Themes by tag: culture

The Kyiv Hippodrome, in collaboration with the Kyiv Military Hub, invites combat veterans and service members to participate in free horseback riding lessons. The lessons take place outdoors or in an indoor arena and last 40 minutes. The initiative was launched last November. 74 veterans have already participated in the program.

Journalists can cover the session scheduled for March 4 in Kyiv, upon prior arrangement.

• animals
• culture
• military
• Kyiv

On February 24, 2025, Ukraine.ua, Ukraine’s digital ecosystem for international audiences with over 3 million followers on major social media platforms, launched the global “Voices of Just Peace” campaign. The initiative aims to amplify the voices of Ukrainians to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.

The campaign aims to send a crucial message to the world: Ukrainians deeply desire an end to the war, but true and lasting peace can only be achieved if the world listens to their voices.

The initiative has already been supported by Oleksandr Teren, veteran, activist and Bachelor project contestant, the Ukrainian band TVORCHI, Anna October, designer and founder of the Anna October fashion brand, tennis player Marta Kostyuk, Zhan Beleniuk, wrestler and a three-time Olympic medalist, Viacheslav Yalov, guardian of four orphaned brothers and sisters, Khrystia Hranovska, founder of the project “War Diaries: Unheard Voices of Ukrainian Children”, scientists from Inscience, including marine microbiologist Mariia Pavlovska and astrophysicist Olena Kompaniiets, entrepreneurs, and military personnel.

Watch the campaign’s video manifesto: link

• culture

To mark the third anniversary of the full-scale invasion by russia, Ukrposhta, the Ukrainian postal service, has unveiled a unique set of three stamps featuring works by French street artist James Colomina. His artworks, created in Kyiv in August 2024, condemn the war and honor Ukraine’s resistance. Colomina is now the first French artist to have his works featured in Ukrposhta’s philatelic series.

The “ART vs. WAR” stamp series will be issued in a limited edition of 109,600 copies – a symbolic number representing the 1,096 days between the start of the war and the date of issue. It echoes Ukrposhta’s previous initiative in 2023, which put into circulation a postage stamp featuring a work by graffiti artist Banksy.

With this new philatelic project, Ukrposhta highlights the essential role of art in resistance and the preservation of collective memory. It serves as a reminder that culture and creativity remain powerful weapons in the fight for freedom and human dignity in times of war.

From February 24, 2025, the stamps will be available at Ukrposhta branches and the official online store: www.postmark.ukrposhta.ua, where international buyers can purchase them.

James Colomina is a French artist from Toulouse, known for his striking installations in public spaces. In June 2022, he created a sculpture of Vladimir Putin sitting on a toy tank and placed it in children’s parks in Paris, Barcelona, New York, London, Brussels, and Rome. In August 2024, Colomina visited Kyiv, where he installed six sculptures symbolizing hope, resilience, and international solidarity.

• culture

Lithuanian rower Aurimas Moсkus is rowing solo across the Pacific Ocean to honor Ukrainians who lost their lives in the war and to remind the world that support for Ukraine must not stop.

Aurimas is rowing 12,000 kilometers (6,500 nautical miles) from San Diego, USA to Brisbane, Australia. This journey will make him the first person in history to complete this distance in a single-person rowing boat. If he finishes in less than 159 days and 16 hours, he will also break the Guinness World Record set in 2014.

Currently, the rower is approaching the shores of Australia, with less than 600 nautical miles to go.

His journey began in October 2024 and he is expected to finish in early March. Journalists can speak with Aurimas Moсkus online by prior arrangement.

• culture

On February 27, Kyiv will host the opening of the exhibition project “For Freedom,” a tribute to the foreign defenders of Ukraine. The initiative is being carried out in collaboration with the R. T. Weatherman Foundation and the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in World War II (War Museum).

The “For Freedom” project highlights the scale of international support for Ukraine—ranging from humanitarian efforts to the personal decisions of foreign volunteers who joined the country’s armed forces. Through artifacts, personal accounts, photographs, and documentary materials, the exhibition tells the stories of foreign fighters, their journey to Ukraine, and their battle for freedom. Visitors will also learn about the international military units serving within the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the individuals who have become symbols of global solidarity.

The solemn part of the event will feature the following speakers:

– Yurii Savchuk, Director General of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in World War II (War Museum);

– Meaghan Mobbs, President of the R. T. Weatherman Foundation;

– Elizabeth Weatherman, Co-founder of the R. T. Weatherman Foundation;

– Andrew Duncan, Co-founder of the R. T. Weatherman Foundation;

– Colonel Ruslan Myroshnychenko, initiator of the formation and former commander of the Second International Legion of Ukraine;

– Foreign soldiers featured in the exhibition—volunteers who took up arms to defend Ukraine. 

Attendance at the event is restricted to accredited guests.

Background: The R. T. Weatherman Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded by Elizabeth H. Weatherman and Andrew P. Duncan that operates in crisis zones, undertaking missions where others cannot.

