Themes by tag: Khmelnytskyi

Ukraine’s sole military veterinary facility, the First Military Hospital of Veterinary Medicine, operates in Khmelnytskyi. Its veterinarians provide care not only for service animals but also for the pets of displaced families. The hospital regularly treats animals with concussions or shrapnel wounds.

The hospital’s specialists also travel into frontline and recently liberated areas to rescue animals, making more than 50 such trips so far. One survivor is a fox from Bucha, discovered by children and brought to the doctors. Despite burns covering nearly 80 percent of its body, the animal was saved and still lives at the hospital.

Altogether, the hospital’s team has treated several thousand animals since the start of the full-scale war.

• animals
• doctors
• Khmelnytskyi

Oleksandra Mazur, head of the Olenivka Community NGO, has spent more than two years searching for the truth about her loved one held in russian captivity. Since May 2022, she has been fighting to keep his memory, and the memory of others like him, alive.

Her partner, Azov Regiment combat engineer Yaroslav Otrok, was among the Ukrainian defenders captured at the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol. Following orders from his commanders, he and his fellow soldiers surrendered and were taken to a makeshift detention center in the occupied town of Olenivka, Donetsk region.

On July 29, 2022, Yaroslav was killed in a blast that tore through the prison. Ukrainian authorities have described the attack as a terrorist act, accusing russian forces of deliberately targeting prisoners of war.

In the days that followed, Oleksandra saw Yaroslav’s name on a list of the wounded. But hope soon gave way to devastating news. In September, a witness who survived the explosion told her Yaroslav’s injuries had been fatal. A month later, the Azov Patronage Service confirmed he was among the dead. His body had been returned by russia.

Since then, Oleksandra has dedicated herself to the Olenivka Community NGO, supporting other families of POWs and calling attention to the crimes committed in Olenivka. Her efforts helped pave the way for official recognition: on July 22, the Verkhovna Rada adopted a resolution establishing July 28 as the Day of Remembrance for Ukrainian Defenders who were executed, tortured, or died in captivity.

Mazur remains committed to telling these stories. She is available for interviews online or in person, by prior arrangement, in Kamianets-Podilskyi or Kyiv.

• dead
• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• women
• Khmelnytskyi
• Kyiv

Mykola Velychko from Khmelnytskyi oblast became interested in pottery even before the full-scale invasion. He planned to open a pottery residency next to his workshop. The website of the residency was supposed to be launched on February 24, 2022. However, the full-scale war began and Mykola joined the military.

In the summer of 2023 he returned home and decided to revive the residency project — but now for active soldiers and veterans, giving them a place to recover after the frontlines. Mykola started making and selling mugs and investing the proceeds in the construction of the residence. Now he is finishing the construction and still needs to buy furniture and equipment.

This summer, Mykola plans to start pottery classes with soldiers who come to the residency.

You can contact Mykola Velychko online or offline in Khmelnytskyi oblast by prior arrangement.

• culture
• military
• Khmelnytskyi

Kostiantyn Saposhko, 37, is a multi-genre artist. He started out creating miniature sculptures out of plaster, but since 2018, he has been carving tiny sculptures on the tips of graphite pencils.

He has dozens of miniature sculptures in his portfolio. One of his works depicts the sunken russian cruiser Moskva, carved on a pencil tip. Another is dedicated to the victory of the Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk. He also created a 9.5×14 cm graphite piece about the battle of Berestechko inspired by Artur Orlonov’s painting. For the past five months, Saposhko has also been carving miniatures on graphite brushes from electric motors.

It can take anywhere from a few hours to several months to create a single piece. The artist does not use magnifying optics — just a regular lamp and carving tools.

Journalists can speak with Kostiantyn online or in person in Khmelnytskyi by prior arrangement.

• culture
• Khmelnytskyi

Mykola Velychko from Khmelnytskyi had gotten interested in pottery even before the full-scale invasion. He had even planned to create a pottery residence next to his workshop. The website of the residence was supposed to be launched on February 24, 2022. However, the big war broke out and Mykola joined the army.

In the summer of 2023, the man returned to the workshop and decided to restore the residence project, but now he wants to turn it into a center for the military to recover after service. Mykola plans to produce and sell 10,000 small pots, and use the proceeds to equip the residence.

• culture
• military
• Khmelnytskyi

Arkadii Fishman, an innovative mind hailing from Sloviansk, Donetsk Oblast, now residing in Ternopil Oblast, has devised a unique fundraising strategy. Teaming up with his companion, Olenka Dunets, Fishman is embarking on a 650 km journey across Ukrainian cities, showcasing his creation—a sofa on wheels—to raise funds for the Armed Forces.

Their odyssey has already commenced, with Ternopil, Vinnytsia, Khmelnytskyi, Zhytomyr, and Kyiv slated as pit stops along the way. Residents of these locales can catch a glimpse of the mobile sofa, snap photos, and contribute to the cause through donations. Fishman aims to culminate the tour in the capital on July 6th.

