Themes by tag: Kyiv

On April 24, the Media Center Ukraine will host a press conference “Medicines for people: Does pharmaceutical market reform bring fairness to patients?”

Participants:
– Dmytro Sherembei, Head of the Coordinating Council of the NGO “100% Life”;
– Vitalii Pashkov, Professor, Senior Researcher at the Department of Copyright and Related Rights of the Institute of Intellectual Property of the National Academy of Law Sciences of Ukraine;
– Nataliia Hutorova, Honored Lawyer of Ukraine, Chair of the Board of the NGO “Association of Medical and Pharmaceutical Law”;
– Oksana Kashyntseva, Head of the Department of Research on Intellectual Property Rights and Human Rights in Health Care at the Institute of Intellectual Property of the National Academy of Law Sciences of Ukraine.

Key topics:
– Will patients really benefit from the reform?
– How well justified and systemic will the changes be?
– Is the reform in line with EU requirements and best practices?
– What further steps are needed to establish fair and effective market rules?

Background: A large-scale reform of the Ukrainian pharmaceutical market has been launched to address systemic problems. The President of Ukraine and the National Security and Defense Council have identified this reform as a priority. Recently, the Verkhovna Rada passed Law No. 4239, which gave a significant boost to the de-monopolization and de-shadowing of the market. Work is now underway on the relevant regulations. Following agreements with leading domestic producers, the prices of the 100 most important medications have been reduced.

• Kyiv

The Kyiv Hippodrome is currently home to over 300 horses of trapping and riding breeds. It is one of the few places in Ukraine where equestrian sports have been preserved. Every Sunday the hippodrome hosts horse races, training sessions and competitions in show jumping and dressage. There are several riding schools and a veterinary clinic on the premises. In addition, veterans have the opportunity to participate in free therapeutic horseback riding sessions every week.

The Kyiv Hippodrome is currently facing financial difficulties. The most pressing need is to improve the track surface to ensure safer and more effective horse trials and competitions.

Journalists are welcome to cover how the Kyiv Hippodrome functions during wartime.

Background: Kyiv Hippodrome was founded in the 1960s and remains Ukraine’s central racetrack. At the start of the full-scale invasion, the Hippodrome faced numerous challenges. Securing food for the horses was extremely difficult. Thanks to the efforts of volunteers, horse owners and the Hippodrome administration, supplies were eventually arranged – even from Europe.

Another major problem was getting through checkpoints to feed and vet the horses. There was also a wartime shortage of grooms and caretakers.

The animals suffered greatly from loud explosions and air raid sirens. Horses have acute hearing and can detect sounds from miles away, so the constant noise causes them severe stress.

• animals
• Kyiv

Anastasiia Hondiul and Anna Lobova, wives of Ukrainian prisoners of war and members of the Olenivka Community NGO, are preparing for an indefinite hunger strike set to begin in the capital on April 24. Their husbands, Artem Hondiul and Oleh Lobov, defended Mariupol, surrendered on the orders of their command and survived the terrorist attack in Olenivka.

Anastasiia and Anna say they are taking this step because of the silence of the Ukrainian authorities. Through their hunger strike, the women aim to draw public and government attention to the soldiers who remain in enemy captivity.

The women will remain in the city center during the day, while at night (during the curfew) they will seek shelter in a safe place.

Journalists can speak with the women both online and offline by prior arrangement.

Background: The defense of Mariupol lasted 86 days, ending on May 20, 2022. On the night of July 28-29, 2022, russia committed a terrorist act by blowing up a barracks in the Olenivka penal colony, where Ukrainian POWs were held. At least 50 defenders of “Azovstal” were killed, and over a hundred were injured.

• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• women
• Kyiv

On April 23, the Media Center Ukraine in Kyiv will host a presentation of an awareness campaign for farmers on the state mine action compensation program

Participants:

– Ihor Bezkaravainyi, Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine;

– Volodymyr Baida, Director of the Center for Humanitarian Demining;

– Maria Gutsman, Team Leader for the Inclusive Development, Recovery, and Peacebuilding (IDRPB) at UNDP Ukraine

– Oleh Khomenko, General Director of the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club;

– Leonid Kozachenko, President of the Ukrainian Agrarian Confederation.

For reference: Since the beginning of the year, farmers have submitted 225 applications to participate in the state compensation program for the demining of agricultural land. Of these, 189 were rejected by the Humanitarian Demining Center for failing to meet legal requirements. 

As of mid-April, 13 auctions have been conducted, resulting in nearly UAH 291 million allocated for the clearance of 4,300 hectares of farmland. The program’s total budget stands at UAH 3 billion, and the Ministry of Economy aims to clear as much agricultural land as possible within these funding limits.

• Kyiv
• demining

On April 24-26, Fight For Right will host the forum “Developing Leadership of Girls with Disabilities Starting in School” in Kyiv, presenting a new methodological manual that outlines effective strategies for unlocking the potential of girls with disabilities.

The event will bring together educators, parents, and guardians of participants from Fight For Right’s Liderka-Teenagerka (Teenage Girl Woman Leader) School, along with the young leaders themselves. Together, they will explore ways to strengthen collaboration, boost motivation during the learning process, and address key issues such as conflict resolution, the role of education in rights advocacy, and fostering leadership among girls with disabilities.

The April 25 agenda includes:

– A presentation of the methodological manual, accompanied by training sessions with its authors, who developed innovative approaches to working with children with disabilities;

– Addresses from experts in inclusion and psychosocial rehabilitation, officials from the Ministry of Education and Science, the Advisor to the Presidential Commissioner for Barrier-Free Access, and human rights advocates and disability rights activists from the Fight For Right team;

– An official meeting between girls with disabilities and representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science, held at the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

Accreditation is required to attend the event.

