Themes by tag: Kyiv

The Murashky charity organization officially launched in Kyiv in September 2022, but its story began much earlier. A group of dedicated volunteers came together to support the Armed Forces immediately after russia’s full-scale invasion. Just two weeks later, the newly formed team, dubbed “Murashky” (Little Ants), delivered its first batch of biscuits and dried meat to the front lines. By spring, they had acquired the necessary equipment and established their first production facility.

Today, the team produces and delivers over 30,000 servings of food each month to Ukrainian soldiers. Since its inception, Murashky has produced over 4,000 liters of anti-cold mixtures, more than 230,000 servings of biscuits, and over 360,000 servings of dry meals.

The organization’s workforce consists of 15 to 25 volunteers who dedicate their time daily, often joined by international supporters who pitch in to help the cause.

• food
• volunteers
• Kyiv

Iron Women is a no-cost retraining program aimed at equipping women with the skills to become excavator operators and front-end loader drivers.

The program includes both theoretical and hands-on training, concluding with professional certification for Level 5 excavator operators and Level 4 front-end loader drivers. These qualifications permit employment at enterprises but do not authorize operation on public roads.

Participation is free of charge, with tuition, accommodation, and meals funded by the Reskilling Ukraine initiative.

The pilot group will consist of 12 women.

Enrollment is still open. The distance learning segment starts in October, followed by practical training sessions in the Kyiv region in November.

Journalists interested in covering the program are encouraged to arrange visits in advance.

Background: The initiative is organized by the Swedish non-profit Beredskapslyftet in partnership with Volvo Construction Equipment and ETS Group, as part of the Reskilling Ukraine project.

• women
• Kyiv

On October 1, Ukraine’s Defenders Day, there will be a screening and discussion of the documentary film “War Note” by director Roman Liubyi. 

The film is composed entirely of personal footage from Ukrainian soldiers’ phones and GoPro cameras beginning in 2014, giving viewers a firsthand look at war through the eyes of the defenders themselves.

The film takes viewers on a surreal journey to the front lines of the war with russia, a bizarre world whose laws are quite different from what we are used to. The heroes wake up and fall asleep, rejoice and cry, always feeling that the recording may end at any moment.

The film features contributions from 18 co-authors who provided their videos. Some of the defenders seen on the screen are no longer with us. During the screening, the audience will see and remember the poet Maksym Kryvtsov reading his poem in front of a gunport, and see the footage of a walk through the destroyed village of Pisky filmed by Taras Matviyiv – Ukrainian journalist, public figure and Hero of Ukraine.

Background: The world premiere of “War Note” took place at the Docudays UA festival in 2020, where it won the audience award and two special prizes. This film was the feature debut of director Roman Liubyi. In 2023, he released “Iron Butterflies”, a film about the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, a war crime committed by russian military in 2014.

• Kyiv

To help children and their parents cope with the psychological effects of the war, mobile teams of psychologists from the Voices of Children charity foundation travel to villages and small towns where there are no specialists, relevant institutions or reliable public transport. They organize individual and group psychological and psychosocial support for children and parents affected by the war (IDPs with destroyed homes and other losses).  

By prior arrangement, journalists can cover the group sessions and talk to the participants (children and their parents).

Coverage can focus on the work of the mobile psychological teams in the Kyiv region (on 30 September at the modular town for temporarily displaced persons in the village of Liubymivka), as well as in the Mykolaiv and Lviv oblasts.

Background: Since the start of the full-scale invasion, 102,000 children and parents have received various types of support. In Ukraine, the Voices of Children Foundation currently operates 13 centers and an online helpline providing free psychological support. Over 200 psychologists and psychotherapists are working to preserve the childhoods and smiles of Ukrainian children.

• children
• psychological support
• Kyiv
• Lviv
• Mykolaiv

A support center for military families, the “Hub for Families of Ukraine’s Defenders”, has opened in the Kyiv oblast. This space is designed to help military families facing emotional challenges, stress and difficulties caused by the war.

The center provides various forms of support and recreation for military families, including:

• Psychological counseling — individual and group sessions with experienced psychologists to help overcome emotional experiences related to war stress.
• Training and workshops — regular training sessions on topics related to psychological resilience, family relationships, children’s adjustment and other relevant issues.
• Art therapy — sessions of creative activities (drawing, modeling, music, etc.) to help reduce stress, restore inner harmony and find new ways of self-expression.
• Creative classes for children — special programmes for the youngest members of families to help them adapt to new realities and find support among their peers.
• Social integration – events that encourage social interaction and bring families together in an atmosphere of mutual support.

