Themes by tag: culture

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

On June 19, Kyiv will host an adaptive paintball competition, a fast-paced, team-based tactical game where players eliminate opponents by hitting them with dye-filled gelatin capsules. The event will take place in a safe, controlled environment designed to accommodate participants with varying physical abilities. Veterans, individuals with disabilities, and active-duty military personnel are encouraged to take part.

Media representatives are required to obtain accreditation in advance.

The event is organized by the State Institution “All-Ukrainian Center for Physical Health ‘Sport for All,'” with support from the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine and the NGO “Strength of the Defenders.”

• culture
• Kyiv

On June 12, a recreated version of Alla Horska’s legendary Boryviter mosaic was unveiled at Maidan Nezalezhnosti Square. The project was initiated by ROZETKA, Ukraine’s largest online marketplace, in collaboration with Ukraine WOW, and the Alla Horska and Viktor Zaretskyi Foundation. A team of 15 monumental artists and researchers, led by Horska’s granddaughter Olena Zaretska, contributed to the restoration. The recreated mosaic replicates everything to the smallest detail, after the Mariupol original was severely damaged during the full-scale russian invasion. 

The artistic team spent three months assembling the mosaic. To achieve maximum accuracy, they sourced over 700 kilograms of materials from across Ukraine and abroad, including opaque cobalt glass, tiles in matching colors, metal sheets, and even aluminum spoons.

Boryviter will now go on an international tour to raise awareness of Ukrainian art, sharing the stories of artists whose work russia seeks to erase.

The initiative also produced a second replica of the mosaic, divided into 1,250 fragments. Each piece was made available for purchase, allowing individuals to become custodians of Boriviter with the hope of one day restoring Horska’s masterpiece in a liberated Mariupol. All the fragments were sold within a single day.

By prior arrangement, journalists may view the panels in Kyiv and speak with the team behind the project.

Background: In the summer of 1967, a team of monumental artists led by the renowned artist Alla Horska created the Boryviter mosaic in Mariupol. The composition, featuring a falcon in flight, captivated viewers with its dynamic form and movement. Its bold mix of materials, alternating colors, and interesting textures made Boryviter a symbol of creative freedom. Just three years later, Alla Horska, a leading figure of the Ukrainian Sixtiers movement, was murdered by Soviet security services. In 2022, the mosaic was severely damaged during russia’s invasion. Its current condition remains unknown.

• culture
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

Kyiv will host VR CyberBoxing competitions and training sessions at the “Active Country” festival. The event is open to veterans, active military personnel, people with disabilities (including wheelchair users, amputees, and those with combat injuries), and anyone interested in trying this innovative sport.

From June 13 to June 22, daily open training sessions will be held for all participants. Competitive CyberBoxing tournaments will follow on June 17 and 22.

Format: Full VR immersion (headset + simulator).

Accreditation is required to cover the event.

• culture
• Kyiv

Before russia launched its full-scale invasion, Yuliia Bondarenko and her fiancé lived in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson. When russian forces seized control of the city in 2022, the couple endured three months of occupation. It wasn’t until May 2022 that Yuliia made the difficult decision to flee.

During the evacuation, she brought along her two cats, two dogs, and an additional animal rescued from a local shelter. The family eventually settled in Kryvyi Rih, where Yuliia began a new chapter, embroidering her first traditional shirt. Her husband was engaged in volunteer work, and that very shirt was offered as a gift in exchange for the largest donation. It ended up in the hands of a German supporter.

In addition to shirts, Yuliia began crafting traditional embroidered belt pouches, popularly known as “little pockets.” Each piece features embroidered images of animals, honoring and reflecting on the struggle of animals from the left bank of the Kherson region, many of whom were injured or killed during the ongoing fighting. All proceeds from the sales go toward supporting a local animal shelter and purchasing food for stray dogs and cats in Kherson.

She named the project Silence of the Steppe. Today, her embroidered shirts and pockets travel far beyond Kryvyi Rih, finding new homes not only across Ukraine but also abroad, particularly among displaced Ukrainians who cannot yet return.

Yuliia Bondarenko is available for interviews by appointment, both online and in person in Kryvyi Rih.

• animals
• culture
• occupation
• women
• Dnipro

On June 12, Kyiv will host a screening of Generation, a film by director Marisa Nikitiuk and the Voices of Children Foundation, followed by a discussion exploring the lives of a generation shaped by war. The event is titled “A Generation Growing Up in War: What Challenges Do Children Face Today and How Can We Support Them?”

Generation is a collaborative project between Nikitiuk and the Voices of Children Foundation that seeks to view the war through the eyes of its youngest witnesses and give them a voice to share their experiences. The film was created with 14 teenagers who faced evacuation, forced relocation within Ukraine and abroad, the loss of social connections, and the struggle to adapt to unfamiliar surroundings, all while enduring life under russian occupation or on the frontlines.

Over five months, the teens participated in the “Storytelling in Film with Elements of Art Therapy” lab, working alongside a psychologist and learning scriptwriting under Nikitiuk’s guidance. Through this process, they processed their experiences and transformed them into personal stories on screen.

Speakers:

– Olena Rozvadovska, co-founder and Chair of the Board of the Voices of Children Foundation;

– Marysia Nikitiuk, screenwriter and director;

– Children featured in the film Generation. 

Moderator: Olha Birzul, journalist, editor, cultural manager, film program developer and curator, writer.

Organizers: NGO Docudays and the Voices of Children Charitable Foundation.

• casualties
• children
• culture
• Kyiv

Before russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Myrnohrad in Donetsk Oblast had a population of roughly 50,000. At the time, every third household subscribed to Ridne Misto, a local newspaper with a circulation of 6,000 and a staff of seven, led by editor Maksym Zabielia.

Zabielia recalls sending the newspaper to print on February 23, 2022. The next day, the Kharkiv-based printing house stopped responding to messages. Since then, Ridne Misto has relied on the Kramatorsk Printing House, which stepped in and kept the paper going.

In early summer 2024, the editorial team was forced to leave Myrnohrad due to a mandatory evacuation order. In August, the newspaper’s office was destroyed by enemy shelling. Today, the relocated newsroom operates with a staff of four. The paper is no longer distributed in Myrnohrad, but volunteers continue delivering it to hubs for internally displaced people. Despite the setbacks, the team has no plans to stop printing. Zabielia says they feel a deep sense of responsibility to their readers.

Zabielia is available for interviews both online and in person, by prior arrangement, in Odesa or Kyiv.

For reference: Myrnohrad, located in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, remains under the control of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The city lies approximately one kilometer from the front line. As of late 2024, about 3,000 civilians remained in the area.

• culture
• russian crimes
• Kyiv
• Odesa
• evacuation