Themes by tag: Kyiv

Iron Women is a no-cost retraining initiative designed to help women acquire the skills needed to work as excavator operators and front-end loader drivers.

The program combines theoretical and practical instruction and culminates in official certification for Level 5 excavator operators and Level 4 front-end loader drivers. The curriculum includes three weeks of online theoretical classes, followed by three weeks of hands-on training in the Kyiv region.

Tuition, lodging, and meals are fully covered by the Reskilling Ukraine project and ETS Group.

Graduates will be qualified to work as assistant excavator operators or assistant forklift drivers at closed industrial sites, though the certification does not permit operating equipment on public roads.

By prior arrangement, media representatives are welcome to cover the training, which will take place from August 11 through September 19.

• women
• Kyiv

Anton Dykhnich, owner of a coffee shop chain in Kyiv, operates one location near the long-suffering Lukianivka metro station, which has been repeatedly damaged by Russian shelling. The café, which first opened four years ago, was initially hit by a blast wave from a missile strike in March 2022.

Since the start of the full-scale invasion, the team has adapted to resume operations quickly after each attack, learning how to limit the damage and continue serving customers. Small appliances and utensils are routinely secured in safe storage to protect them from shrapnel. In a further precaution, several front windows have been replaced with PVC panels.

By 7 a.m. following the latest strike, the staff was already coordinating their tasks and brewing coffee. Anton says the team draws strength from loyal customers who see the café as a symbol of resilience. Patrons express their support in many ways, including offering to launch fundraising efforts for repairs. But Anton declines such offers, instead urging them to donate to the Armed Forces.

Visitors can meet with the café’s staff both online and in person by appointment in Kyiv.

• casualties
• reconstruction
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

VisitKyiv.com — an independent initiative officially launched in late May — aims to showcase Kyiv as locals know and love it while providing practical information for foreigners: journalists, volunteers, travelers, and entrepreneurs.

The website is now live and offers information about English-speaking guides, transportation, accommodations, and museums, as well as gastronomic recommendations, safety tips, and itineraries for one to two days. Created by Kyiv residents and expats who miss their city, the platform answers foreigners’ most-searched questions — like how to navigate daily life amid war.

According to the site’s creators, foreigners most often seek practical safety information. Specifically, they want to know how air raid alerts work, where to find shelters, when curfews are in effect, and which establishments operate during power outages.

Journalists can speak with the initiative’s creators, as well as with foreigners living in Kyiv, by prior arrangement.

• culture
• Kyiv

Ukraine’s Chief Rabbi Moshe Reuven Azman is constructing housing for victims of russian aggression – a project he dedicates to the memory of his son, who died in the war.

The residential building in Kyiv oblast will shelter families of fallen soldiers and large families left homeless by the war. The exterior work is complete, but the interior renovations (apartment finishes and utilities) are ongoing.

Rabbi Azman aims to open the building in time for Ukraine’s Independence Day.

Journalists can speak with the Chief Rabbi of Ukraine in Kyiv by prior agreement.

Background: In September 2024, a memorial service was held in Kyiv for Matityahu Samborsky, the adopted son of the Chief Rabbi of Ukraine, who died in the war.

• casualties
• dead
• religion
• Kyiv

A series of peaceful rallies will be held across Ukraine from July 26 to 29 to honor the defenders of Azovstal and other servicemembers still held in enemy captivity, and to mark the third anniversary of the deadly attack on the Olenivka prison camp. Events are planned in 38 cities nationwide.

On July 26, demonstrations will take place in Arbuzynka, Okhtyrka, Pavlohrad, Chernihiv, Irpin, Khmelnytskyi, Zhytomyr, Vinnytsia, Dnipro, and Zaporizhia.

On July 27, the campaign continues in Kyiv, Pivdenoukrainsk, Krolevets, Lozova, Uman, Mykolaiv, Korop, Ovruch, Obukhiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Korosten, Cherkasy, Rivne, Dolynska, Berdychiv, Kropyvnytskyi, Kovel, Shostka, Chernivtsi, Uzhhorod, Slavuta, and Kremenchuk.

On July 28, events are set for Pavlohrad, Bila Tserkva, Poltava, Truskavets, and Lviv.

On July 29, the campaign will conclude with a gathering in Odesa.

The events are being organized by families of prisoners of war from the Mariupol garrison. Ukrainians who have been released from captivity frequently join the rallies to show solidarity and raise awareness.

• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

The Museum of War, in partnership with the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, will hold a conference and film screening to mark the third anniversary of the terrorist attack on the Olenivka prison camp. The event is set for August 2 at the Kyiv War Museum. 

The program will feature:

– the opening of a photo exhibition showcasing images of freed Ukrainian prisoners;

– a conference titled “The Memory of Olenivka Will Not Fade”;

– a screening of the documentary People of Steel, followed by a discussion with the film’s director, Serhii Fomenko.

Among the attendees will be servicemembers of the 12th Azov Special Forces Brigade, government officials, members of the OLENIVKA Community, released prisoners of war, active-duty military personnel, and the families and friends of Ukrainian POWs.

Accreditation is required to attend the event. 

