Themes by tag: Kyiv

When russia launched its full-scale invasion, Nazar Bokii enlisted in the Ukrainian army. He served as an infantryman with the 135th Battalion before taking command of a UAV strike team.

In May 2025, a russian drone strike left him gravely wounded. The attack cost him both arms and an eye. Evacuated from the battlefield, he spent weeks in intensive care before beginning a long course of rehabilitation.

Today, Bokii is learning to use prosthetic limbs, supported every step of the way by his wife. He has also launched a blog, sharing his experiences of life after injury and the challenges of recovery.

Nazar Bokii is available for in-person or online conversations in Kyiv by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• military
• Kyiv

A unique mobile library called “Booksin” (a play on “book” and “caterpillar”) is traveling across Ukraine, delivering books — and a sense of community — to  communities, particularly those with high concentrations of displaced persons. The bookmobile brings more than just books; it also fosters lively communication. For instance, writers organize interactive readings, games, quizzes, and cultural activities for children and adults.

This initiative was made possible thanks to Libraries Connected, a UK library association, which donated the bus after a crowdfunding campaign. Recognizing the crisis caused by war, British librarians wanted to support Ukraine’s access to literature. 

The vehicle previously served in Warwickshire County’s library network, including in Stratford-upon-Avon — Shakespeare’s hometown. The bus is specially equipped for its mission: it has bookshelves, a librarian’s workstation, a laptop desk for readers, and even a ramp for accessibility. 

In Ukraine, it was rebranded with a whimsical “Booksin” design — a book-carrying caterpillar — and made its first stop in Kyiv oblast in spring 2025.

Journalists can arrange interviews with the head of the “Library Country” Charitable Foundation in Kyiv and see the bookmobile in action. In September, the mobile library will head to Cherkasy oblast.

Background: The project is organized by the “Library Country” Charitable Foundation.

• culture
• Kyiv

Kyiv is now holding football training sessions for people with visual impairments. The classes are free, and everyone is welcome to join. The training is conducted at a comfortable pace, making it easy to adapt and enjoy the game. Participants are guided by an experienced coach who helps them master the specifics of this sport.

Background: The new “blind football” initiative is launched by the League of the Strong. Football for the visually impaired is part of a broader social program by the Ukrainian Football Association aimed at developing adaptive football.

• culture
• Kyiv

On August 29, the Day of Remembrance of the Defenders of Ukraine, the Illia Hrabar Charitable Foundation and the Memorial Platform will host the national event Table of Remembrance 2025.

The initiative calls on participants to set aside a single table in a public venue or institution and keep it unoccupied for the entire day, symbolically awaiting an honored guest who will never arrive. Last year, more than 800 establishments across Ukraine took part, along with venues abroad.

This year, organizers are inviting participation from a broad range of institutions, including:

– restaurants, cafés, coffee shops, and other dining establishments

– military units

– schools, universities, bookstores, and libraries

The Table of Remembrance campaign was first organized in 2023 by Mariia Hrabar, in memory of her partner, Illia Hrabar, who was killed in combat, and in tribute to all Ukrainians who have died defending their country. In 2024, the Illia Hrabar Foundation joined with the Memorial Platform to expand the project nationwide.

Journalists can arrange interviews in Kyiv with Mariia Hrabar, as well as with participants involved in this year’s commemoration.

The Illia Hrabar Charitable Foundation was established to honor the legacy of its namesake, a fallen defender of Ukraine. The foundation supports children’s development, sponsors sports organizations and competitions, and assists community groups caring for children with serious illnesses.

Illia Hrabar was born in the village of Kapulivka in the Dnipro region. He studied in Lithuania and graduated from the Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts before building a career as a sound producer in the Kyiv region. At the start of russia’s full-scale invasion, he joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He was killed in action near Bakhmut, Donetsk region, on December 24, 2022, at the age of 33.

The Memorial Platform, a non-governmental organization, works to foster a culture of remembrance in Ukraine by preserving the stories of fallen defenders and civilians killed in the war.

• culture
• dead
• military
• Kyiv

Mac Hughes, a Canadian from Calgary, arrived in Ukraine with his father, Paul Hughes, shortly after the start of the full-scale russian invasion. The pair began volunteering and founding a Kharkiv-based NGO called H.U.G.S. – Helping Ukraine – Grassroots Support.

Over the next three years, father and son evacuated civilians from frontline towns, repaired military vehicles, and delivered humanitarian aid to communities under fire. Mac spent more than eight months in the Kherson region, providing critical supplies to residents in need.

In March 2024, Mac enlisted in the Ukrainian army, serving alongside Ukrainian soldiers in their war against russian invaders with his unit in the Zaporizhia sector. Four months later, in July 2025, he sustained severe injuries when 30% of his body was burned. Following the evacuation, he was treated in four different hospitals and is now recovering in Kyiv, where Paul continues to care for him.

Mac and Paul are available for interviews in Kyiv, either in person or online, by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• military
• volunteers
• Kyiv

On August 24, Ukraine’s Independence Day, the international art project SYMBOLS OF IDENTITY will take place — a powerful symbolic act uniting Ukrainians across the globe through the revival of “vybiika”, an ancient Ukrainian technique of woodblock printing on textiles.

