Themes by tag: Kyiv

To mark the anniversary of the full-scale invasion, the charitable foundation “Voices of Children” is organizing an exhibition dedicated to children’s resilience and recovery in times of war. The central part of the exhibition “Thread: Transformation instead of brokenness” features portraits of 14 children accompanied by brief stories about their lives. Some of them have lost their homes and familiar way of life. Others have endured events that changed them forever. The exhibition will open on February 19 in Kyiv.

The exhibition does not aim to demonstrate a generation’s brokenness — quite the opposite. Although war leaves marks that become engraved in our experience, transformation is not equal to weakness and does not mean destruction. What has been endured can become the foundation for something new — far stronger than before. This journey is what the exhibition “Thread” is about.

The photographs for the project were created by Marta Syrko, a portrait artist whose works have been presented at international exhibitions. In 2025, Forbes included Marta in its list 10 Women Preserving and Shaping Ukrainian Art and Culture.

Following the official opening, a panel discussion titled “Transformation instead of brokenness” will take place. The discussion will bring together professionals who work with children, defend their rights, and have themselves undergone transformation. Most importantly, the project’s young protagonists will also participate.

Among the participants and speakers:

– the project’s protagonists — teenagers Liza from Oleshky and Maks from Kharkiv;
– volunteer and founder of the “Birds” project, Tata Kepler;
– lawyer at the Regional Center for Human Rights, Kateryna Rashevska;
– co-founder of the charitable foundation “Voices of Children,” Olena Rozvadovska;
– foundation psychologist, Sofiia Stetsenko.

Journalists are required to register for the event in advance.

• children
• culture
• Kyiv

Andrii Bieliaiev is a racer, founder and head of the NGO “Offroadbrothers.” He took part in his first competitions back in 2010, when he also met Vadym Moroz and Yevhenii Sokur. In 2022, they launched their own off-road school together.

On the site where races used to be held, they built a training ground at their own expense and now conduct daily sessions there. Requests for training from military personnel come in regularly, with bookings scheduled two to three weeks in advance.

The “Offroadbrothers” training ground includes an obstacle section, an area simulating various ruts, pits and bumps, ascents and descents, as well as a tent equipped as a lecture space. Basic skills are taught to military drivers in four hours. Most drivers come for training from frontline regions, so the program has been shortened to two hours of theory and two hours of practice. In addition to military personnel, the instructors also train drivers from the State Emergency Service of Ukraine — their course lasts three days. The team is currently working with the National Guard of Ukraine and assisting in the creation of a training center for car and motorcycle training.

Interviews with the “Offroadbrothers” team can be arranged both online and offline in Kyiv by prior appointment.

• military
• volunteers
• Kyiv

The production, which combines Ivan Kotliarevsky’s literary work with elements of physical and performative theatre, has been in development for over a year.

All roles are performed by active service members and veterans of the Russian-Ukrainian war who have amputations or severe injuries. Despite their physical trauma, they demonstrate remarkable strength and resilience on stage.

The core idea of the project is to use movement, spoken word, and music to open a path toward inner healing and self-expression through the art of theatre. “Eneida” is not just another premiere by the Veterans’ Theater; it is a project designed to support Ukrainian veterans through creativity, help them reinterpret their wartime experiences, and facilitate their reintegration into society.

The long-term goal is to establish a nationwide network of veteran theatres united under the Veterans’ Theater. The flagship production “Eneida” aims to demonstrate to veteran enthusiasts in the regions that, with minimal props, determination, and inspiration, such a performance can be created even by a small community in the smallest town or village.

By prior arrangement, journalists are welcome to cover the event.

For reference: The Veterans’ Theater is a unique project initiated by the Communications Department of the Territorial Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in partnership with the Theater of Playwrights. It combines psychological rehabilitation with creative realization for veterans who have experienced trauma. The Veterans’ Theater teaches veterans to professionally write plays and share their own stories through theatre, while also supporting their reintegration into society.

• culture
• Kyiv

Golosiyv Ski Park is providing free rehabilitation sessions for military personnel using specialized adaptive ski chairs. Since the beginning of the season, more than 15 training sessions have been held, each involving at least six participants.

By prior arrangement, journalists can attend and cover the next training session.

