Themes by tag: culture
Lviv will host the “Chamber Studies of Lviv” cinema residency for teenagers aged 14–17 from June 24–30, led by film director Hala Koziutynska.
Participants will master the basics of film directing, cinematography, editing, and sound design, while also learning how to create video essays and video poetry.
The teenagers will explore Lviv’s cultural and lesser-known locations through the lens of a camera and their own perspective on reality. They will create their own sound library of the city, concluding the residency with a final public screening of their works followed by a discussion.
Participation is free of charge.
Background: Funded with UK aid from the UK government (British Embassy Kyiv) and implemented by the “Voices of Children” Foundation within the PULSE National Consortium, coordinated by the “Right to Protection” Charitable Foundation. The UK government’s support for this project in Ukraine is provided through the SHARP component of its Humanitarian Assistance, Recovery, and Protection Programme.
This event aims to raise awareness of traditional music and the culture of Ukrainian folk dance. It seeks to bring together a highly diverse audience, ranging from enthusiasts and historical reenactors to anyone interested in Ukrainian cultural heritage. “TantsKultura” establishes a new tradition of gatherings centered around folk dance. It also aims to build upon the previous efforts of colleagues (primarily the “Ivan Honchar Museum”), who organized major dance events until 2019.
The “TantsKultura” stage will feature performances by:
- The Children’s Brass Capella from the Vinnytsia region,
- “Silska Muzyka” (Rivne),
- “DvaTry” (Kyiv),
- “ShchukaRyba” (Kyiv),
- “Oreli” (Kyiv),
- A special collaboration with the FusionJam formation.
The program includes:
- Dance masterclasses focusing on local Ukrainian traditions;
- Panel discussions featuring researchers, practitioners in the field, and cultural influencers;
- A children’s zone with interactive programs, traditional games, and workshops.
A donation drive and a charity auction will be held as part of the festival. All proceeds will be donated to meet the current needs of the Defense Forces of Ukraine.
For reference: The “KYT” Performance Pavilion became a partner of the event, providing its venue free of charge to support the development and promotion of traditional Ukrainian culture.
For the second consecutive year, Odesa will host “On the Wave” (Na Khvyli) — a large-scale sports competition for veterans and active-duty servicemembers. For many participants, these games will serve as an entry point into adaptive sports, including wheelchair basketball, archery, boccia, and indoor rowing.
The event’s primary mission is to bring defenders together for a few summer days within a supportive community, providing effective tools for physical rehabilitation, psychological decompression, and reintegration into active civilian life.
Attendees will have the opportunity to engage directly with representatives from the Ministry for Veterans Affairs of Ukraine, the Odesa Regional State Administration, leadership from the “Free Warriors” NGO, and the Invictus Games team in Ukraine. Media representatives will also have designated slots to interview veterans overcoming the consequences of severe battlefield injuries.
The event will take place on June 21 in Odesa. Due to security protocols, the precise venue and schedule will be provided solely to accredited media outlets. Media accreditation remains open until June 19.
Background Information: The event is organized by the Ministry for Veterans Affairs of Ukraine and the “Free Warriors” Non-Governmental Organization, in cooperation with the Odesa Regional State Administration, under the framework of the National Strategy for Creating a Barrier-Free Space initiated by First Lady Olena Zelenska.
The Stratcom Ukraine Center for Strategic Communications (the “Invictus Games” project in Ukraine) joins as a co-organizer under the regional initiative “Invictus Day in Your City”, supported by the Invictus Games Foundation.
KyivPride Park, a charity and educational event that traditionally marks the beginning of the capital’s Pride celebrations ahead of the Equality March, will take place in Kyiv on June 14. The event will run throughout the day. Admission will be granted in exchange for a voluntary donation to UNITED24’s fundraising campaign for air defence. A community advocating for its own rights also contributes daily to the security of the entire country, making support a two-way effort.
This year, the organisers of KyivPride Park, the NGO KyivPride, have been joined by partners including the NGO Ukrainian LGBT+ Military and Veterans for Equal Rights, KharkivPride, PinchukArtCentre, the Sunny Bunny queer film festival, the Linoleum animation festival, the Memorial NGO, Underwood Brewery and others.
KyivPride Park will feature several spaces operating simultaneously, offering a range of activities for visitors. The programme will include DJ sets, among them Past Curfew with a mix of house, trance and techno, as well as an acoustic performance by Okolytsia.
Two panel discussions will also take place. The first, titled “How to Create Vibrant Queer Communications”, will bring together creators of LGBTIQ+ YouTube channels, Instagram pages and magazines to discuss how to speak about queerness on social media and how to deal with online hate. The second discussion, “Why Transgender Identity Is Not a Way to Avoid Military Service?”, will be moderated by Leon, a transgender man and blogger. Panellists will include Emilia, a transgender veteran, and endocrinologist Ilona Khanko, author of a book about gender transition in Ukraine.
The cinema area will screen animated films from the Linoleum festival and short films presented by Sunny Bunny, followed by discussions where audiences will be able to ask questions to directors.
KyivPride will create a memorial space together with the Memorial NGO, where visitors will be able to remember those who are no longer with them and tie ribbons bearing their names. Psychologists will also be available nearby for those who need immediate support.
The theme of those who serve will run throughout the entire day. LGBT military personnel are active partners of the event. Their presence will be reflected in various parts of the programme, from discussions about military service to a dedicated area where field porridge will be offered in exchange for donations and merchandise supporting veterans will be available.
Background: This year’s KyivPride will take place across two key dates. KyivPride Park, the charity and educational event, will be held on June 14. On June 21, the KyivPride March will take place in the centre of the capital in support of equal rights for all citizens regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
About the organisers: KyivPride is a non-governmental organisation working to advance equality and human rights in Ukraine and to strengthen the influence of civil society and the LGBTIQ+ community in the country’s path towards integration into the European Union.
