Themes by tag: 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

Vitalii Kucherenko is a Ukrainian military man with almost 30 years of experience. He has been defending Ukraine since 2014 (he took part in the battles for Ilovaisk, Maryinka, and Avdiivka in particular). He was discharged from military service in 2017. During his service, he faced the major issue of the occupiers’ mining of Ukrainian land and in 2020, founded a private humanitarian company in mine action and later a training center for those wishing to learn the explosive ordnance survey and clearance experts profession. The center operates in the Khmelnytskyi region. There are already 174 people who have taken the course, including about 30 veterans of the Russia-Ukraine war, who are now qualified as demining experts. Currently, Vitalii’s company employs three veterans, and they are preparing to take part in land release operations.

For reference: According to preliminary forecasts, every 10th worker in Ukraine will be a veteran after the war is over. According to a recent study on ex-military employment, over 60% of employers had no experience working with veterans and, accordingly, had no experience recruiting veterans. 

• russian crimes
• Khmelnytskyi
• demining

Mykhailo Konik lived most of his life in Mariupol, where he founded 40 hives apiary. On February 24, 2022, when Russia began to destroy the city, Mykhailo and his family hid in the basement for several days from powerful shelling, and the man was injured. Eventually, they managed to leave for the Ternopil region and later for Mykhailo’s small homeland, Khmelnytskyi. The man knew that there was an apiary in the forestry, so he turned to its director and offered his help. The apiary was in poor condition, Mykhailo says, and the conditions for bees in Khmelnytskyi are worse than in Mariupol. Nevertheless, Mykhailo managed to get the apiary up and running and last year produced about two tons of honey.

Forty of Mykhailo’s hives remained in Mariupol, and he was unable to take them out. The man dreams of getting back to his hometown Mariupol to start rebuilding the apiary in the city that was ruined by the Russians.

• casualties
• Khmelnytskyi

The country’s only First Military Veterinary Clinic is operating in Khmelnytskyi. The clinic’s veterinarians treat both service animals and pets of internally displaced persons. Often, their patients are animals that got concussions or were wounded by shell fragments.  

Vets also travel to the frontline and de-occupied territories to rescue animals. For example, the veterinary center now shelters a fox from Bucha, which was found by local children and handed over to doctors. Despite burns covering 80% of the animal’s body, medical professionals managed to save it.

Overall, since February last year, the clinic’s specialists have helped several thousand animals.

• animals
• doctors
• Khmelnytskyi

Before the all-out war, Yurii Davydenko lived in Mariupol, doing everything to make sure that local young people had opportunities for development and self-actualization. For instance, he organized the 1991 Startup Development Center hub, visited by 50,000 people during the time of its operation.

After the start of russia’s full-scale invasion, Yurii managed to leave Mariupol for Mukachevo. There, he decided to resume doing what he does best – establishing youth hubs. Together with friends, he launched two spaces for IT specialists and IDPs in Mukachevo and Khmelnytskyi, and they are not going to stop.

• Khmelnytskyi
• Uzhhorod