Themes by tag: Kyiv

To mark Vyshyvanka Day, a special blood donation event combining Ukrainian tradition, care, and a real opportunity to save lives will take place in Kyiv. On May 21, the mobile blood donation hub “Teplokrovni” will stop near the Ivan Honchar National Center of Folk Culture.

Symbolically, the donation event will take place on the holiday itself. One of the main symbols of Ukrainian embroidery is the Tree of Life — a sign of continuity, the connection between generations, and strength passed on to descendants. This connection is also reflected in blood donation: when one person shares their blood, they give another person a chance to continue living.

“Teplokrovni” is a 13-meter double-decker bus converted into a modern mobile donation center. During the operation of the “Teplokrovni” mobile hub, more than 1,000 liters of blood have already been collected, helping save thousands of wounded military personnel and civilians.

What visitors to the “Teplokrovni” hub can expect on May 21:

1st floor — an interactive exhibition about blood and its life-giving power. Free admission;
2nd floor — a comfortable and safe donation area staffed by a professional medical team.

Participation in the donation requires prior registration.

• culture
• Kyiv

A petition regarding the draft Civil Code of Ukraine gathered the required 25,000 signatures in a record 13 hours. This demonstrates Ukrainians’ attitude toward lawmakers’ attempts to excessively regulate private life and human rights through a return to soviet-style patriarchal norms and other archaic terminology.

In particular, a coalition of civil society organizations prepared 95 pages of amendments to the draft new Civil Code, which contains systemic risks to fundamental rights and freedoms. The amendments address, among other things, legal uncertainty caused by vague terminology, expanded judicial discretion, threats to freedom of expression and access to information, restrictions on privacy rights and the media sphere, narrowing of rights in guardianship and custody matters, risks to family and reproductive rights, as well as potential threats to public property, state registers, and a radical revision of the foundations of civil law. These amendments were prepared by professional lawyers specializing in various branches of law.

During the press conference, participants will provide a detailed analysis of the submitted amendments, explain through which lawmakers they were introduced, and why these changes go far beyond a narrow circle of interested individuals and concern every citizen. The discussion will also focus on further steps and possible scenarios, from optimistic to the most risky.

The event will take place in Kyiv on May 20.

Speakers:

Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, Member of Parliament of Ukraine;
Oksana Romaniuk, Head of the NGO “Institute of Mass Information”;
Tetiana Ostrikova-Chmeruk, Member of the Board of the Ukrainian Bar Association;
Oleksandr Demenko, Head of the NGO “LGBT Military for Equal Rights,” defender of Mariupol and Azovstal;
Oleh Maksymiak, Advocacy Manager at the NGO “Tochka Opory UA”.

The event will be moderated by Alona Lunova, Advocacy Director at the ZMINA Human Rights Centre.

• Kyiv

In Lviv, Poltava, and Kyiv, from May 28 to 30, a presentation of the new artillery brigade “Hregit” within the 2nd Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine “Khartiia” will take place, focusing on high-precision strikes against russian occupying forces.

During the event, participants will learn how artillery operates today and how the new Ukrainian military force is being formed. Brigade representatives will speak about personnel training, command work, military service, and opportunities for people with different backgrounds and civilian professions.

Registration is required to attend the event.

• Kyiv
• Lviv
• Poltava

Participants:

– Nataliia Yepifanova, Head of the NGO Warriors Liberation;

– Nataliia Kravtsova, mother of a captured “Azov” fighter, defender of Mariupol;

– Dmytro “Diplomat”, defender of Mariupol, veteran of the “Azov” brigade, former prisoner of war;

– Bohdan Okhrymenko, representative of the Coordination Headquarters — Head of the Secretariat of the Coordination Headquarters.

Topics for discussion:

– systemic issues in returning “Azov” fighters from captivity;

– persecution of “Azov” members in captivity: the Olenivka terrorist attack, intensified torture, mass criminal prosecution, and illegal verdicts by russian courts;

– the role of the international community and the state in returning the defenders of Mariupol.

The press conference will take place on the fourth anniversary of the final end of the defense of Mariupol and the surrender of the Mariupol garrison.

