Themes by tag: Kyiv
A major exhibition showcasing the largest collection of artifacts from the era of Hetman Ivan Mazepa will open at the Historical and Cultural Reserve “Kyiv Pechersk Lavra” on May 23. Titled “Mazepa: The Strategy of European Ukraine,” the exhibit offers rare insight into Ukraine’s historical alignment with Europe centuries ago.
The collection features an array of artifacts illustrating the political, cultural, and spiritual life of Mazepa’s time. Among the items on display are original historical documents, fine art, jewelry, Cossack-era weaponry, luxury goods, ceremonial attire, and early printed works – each piece offering a glimpse into Ukraine’s European identity during the Hetmanate period.
A guided tour by the exhibit’s curators will be held during the opening. Media representatives are required to obtain accreditation in advance.
The Grandma’s Hares project was launched four years ago by the Nasha Peremoga (Our Victory) Charitable Fund, which supports the elderly. This initiative aims to foster intergenerational communication by having participants, aged 60 and older, create hares from socks following a specific pattern. These soft toys are given to children in stressful situations, those who have suffered violence, or witnessed traumatic events. Police officers use these comforting toys to establish contact with or calm the children. For instance, the first doll hare was given to a young child who got lost and was found by the juvenile police.
Since the outbreak of the full-blown war, these toy hares have aided police officers in working with children affected by the warfare, including those who have lost parents or endured occupation. They are also distributed to children in shelters and hospitals. Additionally, hares in reflective vests have been used to teach preschoolers about traffic rules. During the winter blackouts, they provided comfort at the Points of Invincibility.
In May 2023, the elderly women crafted a special batch of brightly colored hares at the request of the White Angel unit of the National Police of Ukraine, which is responsible for evacuating children from the war zone.
Since the project’s inception, volunteer craftswomen from Kyiv, Khmelnytskyi, Lutsk, Ternopil, Mykolaiv, and Kharkiv regions have produced over 1,300 handmade doll hares, which have been distributed to the police. These toys are now used by Ukraine’s Juvenile Police across 20 regions and by the White Angel evacuation teams.
Journalists can arrange interviews with the project participants and organizers in Kyiv or other cities, and online communication is also available.
For reference: The practice of distributing Trauma Teddies to police is common in the USA, Canada, the UK, Australia, the Netherlands, and Germany.
On May 25, as Ukraine’s capital celebrates the Day of Kyiv, an open cultural and educational gathering for children and parents “Nytochka” (The Little Thread) will take place. The event will feature a conversation on culture in times of war, along with a music and dance workshop led by the folk band ShchukaRyba and the Voices of Children charity foundation.
Over the past six months, the Voices of Children Foundation and ShchukaRyba have met with teenagers in frontline cities, including Kryvyi Rih, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, Zaporizhia, Chernihiv, and Dnipro. A planned session in Sumy was canceled due to a russian ballistic missile strike just hours before it was set to begin. The Kyiv event will mark the final stop in the series.
Singer and poet Maryna Krut, the Ivan Honchar Museum, the Patron Pets Center, and other partners will also take part in the “Nytochka” gathering.
During the event, the Voices of Children team will share information about psychological and psychosocial support available to families and children affected by the war, and help those in need access professional assistance.
For reference: The series of cultural and educational meetings with ShchukaRyba is part of the art laboratories launched by the Voices of Children Foundation. The project helps teenagers process the trauma of war through creativity, rebuilding their confidence and sense of trust in the world.
A reminder: International Children’s Day is observed globally on June 1.
The Polish Legion is inviting journalists to attend the upcoming award ceremony honoring the Polish-Ukrainian Brotherhood of Arms, scheduled to take place in Kyiv on May 22.
The event will also include an exhibition commemorating Polish nationals who have fallen in the ongoing russia-Ukraine war.
Among the guests are military personnel, veterans, volunteers, family members of fallen soldiers, representatives of Polish organizations, public figures, and politicians. All are united by a shared commitment to Polish-Ukrainian cooperation, including support for the Intermarium concept.
Media accreditation is required to attend the ceremony.
For reference: The Polish Legion is a volunteer military formation that supports Ukraine through both direct engagement on the battlefield and by providing military equipment, food, and other critical supplies to frontline troops.
On May 21, the Media Center Ukraine will host a briefing: “Youth voice in the care system: How the state and partners respond to children’s real needs”
Participants:
– Mariia Sakuta, Director General of the Directorate for Overcoming Difficult Life Circumstances at the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine;
– Taras Odnenko, Member of the DIiMO Office, Graduate of an Institutional Care Facility;
– Kyrylo Nevdokha, Head of the DIiMO Office, Ambassador of Mentorship;
– Anastasiia Stepula, Advocacy Consultant at the Ukrainian Child Rights Network NGO.
Key topics:
– The needs and demands of children and youth in institutional care facilities and alternative care formats;
– The role of youth voices in reforms and support from the state and the DIiMO Office;
– DIiMO Office’s plans for 2025–2026: how to improve the lives of children and youth in the care system;
– Partnerships for change: the role of civil society organizations in protecting rights and development of children and youth.
How can the Ministry of Defense’s procurement be monitored to detect corruption without undermining the military? What is the current focus of the second iteration of the Public Anti-Corruption Council of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense? These questions will be addressed during a discussion in the Defense Talks format in Kyiv on May 21.
Participants:
- Oleksandr Zavitnevych, Head of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security, Defense, and Intelligence;
- Nazar Kubov, Acting Anti-Corruption Officer at the State Operator for Non-Lethal Acquisition (DOT);
- Oleh Polishchuk, Acting Head of the Internal Control Department at the Defense Procurement Agency (DPA), Ministry of Defense of Ukraine;
- Nadiia Bihun, Chair of the DOT Supervisory Board, former Deputy Minister of Economy;
- Tetiana Nikolaienko, investigator and deputy head of the MoD’s Public Anti-Corruption Council;
- Anastasiia Shuba, volunteer and member of the MoD’s Public Anti-Corruption Council.
