Themes by tag: Kyiv

Oleksandr Popyk was a biker before the war, as he loves speed and motorcycles. Back in 2014, he volunteered to the front. In October 2022, he was injured during an assault operation: he suffered a spinal cord injury. He lost the ability to walk and ended up in a wheelchair.

Oleksandr became one of the people to take advantage of free interior design consultations. He received help from representatives of the “Active Rehabilitation Group” whose work is supported by the “League of the Strong” union (the “We Unite and Help amidst the War” project).

Among other things, Oleksandr received help with the new bathroom design, particularly specific drawings. Then Oleksandr made renovations on his own. They also discussed issues related to the design of the adjacent territory.

In total, 52 people with disabilities received free consultations on interior design as a part of the project “We Unite and Help amidst the War.”

Journalists have an opportunity to learn more about the implementation of the project and receive comments from specialists in Kyiv, as well as to talk to Oleksandr in Kyiv region.

• casualties
• military
• Kyiv

Olha Tymchenko, Head of Communications of Voices of Children Charitable Foundation and children’s writer took a 17-year-old orphan girl, Lera under her care. She was deported by the russians from occupied Nova Kakhovka, Kherson region.

Lera’s town was occupied on the first day of russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. A year and a half later, the russians announced an evacuation and took 500 children from Nova Kakhovka to occupied Crimea. The girl stayed there for 2 months, until her grandmother managed to take her from there.

Later, Lera returned to Ukraine-controlled territory herself. She went through occupied Melitopol, Berdiansk, Mariupol, and then through russia. She had to go through all that to arrive at the only open checkpoint on the Ukrainian-russian border in Sumy region.

After her return, the girl received consultations from a psychologist at the Voices of Children, where she met Olha Tymchenko.

Journalists have the opportunity to talk with Olha and Lera in Kyiv by prior agreement.

• children
• occupation
• women
• Kyiv

Peaceful demonstrations are planned in at least 15 cities to remind the public of the Ukrainian defenders of Mariupol’s “Azovstal” and other military personnel who are still held captive by the enemy.

On April 6, events will be held in Dnipro, Okhtyrka, Bila Tserkva, Pavlohrad, Vinnytsia, Krolevets and Lviv.

On April 7, rallies are planned in Kyiv, Cherkasy, Kremenchuk, Ovruch, Chernivtsi, Kryvyi Rih, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Odesa.

The events are organized by the families of the POWs from the Mariupol garrison.

• military
• prisoners
• Dnipro
• Kyiv
• Lviv
• Odesa

Haiane Avakian from Bakhmut found out about her destroyed home from photos of the city in the russian social media. Yuliia Mashuta watched a livestream of her house in Severodonetsk burning down after a rocket hit. Currently, these women are a part of the team of the “Sviy Dim” platform, which collects testimonies by people whose property and homes were destroyed by russia.

“Sviy Dim” is a platform for people who are building the foundation of a new life in Ukraine. Over 600 testimonies have already been published. Most of them are from the people who come from the regions of active hostilities (Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv and Kherson regions as well as others). The platform records russian war crimes related to the destruction of the civilian infrastructure of Ukraine: apartment buildings and detached houses, schools and kindergartens, cultural and sports facilities. Every story is human-centered. Those who lived or worked there share stories of their house, factory or cultural center.

The platform is also creating a database of objects that need restoration. A separate section – reconstruction – tells stories of those who are rebuilding the affected regions right now.

By prior agreement, journalists can talk with Haiane Avakian, Product Development Director of the Abo Agency, who founded the “Sviy Dim” platform, as well as with other people who have shared their testimonies on the platform.

• casualties
• occupation
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

After the beginning of the full-scale invasion, about 8,500 Ukrainian children were left without parental care, more than 1,500 became orphans, tens of thousands lost their homes or were forced to relocate. Children’s homes and orphanages in Ukraine are under great pressure today, their resources are exhausted, and access to quality medical care is limited.

As part of the “Little Hearts” project, FRIDA takes care of Children’s homes and orphanages in different parts of Ukraine. Teams consisting of volunteer doctors of different specializations travel to these institutions to examine children and determine if they need medicines, vaccinations, rehabilitation and surgical interventions.

Pediatricians will visit a children’s home in Kyiv region in April.

Media representatives are invited to cover the missions under this project.

• casualties
• children
• doctors
• Kyiv

From April 6-7, volunteers from the “Brave to Rebuild” project will embark on a mission to clean up debris in Moshchun village and Irpin city, both located in the Kyiv region. Their task? Dismantling the wreckage left behind by buildings ravaged in the wake of Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine. 

