Themes by tag: Kyiv

Mykhailo Purin, 62, hails from Odesa but was in Kyiv when russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Before the war, he worked as a journalist, contributing articles to a Ukrainian media outlet. When the first explosions shook the capital, he volunteered for the army, drawing on his prior experience as a medical instructor in the Soviet military to serve in a similar role with the Navy’s river flotilla.

During his service, Purin patrolled rivers and participated in combat missions in the Kherson region, particularly around Krynky. After several years on the front lines, he retired in August 2024 upon reaching retirement age. Rather than settling into a quiet pensioned life, he sought a role that would give him purpose.

With guidance from Lobby X, an organization supporting veteran employment, Purin explored opportunities that aligned with his passions. He first took a position at Pethouse, a company specializing in pet food and shelter support, where he now manages supply chains. Beyond his day job, he volunteers with UAnimals, helping rescue and evacuate animals from conflict zones.

Purin is available for interviews both online and in person in Kyiv by prior arrangement.

• animals
• military
• Kyiv

Ukraine, together with millions of activists from 211 countries of the world, will join World Cleanup Day — the largest environmental civic initiative on the planet, organized by the international movement Let’s Do It World.

This year Kyiv will become the heart of the global event: here the international press media center, call center and online studio will operate, with a live broadcast for 211 countries of the world on the YouTube channel and the “Kyiv” TV channel. The event will take place on September 20.

Central location

(registration of participants, warm-up; press briefing; official opening, welcome speeches of guests; safety instructions, group photo; cleanup (green zone cleaning); final photo, waste removal)

Representatives of government authorities, international partners, celebrities, corporate participants and volunteers will take part.

International Press Conference and Media Center

The international press conference with the participation of Ukrainian and foreign media will take place. Among the speakers:

• Heidi Solba, President and CEO of Let’s Do It World, World Cleanup Day;
• Iuliia Markhel, Leader of Let’s Do It Ukraine, National Coordinator of World Cleanup Day in Ukraine;
• Representatives of the Government of Ukraine and Kyiv City State Administration.

After the press conference, participants will be able to get acquainted with the work of the World Cleanup Day global online studio. The central hub will be the international communication media center, which will coordinate the broadcast and the participation results of all countries.

Journalists are invited to review the detailed program for the event. Accreditation is required to attend.

• ecology
• Kyiv

Peaceful demonstrations will take place in 29 cities across Ukraine to draw attention to the plight of Azovstal defenders and other service members who remain in enemy captivity.

On September 13, rallies will be held in Lviv, Arbuzynka, Pivdenoukrainske, Okhtyrka, Vinnytsia, Chernihiv, Sumy, Dnipro, Bila Tserkva, Pavlohrad, Shpola, Volochysk, and Poltava.

On September 14, events are scheduled in Kyiv, Krolevets, Kremenchuk, Mykolaiv, Obukhiv, Irpin, Ovruch, Cherkasy, Uzhhorod, Dolynska, Berdychiv, Lozova, Kropyvnytskyi, Shostka, Odesa, and Chernivtsi.

The rallies are organized by families of prisoners of war from the Mariupol garrison. Ukrainians who have been released from captivity frequently take part, standing in solidarity with those still held.

• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

Crimea-born artist Kateryna Tutierova, has transformed a soldering iron into an unlikely tool of artistry. Born in Bakhchisarai, she entered university in 2014, the year russia annexed the peninsula. Tutierova wanted to transfer to the mainland, but as a minor, she needed her parents’ consent, which they refused to give. Three years later, she graduated with a russian diploma and moved straight to Kyiv.

In Kyiv, she earned a second bachelor’s degree, followed by a master’s in cultural studies from Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, before starting a career in social media management. But after russia launched its full-scale invasion, Tutierova came across an online video demonstrating how to make jewelry with a soldering iron. Intrigued, she borrowed one from a friend, picked up the basics, and began experimenting. By March of that year, she had sold her first piece.

Today, Tutierova works with an alloy of tin and copper, metals that are both environmentally friendly and safe to wear. She began with earrings and chokers, then expanded into larger pieces such as handbags and paintings. Her bold, sculptural designs have since appeared on Fashion Week runways and on Ukrainian celebrities featured in magazines and music videos. Last year, singers Jerry Heil and Alyona Alyona performed at the Eurovision Song Contest wearing her creations.

Tutierova named her brand Sfurato,  a word she once misspelled during a university class. What started as a personal experiment has grown into a distinctive label defined by resilience, artistry, and reinvention. 

Those interested in her work can reach her online or arrange an appointment in Kyiv.

• culture
• women
• Kyiv

The State Emergency Service of Ukraine and the creators of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl have joined forces to raise awareness about landmine dangers: On September 12, the Media Center Ukraine will host a special event promoting the safety of Ukrainian youth.

Participants:

• Roman Prymush, Deputy Head of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine for Digital Development, Digital Transformation, and Digitalization;
• Serhii Artemenko, Creative Director of Rockets. Growth R&D Creative Marketing Agency.

Key topics:

• The greatest threat to Ukrainians: mine danger;
• New approaches by the State Emergency Service to promote mine safety.

Background: For the first time in Ukraine, a unique special project within the iconic game S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl has been created to combine cutting-edge technology with a critical educational mission — to convey a simple truth to teenagers and young people: in real life, a second chance might not come.

• Kyiv

Visitors can stroll through a wheat field under the Ukrainian sky, and see a 20-meter Cossack Chaika boat;  examine Ivan Mazepa’s saber and a sword from the Kyivan Rus era; fly in virtual reality over Bakota, Syvash, and the Carpathians;  step into a pink train carriage; attend the final rehearsal of Rebellion by MUR; explore the set of The Witch of Konotop ― all of this and more will be available from September 26 in Kyiv, at the interactive Ukraine WOW exhibition.

