Themes by tag: Kyiv

Leda Kosmachevska lived in Crimea until 2014. After the russian occupation of the peninsula, she moved to the capital. Today, Leda is a leading communications specialist at the Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, living in Kyiv and raising her three-month-old daughter, Radoslava. She is fighting to have her daughter bear the surname of her missing father, Valentyn Dobryi.

Leda’s partner, Valentyn Dobryi, volunteered for military service in September 2022. He did so of his own free will, despite having undergone heart surgery as a child. Leda told Valentyn that he would become a father two weeks before he went missing.

On October 21, 2023, Valentyn Dobryi went missing during an attack between Chasiv Yar and Bakhmut in the Donetsk region. His comrades told Leda that they had seen Valentyn’s body, but due to heavy shelling they were unable to recover it. Now the area is occupied, and Leda is fighting to give her daughter the Dobra surname. To do so, she must prove paternity in court, as she and Valentyn were not officially married. Leda is raising her three-month-old daughter with the help of Valentyn’s mother, Svitlana Dobra.

Leda Kosmachevska is in Kyiv. She is ready to talk to journalists, both online and offline, by prior arrangement.

• children
• military
• women
• Kyiv

On September 22, a charity soccer match will be held in Kyiv to raise funds for the 1st Separate Assault Battalion, named in honor of the late Ukrainian hero, Dmytro “Da Vinci” Kotsiubailo. The match, timed to coincide with the International Day of Peace, will feature a friendly game between Ukraine’s national team of artists and soldiers from the “Da Vinci” battalion. Proceeds from the event will go toward the rehabilitation of wounded Ukrainian soldiers.

Oleksandra Kotsiubailo, Dmytro’s younger sister, will kick off the match, while Ukrainian singer Artem Nikitin is set to perform the national anthem.

• Kyiv

The Veteranka movement has launched the “Plan B Center of Strength” project, spearheaded by Tetiana Borys, whose husband, a soldier with the 58th Mechanized Brigade, was killed in action in February 2023. The initiative aims to reshape how Ukraine supports families of fallen soldiers, addressing their grief and guiding them toward healing.

The project’s key goal is to study the experiences of those coping with loss and use that insight to reform how government agencies work with bereaved families. As part of the initiative, families will receive a bereavement guide designed to help them re-engage with society and rebuild their lives.

Tetiana Borys also plans to share her personal story of loss in a series of articles that highlight the emotional journey of losing a loved one in war.

Journalists can arrange interviews with Tetiana in Kyiv to learn more about the “Plan B Center of Strength” project.

• dead
• military
• women
• Kyiv

On September 20, the Media Center Ukraine will host a briefing “Incredible success in Paris: Results of the 2024 Paralympics”.

Participants: 

– Valeriy Sushkevych, President of the National Paralympic Committee of Ukraine;

– Ihor Tsvietov, two-time Paralympic champion in para athletics, 2024 Paralympic Games;

– Yaroslav Denysenko, two-time gold medalist and bronze medalist in para swimming, 2024 Paralympic Games;

– Iryna Poida, two-time gold medalist and two-time silver medalist in para swimming, 2024 Paralympic Games;

– Danylo Chufarov, two-time silver medalist and bronze medalist in para swimming, 2024 Paralympic Games;

– Marina Mazhula, silver medalist in para canoe, 2024 Paralympic Games. 

The event will focus on the following topics: in which sports Ukrainian Paralympic athletes achieved the best results; achievements of Ukrainian Paralimpians at the Paris Paralympics; challenges of training and preparation for the Paralympic Games 2024.

• Kyiv

On September 16, Ukraine’s RePower Ukraine charitable foundation launched a free training program named “Solar ReStart,” designed to help both male and female veterans transition into new careers. Developed in collaboration with leading solar energy experts, the course aims to equip participants with the skills needed for the burgeoning solar energy sector.

The inaugural session welcomed 46 male and 4 female veterans. Attendees can choose to specialize in one of two areas: 

• designing solar power plants, which involves developing projects and determining optimal configurations;
• installing these systems, covering installation, configuration, maintenance, and energy storage.

Upon completing the program, participants will receive a certificate and job placement assistance, along with psychological support to aid their transition. 

Practical classes will be held in Kyiv in the coming weeks, offering journalists a chance to cover this initiative firsthand.

• Kyiv

Feliks Rasko, a 36-year-old Ukrainian Armed Forces veteran, has a remarkable story of resilience. He enlisted in the military at 18, first serving through conscription before signing a contract to continue his service. After his military career, he worked as a conductor for Ukraine’s Railways, Ukrzaliznytsia.

When russia’s full-scale invasion began, Feliks promptly re-enlisted. For eight months, he fought in some of the most intense battle zones, including Sievierodonetsk, Lysychansk, Rubizhne, and Yampolivka. In October 2022, while stationed in Donetsk, enemy missiles struck the building where Feliks and his fellow soldiers were sheltering. Trapped under debris and engulfed by flames, Feliks put out the fire on his burning hands himself, while his comrades helped extinguish the fire on his head. Despite their injuries, the soldiers managed to escape and were evacuated by medics.