Speakers will address the issue of the prolonged captivity of servicemen of the 12th Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine “Azov,” who defended Mariupol and went into captivity in May 2022. More than 700 fighters remain in captivity.

How did it happen that soldiers who became a national and international symbol of Ukraine’s resistance to russian aggression in the early months of the full-scale invasion are often left out of prisoner exchanges?

The purpose of the press conference is also to discuss possible mechanisms to strengthen efforts to secure the release of “Azov” fighters from captivity.

• military
• prisoners
• Kyiv

On May 31 in Bucha, Kyiv region, the event “Match of Expectation: Every Voice Saves” will take place. As part of the event, the Ukrainian national veterans’ team will play an advocacy football match against the Kyiv regional team to draw attention to the families of missing and captured Ukrainian defenders.

The Ukrainian national veterans’ team will include well-known Ukrainian football players and former professional players: Andriy Biba, Yevhen Seleznyov, Yevhen Khacheridi, Serhiy Nazarenko, Oleksiy Bielik, Mykola Morozyuk, Yuriy Maksymov, Eduard Tsykhmeistruk, Oleh Sobutskyi, Volodymyr Lysenko, Mykola Ishchenko, Viacheslav Sviderskyi, Volodymyr Bondarenko, and Serhii Pohorilyi.

The Kyiv regional team will consist of war veterans, service members, volunteers, representatives of the Kyiv Regional State Administration, the Kyiv Regional Council, local communities, the National Police in Kyiv region, and the State Emergency Service of Ukraine.

A symbolic installation will be created in the stadium stands: military uniforms will be placed on 500 seats as a symbol of presence. Each seat will represent a defender whose fate remains unknown and a family that continues to wait. Nearby, photographs of missing soldiers, their words, and links to personal stories will be displayed.

Before the match, participants will form a circle of solidarity around the pitch with lit torches. The first kick of the ball will be taken by a child of a missing defender together with a man from Bucha who was released from captivity.

Within the “Match of Expectation: Every Voice Saves” initiative, families and relatives of missing defenders will be able to receive free legal and psychological support from partner organizations and, if they wish and consent, fill out a needs assessment form for further assistance and follow-up.

Journalists must register in advance to attend the event.

Background: The advocacy event is organized by the NGO “Voices of Silence.” It is an association of families of missing and captured Ukrainian defenders, founded in Bucha by Nataliia Ilyina, the wife of a missing defender.

• military
• prisoners
• psychological support
• Kyiv

On May 18, Ukrposhta and the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War will hold a special cancellation ceremony for the “Let’s Fill It Together” art stamp sheet on International Museum Day.

The release supports the War Museum’s fundraising campaign, launched on February 13 this year. The campaign aims to raise UAH 20 million for the renovation and expansion of the institution. The funds will be used to create new museum exhibitions beneath the “Motherland Monument” — including the “Museum of Modern Military Technologies” and the “Museum of Soviet (russian) Propaganda.”

During the event, organizers will present a collectible set featuring a postcard, an envelope, and nine stamps depicting the monument. Ukrainian artists Volodymyr Taran and Anton Lohov, as well as designers Liudmyla Nikorych and Daria Dashynhevych, contributed to the collection’s development. Each created their own interpretation of the “Motherland Monument,” a symbol of Ukrainian resilience and resistance during the russian-Ukrainian war. Together, the artworks form a multifaceted portrait of a nation undergoing a transformation of its identity amid Europe’s largest armed conflict since World War II.

The cancellation ceremony will be attended by Ukrposhta CEO Ihor Smilianskyi, Museum Director Yurii Savchuk, and the artists behind the stamp designs. All proceeds from sales of the postal products will be transferred to the Museum’s dedicated fundraising account.

Journalists are required to register in advance to attend the event.

• culture
• Kyiv

On May 16–17, the MHP Run4Victory Kyiv Marathon will take place in central Kyiv. For the first time since the start of the full-scale war, the event will open its city routes for mass participation. All registration fees and donations will go toward prosthetic treatment for Ukrainian servicemen and servicewomen through the Protez Foundation.