As Fishman is on his way to Khmelnytskyi, journalists have the opportunity to delve deeper into the charitable expedition and engage in conversation with him.

• Khmelnytskyi
• Kyiv
• Ternopil
• Vinnytsia
• Zhytomyr

Before the full-scale invasion, Mariupol resident Mykhailo Konyk had set up his own apiary in the city. He took care of 40 hives. On February 24, 2022, when russia began destroying the city, Mykhailo and his family hid in the basement where they stayed for several days to protect themselves from heavy shelling. Mykhailo received a concussion. In the end, the family managed to move to Ternopil oblast, and later to Mykhailo’s native region – Khmelnytskyi oblast. He knew that one of the forest farms in the region had an apiary. So, he turned to its director and offered his help. The apiary was in a bad condition, but Mykhailo managed to improve its operation, he even got about two tons of honey. After that, Mykhailo went to Kamianets-Podilskyi and now he is taking care of another abandoned apiary. Mykhailo works as a consultant and helps to restore the production of honey.

Mykhailo’s 40 hives remained in Mariupol; he could not take them out. The man dreams of returning to Ukrainian Mariupol to start rebuilding the apiary in the city destroyed by the russians.

For reference: the defense of Mariupol lasted 86 days. On May 20, 2022, Mariupol was occupied by the russians. The human rights organization Human Rights Watch estimated civilian casualties caused by the russian shelling of Mariupol to amount to at least 8,000. Thousands of people were injured: they lost limbs, sight, hearing or memory, particularly, as a result of craniocerebral injuries caused by the explosions. Also, according to Human Rights Watch estimates, out of the pre-war population of 540,000 people, about 400,000 residents had fled Mariupol by mid-May 2022.

• casualties
• occupation
• Khmelnytskyi
• Mariupol

Lana Teslenko lived in Kharkiv for over 20 years. There, the woman founded her own decoration agency and a recycled clothing brand. When the full-scale invasion began, Lana and her husband were in the city. At first, they spent the night in the subway, then a few days at a country house on the outskirts of Kharkiv, and finally they left to live with their parents in Khmelnytskyi. In the new place, the couple decided to reach a new level of recycling and build a house from materials found in a landfill. Windows, doors, the frame of the house – Lana found all this in the garbage. Only 20 percent of the building will be made of new materials, in particular, insulation for the roof and the roof itself.

The woman explains that one of the goals of such a construction method is to show people that not everything that ends up in a landfill is waste. Lana’s husband is an architect, so he is making the house plan himself. The home of the couple will be round and shaped like an egg, which for Lana is a symbol of a new life.

• women
• Khmelnytskyi

Oleksandr Darmoros’ life took a drastic turn in March 2016. Serving as an intelligence officer in the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) zone, during a combat mission, Darmoros hit an anti-personnel mine, leaving his entire body severely injured. Evacuated by his fellow soldiers in time, however, the blast took his eyesight and leg. Darmoros underwent numerous surgeries and years of rehabilitation, both in Ukraine and abroad. Despite the challenges, he persevered, learning to navigate life with prosthetics and take care of himself while living in darkness. In the US, Darmoros received running prosthetics and even participated in the Marine Corps Marathon. Alongside his physical recovery, he embarked on a new career path as a military psychologist. Now based in the Khmelnytskyi region, he provides crucial support to soldiers in need. Looking ahead, Darmoros aims to relaunch his YouTube channel, intending to share his experience and insights with a broader audience.

For reference: as February 24, 2024, marks the grim two-year anniversary of Russia’s criminal incursion into Ukraine. It stands as the apex of a decade-long war of aggression, which actually dates back to February 20, 2014, beginning with the annexation of Crimea. Russian forces invaded Ukrainian Crimea without any identifying markings and, after that, seized control of the peninsula back then. Subsequently, these events escalated into war in eastern Ukraine.

• casualties
• military
• psychological support
• Khmelnytskyi

Kateryna Hidzula is a mother of three and an entrepreneur from Khmelnytskyi. Three years ago, Kateryna started a hub for women. The main mission of the hub is to provide women with the opportunity for self-realization. Kateryna and her team deliver training sessions for the hub’s visitors. In particular, she gives the essential knowledge to run your own business.

When the full-scale war broke out, Kateryna started supporting displaced women with children. In April 2022, the Free Mom children’s space, launched with funding from the Ukrainian Women’s Fund, opened its doors in Khmelnytskyi. In the kid’s space, children can play and engage in development activities while their displaced mothers are busy with their work.

Currently, there are five free spaces for kiddos in Khmelnytskyi. Kateryna plans to scale up the project and increase the number of areas. And besides, she wants to continue conducting training for women.

• children
• women
• Khmelnytskyi