27 participants from 20 cities and countries around the world, including the U.S., France, Spain, Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Montenegro, and Japan, will come together online to simultaneously create “vybiika” towels — symbols of memory and dignity. Each participant designed their own unique stamp patterns, embedding personal stories into the artwork.

A special highlight is the participation of Ukraine’s 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade “Chorni Zaporozhtsi”, representing strength, dignity, and resilience.

In Kyiv, the National Museum of Decorative Arts of Ukraine will host the main live event, which will be streamed online to connect with global participants. The art event will also feature an exhibition of “vybiika” towels and printing stamps at the Museum of Ukrainian Diaspora. This additional public location will be directly connected to the main event.

Journalists can speak with the project’s initiator, artist Karina Haieva, and other participants by prior arrangement.

Background: The project was initiated by artist Karina Haieva in partnership with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Department of Affirmation of Ukrainian National and Civic Identity, the All-Ukrainian Youth Center, the National Museum of Decorative Arts of Ukraine, and the Museum of Ukrainian Diaspora.

Vybiika is an ancient fabric-printing technique using handmade stamps that dates back to 11th-century Ukraine. Rare surviving examples from the 17th–18th centuries are preserved in museums. Today, this technique has nearly disappeared, so the project aims to revive the craft and unite Ukrainians worldwide.

• culture
• Kyiv

On July 25, soldiers Serhii Pankevych and Ivan Huliak from the 15th Separate Brigade “Chornyi Lis” launched the large-scale charity marathon UltraUkraine. They chose a 1,500-kilometer route that spans the entire country — from Drohobych to the “Donetsk Oblast” stele near Pokrovsk.

The run is an opportunity to raise funds, engage Ukrainian businesses, and build a sports rehabilitation hall to help servicemen return to active duty.

On August 13, Serhii and Ivan will arrive in Kyiv. At 8:45 AM, they will welcome those who wish to join the marathon and run together to Khreshchatyk Street, where journalists can meet with the runners. Additionally, a press briefing will be held at the Valeriy Lobanovskyi Dynamo Stadium. On August 15, the soldiers will continue their marathon.

• culture
• military
• Kyiv

On August 12, the Media Center Ukraine will hold a presentation of the Sensory Labyrinth Theater, an innovative artistic practice designed to aid psychological recovery and meaning-making. 

The event will outline where and when the Sensory Labyrinth Theater will operate in Kyiv and explore prospects for expanding the practice across Ukraine.

Participants:

– Iwan Brioc (Wales, UK), Author of the Methodology, Founder of the CoArts (Context Oriented Art) Approach, Director of Research and Practice at ‘The Republic of the Imagination’ International Network;

– Yana Salakhova, Head of Theater for Change NGO, Theater of the Oppressed Practitioner;

 – Inna Palko, Co-Author of the Sensory Labyrinth, Activist, Theater of the Oppressed Practitioner.

Attendance requires prior accreditation.

For reference: The Theater of the Oppressed is a set of exercises, games, and techniques developed in the 1960s by Brazilian theater practitioner Augusto Boal to encourage dialogue, critical reflection, and collaborative problem-solving within communities. This approach helps participants open up to themselves and others, articulate desires and needs, examine conflicts, and develop strategies for non-violent change. It also fosters a culture of dialogue and respect for differences.

• psychological support
• Kyiv

Social Drone UA is a volunteer-driven community dedicated to assembling FPV drones for Ukraine’s armed forces. The initiative is open to anyone willing to participate, individuals simply purchase the necessary parts and follow detailed assembly instructions available on the group’s website.

The network now includes more than 2,000 people who have each assembled at least one drone, alongside 70 members on the testing team and many others supporting the effort. Every completed drone undergoes a rigorous in-flight test to identify potential issues such as defective components, assembly flaws, or soldering errors. On average, around 1,500 drones are tested each month. Since its launch, the initiative has delivered 33,798 drones to the military.

Journalists may arrange in advance to cover the project in Kyiv and Lviv.

• volunteers
• Kyiv
• Lviv

On August 9 and 10, peaceful rallies will take place across 29 cities in Ukraine to draw attention to the fate of Ukrainian prisoners of war and those still missing in action. The campaign seeks to honor the defenders of Azovstal and other soldiers held in russian captivity, and to mark three years since the deadly attack on the Olenivka detention center.

The rallies are being organized by families of POWs from the Mariupol garrison, with participation from former prisoners who have since returned home.

Demonstrations on August 9 will be held in: Arbuzynka, Okhtyrka, Pavlohrad, Chernihiv, Irpin, Vinnytsia, Dnipro, Lviv, and Poltava.

On August 10, events are planned in: Kyiv, Pivdenoukrainsk, Krolevets, Kremenchuk, Uman, Lozova, Mykolaiv, Korop, Ovruch, Obukhiv, Korosten, Slavuta, Cherkasy, Dolynska, Berdychiv, Kropyvnytskyi, Uzhhorod, Shpola, Shostka, and Rivne.

Organizers are urging the public to join the call for justice and accountability, and to ensure that the plight of those held in captivity is not forgotten.

• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Kyiv