Themes by tag: Kyiv
Before russia’s full-scale invasion, Maryna Sadykova worked in event management. But after February 24, 2022, her focus shifted entirely — she and her team began volunteering to support Ukrainian troops. The intense pace of that work soon took a toll. Struggling with burnout and anxiety, Sadykova sought peace in the Carpathian Mountains. That personal recovery experience inspired her to launch a mental health initiative for others facing the same strain.
Her organization, the Repower Charity Fund, now runs a psychological support program specifically for military medics and doctors who serve on the front lines. Based in Kyiv, the program offers a 10-day retreat in Sweden designed to help participants restore their emotional resilience and mental well-being.
Since 2022, Repower has organized 17 recovery programs, 16 abroad and one pilot retreat in Ukraine, reaching 1,244 combat medics who have since returned to duty. The foundation continues to expand its retreats and provide ongoing support for those who save lives under fire.
Media representatives and visitors can arrange to meet with Maryna Sadykova, her team, and program participants both online and in person in Kyiv by appointment.
Kyiv will host the Gongadze Prize Media Days on November 14-15, welcoming journalists, editors, researchers, philanthropists, and others shaping the future of Ukrainian media. The event serves as a platform for exploring journalism, collective memory, and professional responsibility.
Attendees can expect a program featuring:
– Panel discussions on the evolution of media within the Armed Forces, examining how war has transformed communication and documentation.
– Sessions on media as an institution, addressing resilience, independence, and influence in a country at war.
– Explorations of information control, considering how platforms, bloggers, and algorithms shape public perception.
– Conversations on sustainability, including media-donor partnerships, strategic planning, and evolving philanthropic ethics.
– Public interviews, lectures, interactive sessions, and exhibitions featuring prominent figures in journalism, culture, and public life.
Prior registration is required.
For reference: The awards are organized by the Georgiy Gongadze Prize with backing from the International Renaissance Foundation and the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy, in partnership with organizational support from Media Center Ukraine, and with media coverage provided by PEN Ukraine, Kyiv-Mohyla Business School, Ukrainska Pravda, Suspilne, the Institute of Mass Information (IMI), Detector Media, the Commission on Journalistic Ethics, and Lviv Media Forum.
On November 15, the human right action ‘Empty Chairs’ will take place in Kyiv in support of journalists, writers, cultural artists and human rights defenders who have gone missing, been imprisoned or are in captivity due to the russia’s war against Ukraine. The event is organized by PEN Ukraine and Center for Civil Liberties.
The event aims to unite the efforts of all those who support Ukraine and fight for the release of civilians and prisoners of war illegally detained as a result of russia’s war against Ukraine.
During the event, stories will be told about missing, illegally detained, and imprisoned Ukrainian authors, artists, and human rights defenders. Former prisoners will also join the event:
- Maksym Butkevych, Ukrainian human rights activist, journalist, public figure, and military officer who was held captive from June 2022 to October 2024;
- Dmytro Khilyuk, a UNIAN journalist who was held captive in russia from March 2022 to August 2025;
- Leniie Umerova, a Crimean Tatar activist who was held captive in russia from December 2022 to September 2024;
- Yulia “Taira” Paievska, a soldier, volunteer, poet, and public figure who was held captive in russia from March 16 to June 17, 2022;
- Vladislav Yesipenko, a freelance citizen journalist and correspondent for Radio Liberty’s Crimean service, who was held in captivity by the russian occupation authorities from March 2021 to June 20, 2025.
The event will be hosted by Maxim Sitnikov, Executive Director of Ukrainian PEN, and Alexandra Romantsova, Executive Director of the Center for Civil Liberties.
During the event, the organizers will set up a symbolic installation of empty chairs bearing the names of illegally imprisoned, captured, and missing authors, media workers, artists, and human rights defenders.
Event organizers: Ukrainian PEN, Center for Civil Liberties.
Imprisoned Writers Day, or Empty Chair Day, is observed on November 15 at the initiative of International PEN. Empty chairs at human rights events on this day symbolize authors who cannot be with us due to imprisonment, persecution, disappearance, or murder.
Since 2018, Ukrainian PEN, together with the Center for Civil Liberties, has been organizing a human rights event on this day to remind Ukrainians and the world about writers, artists, and all Ukrainians who cannot be with us on this day due to russian aggression.
As a result of a russian missile attack on May 5 and 7, 2025, several exhibits, an exhibition pavilion, and one administrative building of the Oleg Antonov State Aviation Museum were damaged. Specifically, several windows were shattered and the window frame system was deformed in the building housing the collection of aircraft models, preserved engines, and rescue equipment. This allowed moisture to enter the building, endangering the exhibits.