Since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine in March 2022, the foundation has:

– Delivered more than 10,000 pallets of humanitarian aid to 70 Ukrainian organizations;

– Partnered with over 20 government agencies;

– Assisted in repatriating American volunteers killed or injured in Ukraine;

– Evacuated children and women from active war zones to Poland. 

On February 27, 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on foreign citizens to join the fight for freedom. In the past three years, thousands of volunteers from over 55 countries have answered that call.

• culture
• Kyiv

On February 23, the eve of the anniversary of the full-scale invasion, the ceremony “The Bell of Remembrance and Hope: 11 Years of War” will be held. This event is to remind everyone of Ukrainians who are in captivity, missing or victims of forced deportation.

The ceremony will begin with a liturgy at the Refectory Church, led by Bishop Avraamii, Abbot of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. The Bell of Remembrance and Hope will strike 11 times, marking 11 years of war in Ukraine. Families of prisoners of war will also take part in the ceremony.

Program of the event:
– Liturgy in the Refectory
– Ceremony “Bell of Remembrance and Hope: 11 Years of War”.

Accreditation is required to attend the event.

The Bell of Remembrance and Hope will ring daily until victory is achieved and all defenders return home. This initiative was launched in December 2023 at the Lavra with the support of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.

• culture
• prisoners
• religion
• Kyiv

On February 26, the premiere of a film created by 14 teenagers during the “Storytelling in Cinema” course of the Voices of Children Foundation and Ukrainian director Marysia Nikitiuk will take place in Kyiv.

The event will also include a discussion on “Growing up in war: how to help children cope with this difficult experience” with the participation of the children who worked on the movie, the director Marysia Nikitiuk, Olena Rozvadovska, co-founder of the Voices of Children Foundation and human rights activist, Olha Aivazovska, Chairperson of the Board of the Civil Network OPORA, and Oleksandra Matviichuk, Head of the Center for Civil Rights and Nobel Laureate.

The film “Generation” was created by young people from all over Ukraine who have experienced the hardships of war: evacuation, forced displacement within Ukraine and abroad, finding themselves in a new place, losing social ties, living under occupation, and surviving in frontline regions.

As part of Voices of Children’s “Storytelling in Cinema” project, director Marysia Nikitiuk and psychologist Dariia Parshyntseva met with the teens for five months to develop scripts. The course culminated in seven days of filmmaking in the mountains, where the young participants brought their stories to life.

Registration required

Background: Voices of Children Foundation provides psychological, psychosocial and humanitarian support to children and families affected by war. The Foundation helps children cope with the psychological effects of armed conflict and advocates for their rights.

The International Center for Ukrainian Victory (ICUV) is a public diplomacy platform founded in Warsaw by Ukrainian civil society activists to engage global thought leaders in support of Ukraine. The Center’s mission is to mobilize the world for Ukraine’s victory.

• casualties
• children
• culture
• Kyiv

On February 12, Kyiv will host the first retrospective exhibition entitled “The Universe of Lyubov”. This exhibition will serve as a symbolic tribute to the life and artistic legacy of the brilliant Ukrainian artist Lyubov Panchenko, who tragically died as a result of the russian occupation of Bucha in 2022.

The exhibition will feature sketches of clothing designs, garments and accessories, paintings, collages and decorative murals, as well as photographs and personal items of the artist.

The exhibition explores Lyubov Panchenko’s life in the socio-political context of her time, as well as her relationships with influential figures such as Viacheslav Chornovil, Mykola Plakhotniuk, Alla Horska, Liudmyla Semykina, and others.

The curators aim to show how Panchenko’s artistic works are reinterpreted, transformed, and inspire contemporary artists.

Journalists must be accredited for the event. (Presentation to the media on February 12)

Background: Lyubov Panchenko survived the russian occupation in her home in Bucha, Kyiv oblast. After the liberation of the region, she was found in a state of extreme exhaustion. Reports indicate that she was forced to starve during the russian occupation. She was hospitalized but died at the age of 85.

February 24, 2025, marks three years since the start of russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

• culture
• occupation
• Kyiv

On February 19, Kyiv will host the opening of “Ukraine’s Path to the EU in Illustrations, Posters, and Artworks,” an exhibition showcasing the country’s journey toward European Union membership.  

Through a collection of works by renowned artists, illustrators, and creative professionals, the exhibition highlights key moments in Ukraine’s historic path to EU integration. Each piece reflects a distinct stage of this significant process, offering a visual narrative of the nation’s aspirations and challenges.  

The exhibition will also feature artifacts provided by the Museum of the Revolution of Dignity.  

For reference: The exposition was initiated by the Office of the Vice Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration and supported by the EU Association4U project.

• culture
• Kyiv

From February 14 to 16, Ukrainian Railways is bringing back its “Train to You” romantic express, offering Ukrainian military personnel and their loved ones a unique railway experience.  

This year’s journey promises an unforgettable ride, with vintage steam locomotives setting the scene for a special celebration in both Kyiv and Lviv. The trip will last just over two hours, giving couples time to enjoy a private compartment with romantic music and a themed game designed for two. A charming tea party is also planned, along with special gifts for those traveling on Valentine’s Day, February 14.  

• culture
• military
• Kyiv
• Lviv