Background: The Teenage Leader School is a Fight For Right initiative dedicated to fostering leadership in girls with disabilities and promoting their active participation in education and society. Twenty-three participants have completed the two-year training program, where they gained skills in self-advocacy, leadership, and achieving personal and academic goals.

• Kyiv

On April 25, the eve of the anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster, the European Institute of Chornobyl will once again convene leading Ukrainian scientists, experts, researchers, and liquidators for CHORNOBYL FORUM 2025. Now in its third edition, the international forum aims to reframe Chornobyl not only as a historical tragedy but also as a pressing contemporary challenge. The event will be held in Kyiv.

In parallel, an exhibition marking the anniversary of the Chornobyl tragedy will run in the capital from April 23 to 27. The showcase will feature works by both Ukrainian and international artists, examining the complex relationship between humanity, nature, and technology. Visitors will also have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the experience through VR headsets, offering a deeper emotional and sensory connection to a history that continues to shape the present.

Key themes of the forum include the current state of the Exclusion Zone, emerging threats posed by war, ecocide as a weapon of conflict, and strategies for recovery and safeguarding the future.

Among the forum’s featured speakers are Andrii Mizko and Ihor Pysmennyi, Mi-6 helicopter pilots and among the first liquidators of the Chornobyl disaster. In May 1986, they flew missions over the destroyed reactor, dropping lead cargo from an altitude of just 200 meters under extremely hazardous conditions. Today, both men remain active in advocating for liquidators’ rights through public initiatives.

Advance registration is required to attend the event.

• ecology
• Kyiv

On April 18, Kyiv will host a charity premiere of the documentary We Are Home. Directed by Roman Krasnoshchok and Anton Chistiakov, the film tells the deeply personal stories of children from across Ukraine who were forced to flee their homes and begin new lives in the Carpathians following the full-scale invasion. British comedian and writer Stephen Fry lends his voice to the narration.

A charity fundraiser will be held during the screening to benefit the Voices of Children Foundation, which supports Ukrainian children affected by the war. That same day, the film will also be released online – available on Apple TV in the United States and Amazon Prime Video worldwide – with all proceeds directed to the charity.

The screening will be followed by a panel discussion featuring members of the film’s creative team and Azad Safarov, co-founder of the Voices of Children Foundation.

• children
• culture
• Kyiv

TMS HUB is a sports facility where servicemen and veterans with amputations or injuries can practice Brazilian jiu-jitsu free of charge. The project promotes the physical rehabilitation and social reintegration of military personnel.

The initiative is led by Artem Kuzmich, a veteran of the Ukrainian Special Forces. Originally from Belarus, Kuzmich has been defending Ukraine since 2014. In 2019, he stepped on an enemy mine and lost a leg. Despite this, he became a champion in Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitions held in Ukraine, Europe and Brazil.

Twelve TMS HUB branches now operate across Ukraine, including in Kyiv, Odesa, Lviv, Chernihiv, Chernivtsi, Mykolaiv, Zhytomyr, Rivne, Dnipro and Khmelnytskyi. More than 200 veterans have already joined the program.

The “TMS Victory Cup” competition will be held at the end of May.

Journalists may arrange to cover this sports initiative in Kyiv by prior coordination.

• casualties
• military
• Kyiv

Tribute exhibition commemorating Hero of Ukraine Andrii Pilshchykov, call sign “Juice”, will open on April 17 at one of Kyiv’s libraries. Visitors will have the opportunity to learn more about the life and legacy of the legendary Ukrainian defender through materials provided by his mother, Liliia Averianova.

For reference: Andrii Pilshchykov (1993–2023), a military pilot with the 40th Tactical Aviation Brigade, played a key role in Ukraine’s air defense from the outset of the full-scale Russian invasion. Known widely as one of the figures behind the “Ghost of Kyiv” legend, he was posthumously conferred the title Hero of Ukraine in 2024. He also received the Order “For Courage” III Class in 2022 and II Class posthumously in 2023.

Recognized as a leading reformer of the Air Force, Pilshchykov made a significant impact on its development. In June 2022, he joined an official delegation to the United States, helping to secure the delivery of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine and laying the groundwork for pilot training. He died on August 25, 2023, in the Zhytomyr region and was buried at Askold’s Grave in Kyiv.

• culture
• dead
• military
• Kyiv

The consecration and installation of a cross on the Trinity Gate Church will take place on April 15 at the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra (Kyiv Cave Monastery) National Conservation Area. The event marks the resumption of restoration work on one of the Lavra’s oldest and most treasured sacred sites.

Built in the 12th century by Nicholas Sviatosha Prince of Chernihiv, the Trinity Gate Church has survived in its original form – a rare example in Ukrainian ecclesiastical architecture. During the era of Ivan Mazepa, it was adorned in the Ukrainian Baroque style, featuring elaborate stucco work and distinctive murals.

By 2022, 75% of the church’s restoration had been completed under the President of Ukraine’s “Great Restoration” program. Work was then suspended due to the full-scale war. In December 2024, through collaboration with the Work.UA team, restoration efforts resumed, focusing on critical sections of the roof and preparing the church for its final restoration phase.

The installation of the cross represents not only a key milestone in the restoration of this sacred monument, but also a powerful symbol of resilience, renewal, and the enduring spirit of Ukrainian heritage amid the devastation of war.

Accreditation is required to attend the event.

• culture
• religion
• Kyiv