Participants can choose from several distances depending on their level of preparation:

• 42 km — full marathon for experienced runners
• 21 km — half marathon for trained participants
• 10 km — endurance race
• 5 km and 2 km — introductory and charity runs
• 500 m — “People Titans” inclusive race
• 500 m — pet-friendly race (all distances allow participation with dogs)
• Online distance — participate remotely from anywhere
• Free children’s races: 500 m, 300 m, and 100 m

Background: The event is organized for the third consecutive year by MHP in partnership with the MHP-Hromadi Charity Foundation. The sports organizer is NewRun.

• culture
• Kyiv

On May 14, the War Museum in Kyiv will host the event “Ukrainian Rescuers: Heroes of the Past and Present,” dedicated to the Day of Remembrance of Ukrainians who rescued Jews during World War II.

The discussion will focus on the phenomenon of rescue, the moral choices people make during wartime, and how the memory of World War II is being reinterpreted through the experience of the modern russian-Ukrainian war.

A total of 2,713 Ukrainians have been awarded the title of Righteous Among the Nations — the fourth-highest number in the world. The War Museum continues to collect stories of people who risked their lives to save others during the nazi occupation.

Among the guests will be Anatolii and Olena Tartakovski, children of Righteous Among the Nations recipient Lidiia Savchuk from Vinnytsia region, who together with her parents hid a Jewish man, Isak Tartakovski.

The discussion will also feature Oksana Chertsova, a lecturer at the Institute of International Relations of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, a volunteer from Bucha, and a representative of the Nikolaienko family, recognized as Righteous Among the Nations for rescuing Jews in Babyn Yar. She will share her experience of living through the russian occupation of Kyiv region in 2022.

• culture
• Kyiv

Sofia and Volodymyr met through sports. Sofia came to a gym in Kyiv where her future husband worked as a coach. She is a trained teacher of Ukrainian language, literature, and history, while Volodymyr is a professional CrossFit athlete and coach with 15 years of experience.

The couple decided to open their own gym. That is how the T11CF sports space was established in Kyiv.

On March 4, 2022, Volodymyr joined a combat unit of the National Guard of Ukraine. He took part in the battles for the village of Moshchun in Kyiv region, the liberation of the Kyiv region, and later fought on the Zaporizhzhia front.

During that time, the project was put on hold. The gym eventually opened in September 2024. Later, thanks to a grant from the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation, the sports space expanded into a network of two locations.

Today, T11CF is not only about sports, but also about community. Soldiers, veterans, professional athletes, and people with disabilities train there.

Interviews with Sofia and Volodymyr can be arranged both online and in person in Kyiv by prior appointment.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• Kyiv

On May 15, Kyiv’s War Museum will host a public discussion titled “Chingene in Crimean Tatar Lists — From Rescue to Deportation: Little-Known Stories of Crimea’s Roma.”

The discussion will focus on the dramatic history of the Chingene — Crimean Roma (literally translated from Crimean Tatar as “Gypsies”) who were partially assimilated with the Crimean Tatars, or Qirimli. The Chingene are considered guardians of the Crimean Tatar musical tradition.

During the Nazi occupation of Crimea and the genocide of the Roma, many Chingene identified themselves as Qirimli, while Crimean Tatars in turn tried to save them by including them on Crimean Tatar registration lists. After the soviet reoccupation of Crimea, those same lists were used on May 18, 1944, to deport the Chingene alongside Crimean Tatars to Central Asia, the Urals and Siberia.

After they were later allowed to return to their historical homeland, many Chingene came back to Ukraine together with Crimean Tatars and continued preserving Crimea’s musical traditions by performing at weddings and ethnic celebrations within the Qirimli community.

The discussion will explore the history of the Chingene, the origins of the parallel name “Daifa,” and the differences between Chingene and Krymy Roma communities. Speakers include Romani studies scholar Natalia Zinevych, ethnologist Oleksandr Rybalko and researcher of Romani culture and literature Yanush Panchenko. The discussion will be moderated by Roman Kabachii, a researcher at the War Museum.

• culture
• Kyiv