• culture
• Kyiv

The Veterans Theatre has announced its third course in the fundamentals of playwriting. The program is intended for veterans of russia’s war against Ukraine and will last four months.

Each participant will write at least one play (a theatrical script) and will see it performed by professional actors at the Third Festival of First Plays, which will take place in June–July 2026.

Classes will be held in Kyiv three times a week. Veterans will work with theatre and film professionals, including playwrights, screenwriters, directors, producers, actors, and cultural scholars.

The training will begin in late February. By prior arrangement, journalists will have the opportunity to cover the classes in Kyiv.

• culture
• Kyiv

On February 7, Bucha will host the support event “Light of Hope” for missing persons and prisoners. The event is initiated by families of those who have not yet returned home.

Nataliia Illiina, who has been waiting for her husband Mykola Illiin, a Defender of Ukraine, since February 2025, shares:
“Today I set the table again. I placed a plate for him. I left his chair empty. Just like yesterday. Just like the day before. Just like every day for a year now… More than 100 families in Bucha do the same. They set the table. Leave a place. Wait… We will stand in a circle. We will raise lanterns into the sky. We will create a lighted path home. In the center of the circle there will be that same table. That same empty chair. The bandura will be played.”

Residents of the Bucha community are encouraged to come with flashlights and join the event to draw public attention to the fate of missing persons and prisoners and to support their families.

• casualties
• prisoners
• Kyiv

Participants:

– Oleksandr Slobozhan, Executive Director of the Association of Ukrainian Cities.

Topics for discussion:

– How local self-government coped during power cuts, accidents, and shelling;

– Is there a crisis at the local level?

– The effectiveness of decentralization in action: the involvement of homeowners associations and municipal housing services.

• Kyiv

Participants:

– Kateryna Rashevska, PhD in International Law, Expert at the Regional Center for Human Rights.

Key topics:

– The current situation regarding the return of Ukrainian children stolen by russia: statistics and achievements;

– How has the process of returning Ukrainian children changed today?

– Who is involved in returning Ukrainian children from russia today and how?

• children
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

On February 10, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, together with the Center for Civil Liberties, invite journalists to the premiere of the documentary film “Give Me Back My Name”, dedicated to people who have gone missing as a result of russia’s war against Ukraine.

The film tells the story of soldiers of this war who bear the status “missing in action,” the process of returning the bodies of fallen Ukrainian soldiers, their identification, and the restoration of their names — as well as the families who have spent years living in search and uncertainty.

The event will open with remarks by Oleksandra Matviichuk, Head of the Center for Civil Liberties — an organization awarded the Nobel Peace Prize — and Stephen Capus, President and CEO of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

The screening will be followed by a discussion with the film’s author, Maryan Kushnir, a frontline correspondent for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, who has been covering russia’s war against Ukraine since 2015. In January 2026, he rescued a young girl by carrying her out of an apartment that was struck by a russian drone in the Kyiv region, for which he was awarded the Order “For Courage.”

Journalists need to register for the event. The organizers reserve the right to deny participation for security reasons.

For reference: The film “Give Me Back My Name” was produced with the support of the Pulitzer Center. The European Union funds the event.

• casualties
• dead
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

In Kyiv, a unique rehabilitation project is helping military personnel recover through archery, including those who have lost limbs. The initiative welcomes veterans, active-duty soldiers, and their families, offering free daily training sessions.  

Leading the effort is Dmytro Lvovskyi, an international master of sports and founder and Board Chair of the “Ukrainian Archery Space” NGO. Since 2014, he has funded archery training for wounded soldiers, including veterans of the ATO service, using his own resources. His work expanded with support from the Kyiv City Center for Physical Culture and Sports for Persons with Disabilities “Invasport” and the All-Ukrainian Center for Physical Health “Sport for All,” as part of the Ministry of Youth and Sports’ “Active Parks — Unstoppable” program.  

Archery is accessible to all, even those with severe injuries. Participants missing legs train from wheelchairs, while those without arms can draw the bowstring with their teeth. Even individuals who are completely blind can take part, using specialized techniques tailored for visually impaired archers.  

Journalists can arrange to visit and cover the training sessions in Kyiv by appointment.

• casualties
• military
• Kyiv