Media personnel are invited to cover these volunteer-led efforts. 

For reference: Fast forward to April 2, 2022, when Ukraine regained full control over the Kyiv region from Russian occupation, followed by the Chernihiv region liberation by April 6, 2022. By April 11, 2022, then Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, proudly announced retaking the state border in the Sumy region.

• occupation
• reconstruction
• volunteers
• Kyiv

On April 4, Kyiv will host a press conference for the charity event entitled “Spartan KYIV 2024 to support the Defense Intelligence,” The participants will talk about the Spartan KYIV charity race with obstacles, which will take place on April 20, 2024 in the capital. The purpose of the race is to raise funds in support of the Defense Intelligence, as well as for the prosthetics for an injured soldier.

The charity event will feature a special part entitled PARA RACE — a race for athletes with musculoskeletal disorders and amputations. Participants will overcome obstacles and show their strength, fortitude as well as indomitable will and body.

Participants:

– Yevhen Yerin, representative of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry;

– Vitalii Matviienko, representative of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry;

– Oleksii Vovk, representative of Spartan Ukraine.

• Kyiv

On April 4, media representatives and bloggers are invited to the pre-opening of Kostiantyn and Vlada Liberovs’ “Contact Line” exhibition in Kyiv. In particular, there will be an opportunity to ask photographers some questions and receive comments from the first guests of the exhibition: media persons, military personnel and volunteers.

“Contact Line” will open on April 5. The exhibition includes more than 150 documentary photos and videos taken over the past two years in front-line areas and the front lines themselves.

Since the start of the full-scale war, the couple has traveled to the hottest areas of the front, documenting the consequences of russian shelling and the work of the Ukrainian military. So, Kostiantyn spent many hours with the infantry at “the ground zero” and accompanied assault groups on their missions. Some of the photos presented at “Contact Line” exhibition include: “Shell Cemetery in Kharkiv,” “Battle for Bakhmut,” “Winter at the Front. Silver Forest,” “30 Hours at Ground Zero,” “Da Vinci’s Last Assault” and other war series photos. The second part of the exhibition will depict the reality of the civilian population with footage from Marinka, Bakhmut, Soledar, Kherson, Lysychansk, Bucha, Mykolaiv and other Ukrainian cities that suffered as a result of the russian invasion.

Entry to the exhibition requires a donation of UAH 100 or more, and visitors can purchase any work if they wish. Funds collected during the exhibition will be used to purchase 1,000 FPV drones for the military.

The event requires registration. 

• culture
• Kyiv

The ‘Doctors for Heroes’ charity project is dedicated to assisting both military personnel and civilians who have suffered facial and head injuries, offering vital reconstruction services. To date, the project has aided 107 military individuals and one civilian.

Under this initiative, skilled surgeons and bioengineers generously provide their expertise pro bono, ensuring patients receive essential medical care. However, for the reconstruction of skull bones, specialized implants are required. Recognizing this need, the Eastern Star Charitable Foundation, the driving force behind the project, has committed to covering the costs of producing these implants for each participant. To fund this crucial aspect, the foundation relies on donations, carefully managing the allocation of resources to ensure targeted assistance. Moreover, it offers ongoing support to patients throughout their treatment journey.

Journalists seeking insights into this impactful endeavor can arrange interviews with project organizers, medical professionals, and beneficiaries in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.

• casualties
• doctors
• military
• Kyiv

In a bid to prevent amputations among Ukrainians injured in Russia’s aggression, the “Save the Limb” national initiative is teaming up with artists. On March 31, Kyiv will host the “Sorrow and Love” charity dinners, with entry granted upon donation.

The evening’s lineup boasts performances by renowned Ukrainian musicians, stand-up comedy by Ramil Yangulov, a DJ set by Bodrov, and a charity auction featuring a photo draw by war documentary filmmakers Konstiantyn and Vladyslava Liberov, aka Libkos.

Attendees will groove to tunes by artists like Dima Libra, GEED (Hidayat Seyidov), and INSHAYA, whose spouse serves in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Headlining the event is HARNA, a talented multi-instrumentalist artist, Ukrainian musician, and former participant of “The Voice of Ukraine 11” and Eurovision 2020’s national selection.

All funds raised at the event will go towards surgeries for the wounded under the “Save the Limb” program of the Health of the Ukrainian People Foundation.

For context: “Save the Limb” stands as one of Ukraine’s premier programs, offering aid to war victims and funding costly limb-saving surgeries not covered by the state. Since its 2022 inception, the program has aided over a thousand Ukrainians.

• casualties
• culture
• doctors
• Kyiv