, civil society, and international levels.
The event will combine the screening with a short discussion. Guests include officials from the Ministry of Social Policy, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, and representatives of UNHCR, IOM, Caritas, HelpAge International, the Red Cross, and other national and international charities working with displaced people, older adults, and individuals with disabilities.
Organizers say they hope the film will provide a platform for developing a shared vision of making life safer, more dignified, and filled with hope for those portrayed.
Journalists are required to register to attend.
On September 21, 2025, Mariupol Day will be celebrated in Kyiv.
Mariupol is a symbol of resilience and hope that will unite people in Kyiv once again this September. This year, Mariupol Day is not only a symbol, but also a moment of remembrance, gratitude, and unity – open to all who wish to participate.
The organizers invite the media to attend the event, hear the community’s voice, collect personal stories, capture compelling visuals, and speak with the heroes and participants who carry on Mariupol’s legacy.
Program highlights:
- Symbolic march – culminating in the presentation of keys to the Kyiv City State Administration, representing the unity, dignity, and resilience of Mariupol residents;
- Art installation “Keys of Mariupol” – a collective space of memory and hope where everyone can bring their own key;
- Exhibition of photos and artworks – visual stories shared by Mariupol residents and their children;
- Greek cultural corner – music, traditions, and treats from the Greek community;
- The Sens bookstore featuring a special display titled “Mariupol Speaks”;
- Ukrainian Institute of National Memory – an exhibition of historical records, testimonies, and artistic interpretations;
- Main stage at the Kyiv City State Administration – music, poetry, reflections, and words from families of soldiers and veterans;
- Additional events – from September 18-22, I’Mariupol Support Centers in Kyiv, community hubs for IDPs from Mariupol across Ukraine, will host workshops, postcard and symbolic key collections, and community gatherings.
On September 23, Kyiv will host an award ceremony for the winners of the all-Ukrainian essay and poster contest, “I Hear You: Supporting a Peer Under Occupation”. The ceremony will showcase the works of winners and laureates, each serving as a message of support for peers living under temporary occupation. These messages have already been heard.
Event program:
- Presentation of the exhibition “I Hear You: Supporting a Peer Under Occupation”;
- Addresses by representatives of state institutions and contest jury members;
- Award ceremony for contest winners.
The contest was organized for the second time by the Almenda Civic Education Center. The goal of the contest is to promote understanding and empathy within Ukrainian society regarding the challenges faced by children in temporarily occupied territories. Nearly 700 works were submitted in the essay and social poster categories by children from various regions of Ukraine.
The organizers invite media representatives, civil society organizations, and all interested parties to attend the event and cover the ceremony. They also encourage attendees to share stories about children using creativity to support their peers under occupation.
The contest received support from Ukrainian artists Oleksandr Grekhov and Kateryna Babkina, as well as the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine, the Presidential Representation in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, and the Children’s Rights Protection Center of the Ombudsman’s Office.
Registration for the event is required and will be open until September 21.
Background: The event is organized within the framework of the “Childhood Protection: Justice and Reintegration for Children from TOT” project, supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic under the Transition Promotion Program.
Before 2014, Mariia Fenenko lived in the Volnovakha district of the Donetsk oblast. As a child, she enjoyed helping her grandfather organize family photo albums and watching him take pictures. When Mariia moved to Donetsk to study, her mother gave her a gift – her first camera. She soon began receiving commissions for her photography and earning her own income. However, after russia first attacked Ukraine, Mariia was forced to leave her homeland and relocate to Kyiv.
In the capital, she resumed her studies and seriously dedicated herself to photography, turning her passion into a profession. Starting with the gift camera, she built a portfolio and saved up for a better used camera. Over the next decade, she became an accomplished photographer.
Today, Mariia contributes her skills to charitable projects that support the Ukrainian military and internally displaced persons. She dreams of capturing her most meaningful photograph yet: a free, de-occupied Donetsk oblast.
Mariia is available for interviews, both online and in person in Kyiv, by prior arrangement.
When russia launched its full-scale invasion, Anton Bohach traded the driver’s seat of his truck for a rifle. Now, after losing his sight on the battlefield, he has found a new sense of purpose at a pottery wheel.
Bohach, a native of Kropyvnytskyi, had long been drawn to the restaurant business. He trained as a food production technologist but ended up making a living as a truck driver before buying his own vehicle and running a small transport business.
That all changed on February 26, 2022, when he volunteered to defend Ukraine. He joined the newly formed 71st Air Assault Brigade. Like most of his fellow recruits, he had never held a weapon before, but he shared their determination to stand against the invasion. Within two weeks, he was deployed to the Kharkiv region, where he fought in some of the war’s earliest heavy battles.
For more than a year, Bohach held defensive positions along shifting frontlines. On September 15, 2023, his service came to a halt when he was gravely wounded. The injuries cost him his eyesight and nearly his life. He spent four months bedridden.
Faced with the darkness ahead, Bohach searched for new ways to rebuild his life. He tried IT courses but found the high-level English proficiency required a barrier. Undeterred, he retrained as a massage therapist, opened a small practice, and then discovered Pottery in the Dark, a program for blind veterans and civilians.
Pottery quickly became his passion. At his home in Kropyvnytskyi, he has set up a small workshop and ordered a kiln. His shelves now hold cups, plates, jugs, and bottles shaped from clay. He also shares his journey with more than 5,000 followers on TikTok.
Bohach’s work will soon reach a wider audience. On September 26, the city of Vinnytsia will host the opening of Art in the Dark, an exhibition showcasing pieces by 14 blind artists studying pottery under instructor Victoriia Nikolaieva. Alongside Bohach, the exhibit will feature works by Ivan Shostak, Serhii Railian, Anton Kuzio, Andrii Kozyrenko, Oleh Derecha, Ruslan Ryzhko, Mykola Kaziuk, Oleh Avtomenko, Andrii Lemak, Nazar Kostetskyi, Diana Kalyna, Ihor Kushniriov, and Denys Zakharko.
Visitors will be able to view the artwork, meet the artists, hear their stories, and purchase their creations.
Bohach says he is eager to talk about his journey, whether in person in Kropyvnytskyi or through online interviews. For him, pottery is not only a craft but also a way to reclaim independence and rebuild a life after war.