For reference: In the early hours of July 29, 2022, a powerful explosion ripped through a prison colony in the russian-occupied village of Olenivka. At least 53 Ukrainian prisoners, many of them defenders of Azovstal, were killed in the overcrowded barracks. More than 130 others were injured.

• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

The NGO “Holosy” (Voices) presents the groundbreaking theatrical production “FOG” in Ukraine — a stage project built on real war testimonies. This is not just a play; it is a living chronicle of modern Ukraine, woven from letters, interviews, monologues, and confessions. The event will take place in Kyiv on July 27.

After its premiere in Berlin, where it moved audiences to tears and solidarity, the performance will be shown to Ukrainian audiences for the first time. The stories of Kyiv, Odesa, Kherson, Kharkiv, Bakhchysarai, Olenivka, Kolomyia, and Nova Kakhovka resonate in the play — each a painful scar, yet also a guiding light through the darkness.

Genre: 

Multimedia theater in a pseudo-documentary style.

Background. Creative team: Director: Valeriia Demchenko. Producer: Olha Sobko. Writers: Natalia Sukhorukova, Khachatur Vasilian, Tetiana Fedorenko, Valeriia Demchenko, Olha Sobko. Choreographer: Kateryna Pavlova. Cast: L. Somov, R. Miroshnychenko, O. Sobko, D. Korostylov, M. Marchenko, Yu. Onopriiko, A. Tarkanyi, L. Katsion, A. Binieieva.

• culture
• Kyiv

Before the full-scale invasion, Capital Tours agency operated in Kyiv, Lviv, and Odesa, with Svitozar Moiseiv as one of its guides, showcasing the capital’s landmarks. After February 2022, the business came to a halt.

In 2023, Svitozar received requests from foreigners for tours of de-occupied areas near Kyiv. He developed a six-hour excursion through the region’s most affected towns, including Bucha, Irpin, Borodianka, Hostomel, and Moshchun. Svitozar primarily offers private tours. He begins by sharing his personal experiences from the early days of the full-scale invasion, then takes visitors to sites that bear witness to the occupiers’ crimes.

According to Svitozar, most participants are foreigners who came to Kyiv for work or family visits. So far, no one has traveled to Ukraine solely for this tour. The six-hour experience costs around €150, with part of the proceeds donated to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

You can arrange to speak with Svitozar Moiseiv — online or in person in Kyiv — by prior appointment.

• occupation
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

In August and September, the Hospitallers Medical Battalion will hold a series of training courses on pre-medical care and tactical medicine for civilians and volunteer medics. The courses include: Basic Life Support, Bleeding Control, First Aid for Trauma, Combat Lifesaver (CLS) Training, Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC CMC) Training. The courses will take place in Kyiv, Lviv, Dnipro, and Dnipropetrovsk oblast.

Journalists can cover the training sessions by prior agreement.

Background: The Hospitallers Medical Battalion has been operating on the front lines since 2014. Their crews conduct dozens of evacuations daily along nearly the entire frontline.

The battalion has been providing tactical medicine training since 2015 and pre-medical aid courses since 2018. Their instructors are certified by NAEMT (National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians, USA), UMMA (Ukrainian Military Medical Academy), and other recognized organizations.

• doctors
• Dnipro
• Kyiv
• Lviv

On August 2, the Code of the Nation Museum near Kyiv will host the first-ever Filizhanka Heroic Coffee Festival, held in memory of Ukrainian hero Artem Tieliebniev, call sign “Talib.” This unique event blends remembrance and resilience, aiming to honor late defenders, support injured soldiers, and craft a fresh flavor of Ukrainian identity through coffee. The musical headliner for the day is the acclaimed Kalush Orchestra.

The festival’s main goal is to raise UAH 2 million to fund the rehabilitation of wounded Ukrainian service members and veterans. The initiative is organized in partnership with the Revived Soldiers Ukraine, which provides specialized care for those recovering from neurotrauma, spinal cord injuries, and other complex conditions, including pre- and post-prosthetic rehabilitation.

Accreditation is required for entry and must be completed by July 31.

For reference: Junior Sergeant Artem Tieliebniev served as an external UAV operator in the 411th Separate Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Regiment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. A committed volunteer since 2014, Artem joined the front lines from the first days of russia’s full-scale invasion. He defended Zhuliany, took part in the liberation of Irpin in Kyiv Oblast, and fought in some of the country’s most challenging hotspots, including Kharkiv, Kherson, Donetsk, and Zaporizhia.

For his courage and selflessness, Artem was awarded the Order for Courage, 3rd Class, along with medals for the defense of Kyiv and Kharkiv. On July 3, 2024, while evacuating wounded comrades near Robotyne in the Zaporizhia region, he was killed in a tank strike.

The Filizhanka festival is the brainchild of Yana Berkut, a lawyer, barista, volunteer, and Artem’s widow. With support from the third President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko, Vitalina Yushchenko, the NGO Kyivshchyna – That’s Us, and the head of the Hatne community, Oleksandr Palamarchuk, Yana has transformed personal grief into a powerful tribute.

• dead
• military
• Kyiv