Media accreditation is now open for the 3rd round of the 2026 Ukrainian Amputee Football Super League, which will take place in Lviv. The event will be held on June 13–14.
Reference: Amputee football is a modification of association football designed for players with an amputated limb or a limb function impairment.
The “Sports Ambassadors 3.0” project is an educational initiative designed for male and female veterans seeking opportunities for personal and professional advancement. The program officially launched in May.
Over the course of two months, participants will develop their leadership and communication skills, learn to design and implement social initiatives, engage effectively with local communities, and familiarize themselves with adaptive sports. The entire curriculum is guided by professional mentors and experts in project management, leadership, and physical rehabilitation.
During the practical phase of the training, participants will apply their newly acquired knowledge to develop individual projects tailored to their home communities. These projects will focus on social initiatives, adaptive sports, and supporting fellow veterans in transitioning back to civilian life.
Program Timeline:
- May–June: Online training modules and mentorship support;
- June: In-person training and practical workshops lasting up to 5 days.
Following the evaluation of the program, up to seven of the most promising projects will receive micro-grant funding from the Razom Fund.
Members of the press are welcome to cover the in-person training sessions taking place in June, subject to prior arrangement.
Reference: The “Sports Ambassadors 3.0” project is organized by the Center for Strategic Communications (StratCom Ukraine) in collaboration with Invictus Games Ukraine, with the generous support of the Razom Fund.
Five Ukrainian veterans with amputations and severe combat injuries will compete in the international Oceanman Lago d’Orta swimming event in Italy. On June 13 and 14, they will take on 2-kilometer and 5.5-kilometer open-water distances alongside participants from around the world, without a separate category or special conditions. An open-water training session will take place in Kyiv region on June 6.
The team’s preparation for the competition is led by Serhii Kostenko, founder and head coach of the K-TEAM Swimming Club and co-founder of the NGO Impossible Is Possible, which promotes adaptive and veteran sports in Ukraine. According to the coach, open-water swimming presents a completely different challenge from training in a pool.
The training program focuses on balance, stroke technique, breathing, navigation, and interaction with the water environment. In addition to physical preparation, psychological adaptation is a key component.
During training sessions, the veterans learn to work as a team, navigate using buoys, manage their energy, and cope with the stress factors typical of open-water competitions.
Journalists can attend and cover the open-water training session by prior arrangement.
Background: The IRON WARRIORS project is implemented by the YANKO Fund charitable foundation in partnership with IRON WARRIORS SPORT HUB and FlyPoint, which also serves as the project’s logistics partner.
A charity event dedicated to Journalists’ Day, titled “Stop the Bleed. Start the Party,” will take place in Kyiv on June 6. The event is organized by former U.S. military medic and philanthropist David Plaster.
The organizer invites journalists and members of the public to attend. Media professionals will be offered a free first-aid training course, followed by a charity party.
Advance registration is required.
The Museum of the History of Kyiv will host the opening of the exhibition “Your Favorite Dish,” created by the Memorial Memory Platform. The exhibition features mothers of fallen Ukrainian servicemen and servicewomen preparing their children’s favorite meals and sharing memories of them. The opening will take place on June 6.
“Your Favorite Dish” is a quiet exhibition about memory, which often begins not with grand words but with simple things: the smell of pancakes, salad, fried potatoes, pies and other dishes once prepared at home by the mothers of Ukrainian defenders.
The exhibition will present the stories behind the favorite dishes of Andrii “Juice” Pilshchykov, Oleksandr “Hrian” Hrianyk, Ruslan “Varyah” Piskovyi, Valentyna “Romashka” Pushych, Leonid “Lys” Dolhov, Vitalii “Okhotnik” Chernukha, Ihor “Slon” Utiuzh, Yehor “Izzi” Lubashev, Vitalii “Khirurh” Kharchuk and Stepan Chubenko.
Mothers of the fallen heroes will take part in the opening event.
In the exhibition space, curated by Anastasiia Haidukevych-Kachuro, visitors will be able to view photographs, video stories and recipes connected to the featured heroes, as well as leave their own memories of a loved one and that person’s favorite dish.
Admission is free with prior registration.
Background: The exhibition was created by the Memorial Memory Platform in partnership with the Museum of the History of Kyiv and with the support of the Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine programme, funded by the governments of the United Kingdom, Estonia, Canada, Norway, Finland, Switzerland and Sweden.
The project “OMEGA: IN THE SKY, ON THE GROUND, IN(ON) THE WATER” will open in Kyiv on June 5. The exhibition was created by the team of the War Museum in cooperation with the Omega Special Purpose Center.
Omega is an elite special unit of the National Guard of Ukraine whose servicemembers carry out missions in the field of national security and defense. The unit was established in 2003 as a separate special-purpose brigade within the Interior Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to address threats to the state’s internal security and counter terrorism.
Today, Omega consists of eight detachments united under the motto “The Last Word Is Ours.” As part of Ukraine’s Defense Forces, they are helping repel russia’s armed aggression. It is one of the most combat-capable formations in the country, continuously improving its training, tactics and technical capabilities. Highly trained and versatile personnel — snipers, sappers, drone operators, combat divers, assault troops and reconnaissance specialists — operate at the limits of human endurance. In the sky, on the ground and on the water — three domains in which Omega operates with equal confidence and professionalism, remaining equally elusive and dangerous to the enemy.
The exhibition presents the history of Omega’s development, its special operations and participation in the largest battles of the russian-Ukrainian war, as well as unique artifacts and personal stories.
Musical accompaniment for the event will be provided by Ukrainian performer Okhtyrchanka.
Journalists are required to register in advance to attend the event.