Ukraine WOW aims to immerse people in Ukrainian heritage and historical continuity, empowering visitors to create the future.

The exhibition consists of five thematic sections: Land, Rulers/Warriors, Thinkers, Artists, and Independence. It features over a hundred exhibits and dozens of interactive zones. Exhibits include Ivan Mazepa’s saber; a sword from the Kyivan Rus era; Cossack bowls; a hetman’s mace; original prints of Ukraine, from Beauplan (1651) to Marshall (1772); the Unification Train, where the Unification Act between the West Ukrainian People’s Republic and the Ukrainian People’s Republic was signed; a 20-meter replica of a Cossack chaika; and much more.

Background: Over 200 people worked on the project. The concept and implementation of this exhibition was fulfilled by the NGO, Ukraine WOW, and the agency, Gres Todorchuk. It was organized together with JSC Ukrzaliznytsia, in cooperation with strategic partner Aurora Multimarket, general partner ROZETKA, and official partner Visa. The project is supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. The exhibits have been provided by museums in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine.

The exhibits were provided by museums and private collectors. Part of the proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to support the Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine, the Museum of Archaeology at the Institute of Archaeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the National Museum of Natural History of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the Cherkasy City Archaeological Museum of the Middle Dnipro Region, the National Museum of the History of Ukraine, and the Chernihiv Regional Historical Museum named after V. V. Tarnovsky.

• culture
• Kyiv

In partnership with IREX and with funding from U.S. taxpayers, the savED Charitable Foundation has opened modular, temporary learning spaces in the Pervomaiska and Shevchenkivska communities of the Mykolaiv oblast. This initiative will enable over 500 local children to resume in-person learning.

Throughout 2022, the Pervomaiska community — which received one of the temporary learning spaces — was on the frontline of combat and suffered significant destruction. Specifically, a russian attack destroyed a secondary school in one of its villages. In 2023, savED established an educational center called “Vulyk” (The Hive) in a local family medicine clinic, where students could participate in interactive extracurricular sessions with tutors. However, this was insufficient to restore full-scale education for the hundreds of children in the community. The new modular space will enable 220 local students to resume in-person schooling.

Shevchenkivska is the second community to receive a modular temporary learning space. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the community has been on the frontline, with some of its settlements enduring eight months of occupation.

The temporary learning spaces are barrier-free and child-friendly. Each of the six classrooms features high ceilings, comfortable furniture, tablets, and interactive multimedia panels. The facilities also include a large inclusive restroom, a teachers’ lounge, and a server room. The entrance is equipped with a ramp. Alternative power sources enable the spaces to operate fully during electricity outages.

It is worth noting that students in Bohdanivka, a village in the Kyiv oblast, where russians burned down the local school, students now study in a similar modular temporary learning space.

Background: Temporary learning spaces are built by benefactors using reliable modular structures in communities where schools have been damaged due to russian aggression or where the infrastructure needs to be expanded due to an increase in student enrollment, including internally displaced persons.

• children
• occupation
• russian crimes
• Kyiv
• Mykolaiv

On September 13, Kyiv will host Run for Freedom, a charity race aimed at raising awareness about Ukrainian military personnel and civilians held in captivity. The event, now in its second year, is organized by students of the Kyiv School of Economics along with historian and UNITED24 ambassador Timothy Snyder, who is expected to join the run in person.

Runners can choose distances of 1, 5, or 10 kilometers. Participation is free for active-duty service members, veterans, and families of prisoners of war. Organizers say the race is intended to draw international attention to the urgent need to secure the release of Ukrainians held by russia, while also showing solidarity with families waiting for their loved ones to return.

A press conference featuring Snyder will be held as part of the event. Journalists are required to register in advance.

For reference: Organizers include KSE Foundation, DefDev, the national RECOVERY network of rehabilitation centers for wounded soldiers, and the Heart of Azovstal project supporting Mariupol’s defenders. Media partners are ShoTam media outlet, 1+1 Ukraine TV channel, and Interfax-Ukraine news agency.

All proceeds from ticket sales, after covering organizational costs, will be directed to the Ukrainian Defense Forces through the KSE Foundation. Organizers have pledged to provide a public report detailing how the funds are used.

• culture
• Kyiv

On September 13, Kyiv will host a peaceful motorcycle and car rally organized by the “United Biker Front” war veterans’ motorcycle club. The rally will be accompanied by a photo exhibition titled “Our People Are Not Home Yet” to show support for missing and captured soldiers of the 32nd Separate Mechanized Brigade.

Background: The event is organized by the community of families of missing and captured soldiers from the 32nd Separate Mechanized Brigade, which is part of the Ukrainian Ground Forces.

• military
• prisoners
• Kyiv

Journalists are invited to the opening of Ukraine’s first barrier-free and inclusive sports complex.

One of Kyiv’s long-neglected stadiums has been given a new lease on life thanks to Howard G. Buffett Foundation. A key focus of the complex will be providing post-rehabilitation support to veterans and military personnel.

The complex  will feature basketball, volleyball, football, and tennis courts. It will also have martial arts and fitness halls, rehabilitation rooms, and a fully equipped gym.

Attendees will include:

• Howard G. Buffett, American philanthropist,
• Oleksandr Yegorov, head of FC Lokomotiv Kyiv,
• representatives of the President’s Office and the Cabinet of Ministers,
• veterans and active-duty service members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

• culture
• Kyiv