The discussion will take place during Open Government Week as part of Ukraine’s participation in the international Open Government Partnership initiative.
Accreditation is required to attend.
Background: In 2023, the Public Anti-Corruption Council was established within the Ministry of Defense as an independent advisory body composed of civil society representatives, journalists, and experts. Its mandate is to ensure civilian oversight of defense procurement, combat corruption, and enhance transparency. The council was re-elected in January 2025 after a technical failure disrupted online voting.
About Defense Talks: Organized by the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission (NAKO), these meetings bring together Ukrainian officials, civil society members, diplomats, and the media to discuss key trends and challenges in security and defense.
NAKO is a civil society organization focused on minimizing corruption risks in Ukraine’s defense sector through in-depth research, advocacy, and public awareness campaigns.
On May 23, Kyiv will host a commemorative gathering marking the Day of the Marine Corps of Armed Forces of Ukraine, bringing together families of prisoners of war, veterans, fellow service members, and supporters from across the country.
Observed annually, Marine Corps Day honors Ukraine’s elite fighting force – soldiers who are first to respond, operate in the most dangerous conditions, and remain steadfast in their duty.
This year, the date carries added weight. For the third consecutive year, hundreds of Ukrainian marines remain in enemy captivity. These are the defenders of Mariupol, Vodiane, Pavlopil, and Shyrokyne, soldiers who followed orders in the fiercest battles and were taken prisoner. Many are still unaccounted for.
The Kyiv event will offer a space for remembrance, solidarity, and public support. The program includes:
– A formal ceremony honoring the Marines;
– A moment of silence for the fallen;
– Remarks from recently released POWs and families who have endured three years of waiting;
– A musical and spoken-word segment featuring veterans, artists, and volunteers;
– Open mic: an opportunity for attendees to share words of support;
For reference: Organized by the “Marine Corps Strength” Association
On May 21, a press conference titled “Ukraine’s Signing of the High Seas Treaty: Why It Matters” will take place in Kyiv, bringing together environmental experts, diplomats, and policymakers to spotlight the country’s support for the landmark international treaty.
Adopted by the United Nations in 2023, the High Seas Treaty aims to safeguard marine biodiversity in international waters, areas of the ocean that fall outside national jurisdictions. The treaty introduces a legal framework for creating marine protected areas and implementing environmental impact assessments, offering new tools to address climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution on a global scale.
Despite lacking direct access to the open ocean, Ukraine stands to benefit significantly from the agreement. The treaty opens up opportunities for scientific research and strengthens the foundation for the growth of maritime industries, including high seas fishing, shipping, and the development of marine-based pharmaceuticals and chemicals.
The event will explore the relevance of the agreement for Ukraine, particularly amid the ongoing war, and its long-term implications for environmental governance, scientific cooperation, and economic resilience.
Speakers:
– Natalia Gozak, Moderator, Director of the Greenpeace Ukraine Office;
– Serhii Khara, Environmental Campaigner, Greenpeace Ukraine;
– Alexandre Basbous, Second Counselor, Embassy of France in Ukraine;
– Viktor Komorin, Acting Director, Ukrainian Scientific Center of the Ecology of the Sea (UkrSCES) (online);
– Yuliia Ovchynnykova, Member of the Parliament of Ukraine, Committee on Environmental Policy and Nature Management (online).
This May and June, the Hospitallers medical battalion will conduct a series of tactical medicine courses for volunteer medics and civilians. The program features the NAEMT’s Tactical Combat Casualty Care – Combat Lifesaver (TCCC-CLS) course, along with trauma first aid, bleeding control, and simulation-based training. Courses will be held in Kyiv, Lviv, Dnipro, and throughout the Dnipropetrovsk region.
Journalists may attend and cover the sessions with prior approval.
For reference: Active on the front lines since 2014, the Hospitallers medical battalion carries out dozens of evacuations each day across nearly the entire combat zone. The team has been training others in tactical medicine since 2015 and in first aid since 2018. Instructors are certified by the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT), the Ukrainian Military Medical Academy (UVMA), and other recognized institutions.
The Georgiy Gongadze Prize will host a public discussion featuring the three finalists for the 2025 award: Ivan Liubysh-Kirdei, Olha Rudenko, and Mykhailo Tkach. Titled “In the Spotlight of Truth,” the event will take place on May 19 at Media Center Ukraine in Kyiv.
Attendees will engage in a wide-ranging dialogue with the nominees, with an opportunity to ask questions and share personal reflections. The conversation will be moderated by writer and human rights advocate Larysa Denysenko.
Ivan Liubysh-Kirdei is a photographer and war correspondent for Reuters. While on assignment in Kramatorsk in August 2024, he was wounded in a russian artillery attack, spent several months in a coma, and is currently undergoing rehabilitation.
Olha Rudenko is the editor-in-chief and co-founder of The Kyiv Independent, a leading English-language publication about Ukraine. The publication was launched in 2021 by 30 of the 50 staff members dismissed from the editorial team of the Kyiv Post. Rudenko was also a finalist for the 2024 Gongadze Prize.
Mykhailo Tkach is an investigative journalist who has headed Ukrainska Pravda’s investigative department since 2021. During this time, he has published dozens of high-profile reports exposing corruption and abuse of power, increasing government transparency and accountability, and driving positive change in Ukraine.
Event registration is required to attend.
Background: The event is organized with the support of Media Center Ukraine.
The winner of the 2025 Gongadze Prize will be announced on May 21 during the award’s seventh annual ceremony.