• psychological support
• Kyiv

On 26-27 September, Kyiv will host the forum “All Children Are Ours —  Shared Responsibility for the Future of the Country”.

The main topics of the panel discussions at the event will be:

• The current state of implementation of the reform of the system of care and support for children;

• Inter-agency cooperation for early identification of families at risk and effective collaboration between sector stakeholders to support them;

• Rehabilitation and reintegration of veterans into their families and civilian social roles after military service.

The Forum will also see the opening of a support center for families with children in Boyarka on 27 September.

Journalists are invited to find out more about the full programme of the event. Accreditation is required to attend.

Background: The event is organized by the Human Rights Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada and the Charity Foundation “SOS Children’s Villages“ Ukraine.

• Kyiv

On 29 September, the Hurkit Charity Fund will unite the cycling community to raise funds for the needs of the Kyiv region’s air defense forces at ##BikeAirDefense: Girls’ Bike Parade & True Trail.

The 11th Girls’ Bike Parade is a lively and leisurely bike ride aimed at supporting female cyclists and promoting safe, comfortable and enjoyable urban cycling. According to statistics, women make up no more than 15% of cyclists in Kyiv. The parade promotes the CycleChic street fashion style, which re-imagines the bicycle as an effective and practical mode of transport. The participants of the Girls’ Bike Parade show that cycling is possible on any occasion and in different outfits.

True Trail by Kyivska Sotka is an amateur cross-country cycling race for participants of all ages and fitness levels.

True Trail offers two entry formats: Competitive and Open. The Competitive format has two distances — 10 km and 20 km — with winners in different age categories. In the Open format, there will be no winners and losers, and men, women and children aged 12 and over will be able to participate.

Both events will raise funds for the air defense units of the Kyiv region.

Journalists are welcome to find out more about and cover these events.

Background: The Hurkit Charity Fund regularly supplies air defense units with pickups, turrets, spotlights, thermal imagers, tablets, charging stations — everything soldiers need to protect Ukrainian cities from enemy drones and missiles.

• Kyiv

On October 1, Kyiv will hold the annual “Surma” Military Music Festival, a cultural initiative started by the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in WW2 in 2023 under the recently restored Motherland monument, now featuring the Ukrainian Trident on its shield.

This year’s theme, “Song as a Weapon,” highlights the role of Ukrainian songs tied to the nation’s historic and ongoing fight for independence throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Solo performers and bands will gather under the towering monument to inspire unity among Ukrainians through music.

Due to security concerns, attendance at the festival will be restricted. However, with the help of media partner Suspilne Kultura, audiences will be able to watch the performances via broadcast.

Journalists are encouraged to attend and provide coverage of the event.

• culture
• Kyiv

Liza, 16, has remained in Kyiv since the onset of russia’s full-scale invasion. Recently, she completed the Sound Lab course, a program blending traditional Ukrainian music with art therapy. Drawing from that experience, Liza formed an ensemble composed of teenage girls.

Liza also co-launched an educational project alongside two members of the folk artists Shchuka Ryba. The initiative offers lectures on traditional Ukrainian singing, music, and dance, available to organizations or groups upon request.

Journalists can arrange interviews with Liza in Kyiv by prior appointment.

For reference: The Sound Lab course was organized by the Voices of Children charity foundation for teenagers affected by the war. Over several months, 15 participants from various regions, each with unique experiences of the war, learned traditional and electronic music from Shchuka Ryba band and DJ Chocollab. With support from a foundation psychologist, the teens used music to process their trauma and emotions caused by the war.

• children
• culture
• Kyiv

On September 24, at the Media Center Ukraine the Ministry of Veterans Affairs will announce the composition of the national team of Ukraine to participate in the international sports competition Arnold Classic Europe, which will take place on October 11-13, 2024 in Madrid (Spain). During the presentation, the 50 athletes who will represent Ukraine will be named.

Participants:

• Ruslana Velychko-Tryfoniuk, Deputy Minister of Veterans’ Affairs of Ukraine for European Integration;
• Serhii Koniushok, President of the NGO “Federation of Strongmen of Ukraine”;
• Vasyl Virastyuk, Member of the Parliament of Ukraine.

For reference: Arnold Classic Europe is an international sports festival founded by Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2011. Each year, thousands of athletes from more than 50 countries participate in the competition. The Strong Spirit’s Games, an international competition for war veterans, is held as part of the sports festival. Participants include military personnel who have been involved in combat operations, as well as those who have been injured or disabled in the line of duty.

• Kyiv