The museum is currently undergoing restoration. The repair work is being carried out within the framework of the “Culture Unites: Museums of Japan – Museums of Ukraine” grant program, implemented by ICOM Ukraine with financial support from ICOM Japan and the Japanese Association of Museums.
By prior arrangement, journalists can document the restoration process and speak with museum representatives.
Background: Thanks to the grant program, 6 unique damaged exhibits will be restored, and new glass will be installed in the pavilion and the administrative building.
Media professionals are invited to take part in a clay modeling master class on November 14 in Kyiv, an evening dedicated to creativity and self-care.
Pottery is widely recognized as an effective form of art therapy, helping participants stay grounded in the present moment through tactile focus on texture, shape, and movement. During the session, participants will have the opportunity to craft their own clay piece and may return later at a convenient time to glaze it.
Advance registration is required. The event address will be provided individually upon confirmation. Space is limited.
The workshop is part of the Mental Health Evenings series within the Mental Support for Media program, a set of activities designed to foster recovery and meaningful conversation in a relaxed setting.The program is implemented by the Souspilnist Foundation in partnership with the BrainCult Development and Psychotherapy Center, with support from UNESCO Ukraine and the Embassy of Japan in Ukraine/在ウクライナ日本国大使館.
A multimedia exhibition titled Iron People will open at the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in World War II on November 13, spotlighting the courage and resilience of the country’s railway workers who have kept a network – a lifeline for people moving around Ukraine and out of the country – running amid the ongoing russian invasion.
The project, created by Dutch photographer and documentary filmmaker Jelle Krings, pays tribute to more than 200,000 Ukrainian railway employees who maintain some 20,000 kilometers of track across the country. Despite constant russian strikes, they continue to keep transport lines operational, sustain military logistics, and help civilians escape the front lines.
Through photographs, personal testimonies, and sound installations, the exhibition tells the story of ordinary men and women whose steadfast work has become a lifeline for Ukraine. The centerpiece of the show is Krings’ short documentary Lifeline, which follows Tetiana Vislohuzova, head of an evacuation train that has rescued thousands of people from war zones. Visitors will also hear field recordings capturing the distinctive sounds of trains and stations that pulse through Ukraine’s wartime landscape.
Speakers at the opening ceremony will include:
– Alle Dorhout, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Ukraine;
– Yurii Savchuk, Director General of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in World War II;
– Jelle Krings, the project’s author;
– Oleksandr Pertsovskyi, Chairman of the Board of Ukrzaliznytsia JSC;
– Tetiana Vislohuzova, featured in the documentary. Journalists planning to attend must register in advance.
For reference: Iron People marks the culmination of Krings’ long-term project about the daily lives of Ukraine’s railways in a time of war. Since the start of russia’s all-out attack, he has traveled extensively across Ukraine, documenting the perilous work and deeply human stories of those keeping the nation’s railway network running. His photos and videos, already acclaimed internationally, are being presented in Ukraine for the first time in a multimedia format.
The exhibition is supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ukraine.
A peaceful march titled “Our People Are Not Home Yet” will take place in Kyiv on November 8. The march is organized by the families of missing and captured military personnel from the 32nd Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The march aims to raise awareness about the fate of Ukrainian defenders who are missing or in captivity, and to draw attention to their situation among society, state institutions, and the international community.
Around 500 people, including family members of the missing and captured, government officials, fellow soldiers, volunteers, civic activists, and concerned citizens, will march through central Kyiv. They want to remind everyone that the fight for freedom continues not only on the front lines but also in the hearts of those waiting for their loved ones.
The march will go through the central streets of Kyiv.
Objectives of the event:
- To publicly acknowledge that thousands of Ukrainian soldiers are still in captivity and that tens of thousands are missing.
- To support families who have lived in uncertainty for years while waiting.
- To call for active state and international efforts to bring every defender home.
- The event will demonstrate society’s unity around the goal of ensuring that no hero is forgotten.
The organizers invite representatives of Ukrainian and international media outlets to cover the “Our People Are Not Home Yet” march.
Kyiv will host the next stage of the nationwide Sport and War Veterans (UBD) competition on November 7, bringing together Ukrainian defenders through athletic rivalry, recovery, and camaraderie.
This round will feature futsal matches among war veterans, a fast-paced and teamwork-driven sport that embodies the shared resilience and unity of those who have served on the front lines.