Feliks sustained serious injuries, which greatly impacted his mobility. His wife learned about the Unburned project, a free rehabilitation program, and applied on his behalf, submitting photos of his burns. A month later, Feliks began his treatment. Today, after completing rehabilitation, he has returned to work with Ukrzaliznytsia, now as a service center engineer in Kyiv, rather than his previous role as a conductor.

For reference: The Unburned project, supported by Ukraine’s Ministry of Health and partners, offers free, comprehensive treatment for military personnel, volunteers, civilians, and children affected by burns and scars caused by the war.

• casualties
• doctors
• military
• Kyiv

From September 20 to 22, Kyiv will welcome the “All Together” festival, an annual event organized by Mystetskyi Arsenal designed to engage children and teens in a variety of experiences through interaction, exploration, and creative play. The festival’s program features around 70 events, divided into two distinct sections. The first section, a long-standing part of the festival, caters to children under 12 with approximately 30 activities. New this year is a special program specifically designed for teenagers, marking its debut at Mystetskyi Arsenal’s educational festival. This teen-focused lineup includes 37 diverse events, such as film screenings, theater performances, discussions, and talks with psychologists, filmmakers, and artists. Festival-goers will also have the chance to participate in workshops led by artists, museum experts, book bloggers, and theater directors. Attendees can practice their English, take part in live podcast recordings, connect with peers, enjoy Odesa funk music, and engage in discussions on topics like movies, dreams, and subcultures. Teen participants can also explore career aspirations and join creative workshops led by their peers.

Journalists interested in covering the festival are invited to view the full program but must obtain accreditation in advance.

• children
• culture
• Kyiv

On September 18, Kyiv will host the launch of the “Silenced Voices” campaign, a major initiative aimed at raising awareness about the reform of Ukraine’s child care and support system, known as deinstitutionalization. As part of the event, organizers will unveil an interactive installation—a phone booth where visitors can listen to stories from children in boarding schools, allowing their voices to finally be heard.

Participants: 

– Daria Herasymchuk, Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights and Child Rehabilitation;

– Representative of the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine;

– Inna Miroshnychenko, blogger, adoptive mother, lawyer, partner at PRONIN&PARTNERS Law Firm, public figure;

– Mykola Lytvynenko, Deputy Head of the Coordination Center for the Development of Family Upbringing and Child Care;

– Serhii Lukashov, Director of SOS Children’s Villages Ukraine;

– Daria Kasyanova, National Program Development Director of SOS Children’s Villages Ukraine;

– Kyrylo Nevdokha, Head of the DIYMO Office for Children and Youth;

– Representatives of young people who grew up in boarding schools. 

Many children in these institutions remain unheard, with their dreams and struggles often going unnoticed. The “Silenced Voices” campaign draws on a 2022 media and sociological study, which revealed widespread societal tolerance toward the boarding school system and a lack of understanding about the needs and challenges faced by children in institutional care.

The goal of the campaign is to spotlight the reform, which seeks to ensure that all children in Ukraine can grow up in family environments rather than institutions.

For more information, contact the organizers: SOS Children’s Villages Ukraine.

• children
• Kyiv

On September 22, Kyiv will host a large-scale festival of veteran culture, Veterans’ Circle, the first event in Ukraine to truly bring together military and civilians. The organizers, Ukrainian Veterans Foundation, note that the event aims not only to provide moral support and create opportunities for reintegration of veterans, but also to show unity, respect and strong ties of civil society to those who have gone through extremely difficult events in their lives.

The Veterans’ Circle Festival is a large platform that will bring together veterans, combatants, their families and all concerned Ukrainians.

The festival will feature six interactive zones: an adaptive sports area, including archery, sitting volleyball and wheelchair basketball, with an arsenal of prizes. Visitors can also enjoy a literary space, a marketplace where veteran-owned businesses will sell their products and pitch their ideas to potential investors, and photography and art zones where guests can create something special with their own hands.

Journalists can learn more about the program of the event and cover it. Accreditation is required.

• culture
• Kyiv

On September 17, the Museum of History of Kyiv will present a large-scale multimedia exhibition project “Guarding St. Sophia”. It shows the modern russian-Ukrainian war as a result of the centuries-long confrontation between the russian and Ukrainian civilizations with their completely opposite values.

The exhibition consists of three thematic sections – ‘Ukrainian Civilization’, ‘russian Civilization’ and ‘Defense of Kyiv’. The first section will present the progress and the continuity of Ukrainian civilization from the Princely era to the present day, highlighting the  development of crafts and industry, science and education, the church and the arts, the formation of the state, and the processes of decolonization. The second section will explore russian-soviet civilization, tracing its roots to the era of the Golden Horde, focusing on authoritarian rule and totalitarianism, repression and coercion, expansionist wars, and the cult of personality. The third section will immerse visitors in the recent history of Kyiv’s defense against russian invaders in February-March 2022, showing the fate of various towns in the Kyiv region that suffered from war criminals and testifying to the devastating consequences of the russian presence on Ukrainian soil.

The exhibition features artifacts from the collection of the Kyiv History Museum and the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War.

• culture
• Kyiv