Themes by tag: Kyiv

On June 15, Kyiv will host Memoria Bellatoris, a charity event dedicated to honoring the memory of fallen soldiers from the 6th Battalion of the 12th Azov Brigade.

Participants are invited to join a CrossFit workout held in their honor. Entry is open to all in exchange for a charitable donation.

Organizers say the event aims to commemorate the battalion’s sacrifice and bring the community together in remembrance.

Event registration is required to attend.  

• dead
• 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

Ivan and Iryna Umansky are a couple from the Kherson oblast. Before russia’s full-scale invasion, the family was raising four biological children and a boy named Bohdan, whom they had taken under their guardianship. Bohdan was the first child they welcomed into their family. Undeterred by his medical diagnosis, the Umanskys decided to give the boy a chance at a full life.

When the war began, the couple was in their hometown of Kakhovka, which remains under russian occupation. They moved from their home to a friend’s house to look after it. In August 2022, the head of social services, who was still cooperating with Ukrainian authorities, contacted the couple and asked if they could take in two girls from an orphanage.

The family took a risk: aside from birth certificates, the girls had no other documents. Later, Ivan bought a seven-seater, and the family decided to flee to Ukrainian-controlled territory. They had to pass through twenty russian checkpoints, and the journey took three days. The Umanskys eventually reached the Kyiv oblast, where they initially stayed in a family support center. They later lived in an apartment provided to them free of charge. In April 2024, they moved into a new house built as part of the “Address of Childhood” project by Ukraine’s First Lady, Olena Zelenska’s Foundation. Today, Ivan and Iryna are raising ten children and have the status of a large foster family.

Journalists can speak with Ivan and Iryna Umansky online or in person by prior arrangement.

• children
• occupation
• Kyiv

Olena Yefremova, a paramedic and deminer from Kramatorsk in Donetsk Oblast, has been serving with the HALO Ukraine team since 2021. Previously employed as a saleswoman, she made a decisive career change after learning about the call for deminers in Bakhmut, promptly joining the ranks.

Today, Olena’s son is also a member of HALO, having been persuaded by his mother to enlist.

Reflecting on her work, Olena says, “I don’t keep track of how many explosive devices I have discovered. But I know that our efforts translate directly into lives saved.”

Journalists may arrange interviews with Olena and her son by prior appointment in the Kyiv region.

• women
• Kyiv
• demining

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

Journalists are invited to attend and cover an open training session hosted by the Arey Assault Battalion of the Ukrainian Volunteer Army. The event will be led by combat instructors sharing frontline experience gained during active duty.

The training program will feature assault tactics, casualty evacuation, tactical medicine, physical conditioning, and combat simulations conducted by instructors with firsthand battlefield experience.

Registration is required to attend the event.

• 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

In June, during Pride Month, Kyiv will host the largest LGBTIQ+ event of the year, KyivPride, and become a center of visibility, support, and the fight for human rights. This year, organizers are preparing two main events: the KyivPride Park charity festival and the KyivPride march. 

KyivPride is Ukraine’s largest annual LGBTIQ+ event. In 2025, it will be held under the slogan “Unity in Diversity”, the official motto of the European Union. This theme emphasizes Ukraine’s commitment to European integration, the importance of partnerships and solidarity in the fight for human rights, and the struggle against the war.

On June 7, the KyivPride Park charity festival will take place. This charitable, educational event will feature lectures, workshops, photo exhibitions, a fair of Ukrainian brands, live music, and a community space.

On June 14, the KyivPride March will be held. This event is a key moment in the fight for human rights. Last year, due to security concerns, only about 500 people were able to participate in the march. This year, organizers aim to attract more participants, but the location has not yet been disclosed for safety reasons.

Journalists need to be accredited to attend the event.

• Kyiv
• LGBT

On June 7, Kyiv will host a rally and public action titled “Ours Are Not Home Yet” in support of Ukrainian soldiers who are missing or held in captivity.

The event is organized by the community of families of missing and captured servicemen from the 32nd Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ground Forces of the AFU. 

• military
• prisoners
• Kyiv

Airlogix was established in 2020, initially focusing on developing UAVs for cargo delivery. However, with the onset of full-scale war, the team shifted its efforts toward building reconnaissance drones.

The prototype of the GOR reconnaissance UAS took flight in May 2022. Feedback from soldiers later helped refine the system into a fully operational tactical military platform. One year after its initial launch, the team secured its first government contract.

Today, the company is developing nine additional products aimed at significantly enhancing the effectiveness of the Ukrainian Defense Forces. The team says it is continually expanding production capacity to deliver as many systems to the front line as possible.

The developers are open to both online and in-person meetings in Kyiv by prior arrangement. They are prepared to showcase their completed drones and share test footage with journalists.

• Kyiv