The Sport and War Veterans (Combatants) initiative, launched by the National University of Physical Education and Sports of Ukraine in partnership with several organizations, is a series of annual tournaments designed to promote rehabilitation, social integration, and adaptation of veterans through sports. Earlier stages held in October included table tennis, swimming, e-sports, and arm wrestling, drawing participants from across the country.
This upcoming event in Kyiv continues that mission, using futsal’s spirit of cooperation and quick decision-making to foster both competition and solidarity among veterans.
The tournament is organized by the National University of Physical Education and Sports of Ukraine and the university’s Educational and Rehabilitation Center, and the Kyiv Oblast Football Association. Partners supporting the development of veteran sports in Ukraine are also involved.
Overall, the Sport and War Veterans (UBD) cycle features nine disciplines, including swimming, table tennis, futsal, arm wrestling, sitting volleyball, and wheelchair rugby – all aimed at building a community of mutual support and helping veterans return to active, fulfilling lives. Ukrainian football players and officials are expected to attend the ceremony and present awards to the participants.
On November 12, special open Care Lessons themed “Stop Bullying: Where Did Rudyk Go?” will take place in Kyiv and Kharkiv, focusing on ways to combat bullying behaviors among young children. The events will feature Daria Herasymchuk, Presidential Advisor for Children’s Rights and Rehabilitation, who will lead the session in Kyiv, and Anastasia Svoboda, founder of the Academy of Care, who will host the class in an underground school in Kharkiv.
The interactive lessons, which begin rolling out in Ukrainian schools on November 10, are designed to provide simple, practical tools that help children aged 5 to 10 recognize and speak up about bullying rather than remain silent.
As Ukrainian children continue to live under conditions of prolonged stress and uncertainty caused by the war, cases of bullying have sharply increased. In the first four months of 2025 alone, police recorded 1.5 times more incidents than during the same period last year. Yet many adults still struggle to respond effectively, according to the Ministry of Education and Science, only 28 percent of teachers can confidently identify bullying.
The Academy of Care offers a systemic approach through its Care Lessons program, an interactive class built around the story of a missing character named Rudyk. Through this narrative, children learn to:
– recognize hidden forms of bullying such as insults and exclusion;
– establish personal boundaries and express emotions safely;
– develop a set of “Good Classroom Rules” to foster a culture of empathy and mutual support.
Media accreditation is required.
A memorial event titled “Wounds of Bucha’s Soil” will be held in Kyiv on November 7 to honor the tragedy of Ukraine’s hero cities, Bucha and Irpin, and the surrounding Bucha district, which endured some of the most brutal fighting in the spring of 2022. Once at the heart of russia’s assault on the Kyiv region, Bucha became a lasting symbol of the Ukrainian people’s strength and resilience. In the early weeks of the full-scale invasion, local defenders halted the enemy’s advance toward the capital, blocking armored columns on the outskirts of the city. After liberation, horrific images from Yablunska Street exposed the scale of atrocities committed by russian forces, turning Bucha into a global emblem of resistance and remembrance.
The event will revisit those events through the personal stories documented in journalist Olga Vorobyova’s books “Voices of Memory: Bucha – City of Heroes” and “Unconquered Irpin.” Attendees will hear first-hand accounts, testimonies from families of the fallen, and memories of witnesses who lived through the occupation. Organizers say the gathering will serve as a living memorial, a space for reflection, remembrance, and tribute to Ukrainians who sacrificed their lives for freedom.
Speakers will include:
– Nataliia Verbova, widow of Territorial Defense member Andrii Verbovyi, who was tortured to death by occupying forces;
– Olha Vorobiova, author of Voices of Memory: Bucha – City of Heroes and Unconquered Irpin;
– Kostiantyn Kukushkin, coordinator of the book publications;
– Liudmyla Humeniuk, mother of soldier Roman Shymanskyi, who died on February 25, 2022, during the demolition of the Hostomel Bridge over the Irpin River to stop an enemy convoy bound for Kyiv;
– Oleksandr Dubchak, the combat engineer who destroyed the Hostomel Bridge;
– Andrii Halavin, abbot of Church of St. Andrew the First-Called in Bucha, who oversaw the burial of the city’s victims;
– Dmytro Hapchenko, administrator of the Bucha City Council;– Yurii Savchuk, Director General of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in World War II and head of the museum’s expedition to the liberated Kyiv region in April 2022.
The program will feature documentary footage and photographs depicting the aftermath of Bucha’s occupation and the surrounding communities.
Journalists are required to register in advance to attend the event.
