Themes by tag: Kyiv

Before russia’s full-scale invasion, Taras Ostapchuk worked as an electrician manufacturing lighting poles. As early as 2017, he had mastered drone piloting in order to inspect these structures. After February 24, 2022, he used the same drones to conduct reconnaissance in the Kyiv oblast and later joined an aerial reconnaissance unit.

Taras had observed that soldiers were risking their lives by carrying anti-tank mines manually. This inspired him to create kamikaze robots to transport explosives instead. Leveraging his background in metalworking, Taras crafted the robots’ chassis himself. Workshops originally designed for lighting fixtures helped assemble the internal components. 

Taras invested his entire savings — approximately $270,000 — to build the first 50 robots, which he donated to troops on the front lines. A friend later invested in the project, enabling mass production. 

The current robot model can carry 40 kg of explosives, reach speeds of 24 km/h, and is remotely controlled. Taras has also designed two drones to improve logistics and evacuate wounded soldiers.

Journalists can interview Taras Ostapchuk online or in person in Kyiv, subject to prior coordination.

• military
• Kyiv

On June 19, Kyiv will host an adaptive paintball competition, a fast-paced, team-based tactical game where players eliminate opponents by hitting them with dye-filled gelatin capsules. The event will take place in a safe, controlled environment designed to accommodate participants with varying physical abilities. Veterans, individuals with disabilities, and active-duty military personnel are encouraged to take part.

Media representatives are required to obtain accreditation in advance.

The event is organized by the State Institution “All-Ukrainian Center for Physical Health ‘Sport for All,'” with support from the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine and the NGO “Strength of the Defenders.”

• culture
• Kyiv

On June 12, a recreated version of Alla Horska’s legendary Boryviter mosaic was unveiled at Maidan Nezalezhnosti Square. The project was initiated by ROZETKA, Ukraine’s largest online marketplace, in collaboration with Ukraine WOW, and the Alla Horska and Viktor Zaretskyi Foundation. A team of 15 monumental artists and researchers, led by Horska’s granddaughter Olena Zaretska, contributed to the restoration. The recreated mosaic replicates everything to the smallest detail, after the Mariupol original was severely damaged during the full-scale russian invasion. 

The artistic team spent three months assembling the mosaic. To achieve maximum accuracy, they sourced over 700 kilograms of materials from across Ukraine and abroad, including opaque cobalt glass, tiles in matching colors, metal sheets, and even aluminum spoons.

Boryviter will now go on an international tour to raise awareness of Ukrainian art, sharing the stories of artists whose work russia seeks to erase.

The initiative also produced a second replica of the mosaic, divided into 1,250 fragments. Each piece was made available for purchase, allowing individuals to become custodians of Boriviter with the hope of one day restoring Horska’s masterpiece in a liberated Mariupol. All the fragments were sold within a single day.

By prior arrangement, journalists may view the panels in Kyiv and speak with the team behind the project.

Background: In the summer of 1967, a team of monumental artists led by the renowned artist Alla Horska created the Boryviter mosaic in Mariupol. The composition, featuring a falcon in flight, captivated viewers with its dynamic form and movement. Its bold mix of materials, alternating colors, and interesting textures made Boryviter a symbol of creative freedom. Just three years later, Alla Horska, a leading figure of the Ukrainian Sixtiers movement, was murdered by Soviet security services. In 2022, the mosaic was severely damaged during russia’s invasion. Its current condition remains unknown.

• culture
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

On June 14, the KyivPride March will take place – a key human rights event. Last year, due to security challenges, only around 500 participants could join the March. This year, organizers aim to involve more people, though the location remains undisclosed for safety reasons.

KyivPride is Ukraine’s largest annual LGBTIQ+ event. In 2025, it will be held under the slogan “Unity in Diversity”, the official motto of the European Union. This theme emphasizes Ukraine’s commitment to European integration, the importance of partnerships and solidarity in the fight for human rights, and victory in the war.

Journalists need to be accredited to attend the event.

• Kyiv
• LGBT

A team of student inventors at Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute dedicates their free time to assembling ground drones designed to evacuate wounded soldiers from the frontlines.

The project was initiated by Dmytro Mamonov, an internally displaced person from Sloviansk. The device can support a weight of up to 120 kilograms and can cover more than 5 kilometers without recharging. Additionally, the drone is resistant to snow and mud, which is crucial for frontline conditions.

Currently, the students are manufacturing drones on request from the military. The technicians also involve first-year students in the production process so they can learn and help prototyping new designs.

Interviews with the team of student inventors are available either online or offline by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• Kyiv

On June 15, Kyiv will host Memoria Bellatoris, a charity event dedicated to honoring the memory of fallen soldiers from the 6th Battalion of the 12th Azov Brigade.

Participants are invited to join a CrossFit workout held in their honor. Entry is open to all in exchange for a charitable donation.

Organizers say the event aims to commemorate the battalion’s sacrifice and bring the community together in remembrance.

Event registration is required to attend.  

• dead
• Kyiv

Kyiv will host VR CyberBoxing competitions and training sessions at the “Active Country” festival. The event is open to veterans, active military personnel, people with disabilities (including wheelchair users, amputees, and those with combat injuries), and anyone interested in trying this innovative sport.

From June 13 to June 22, daily open training sessions will be held for all participants. Competitive CyberBoxing tournaments will follow on June 17 and 22.

Format: Full VR immersion (headset + simulator).

Accreditation is required to cover the event.

• culture
• Kyiv

Ivan and Iryna Umansky are a couple from the Kherson oblast. Before russia’s full-scale invasion, the family was raising four biological children and a boy named Bohdan, whom they had taken under their guardianship. Bohdan was the first child they welcomed into their family. Undeterred by his medical diagnosis, the Umanskys decided to give the boy a chance at a full life.

When the war began, the couple was in their hometown of Kakhovka, which remains under russian occupation. They moved from their home to a friend’s house to look after it. In August 2022, the head of social services, who was still cooperating with Ukrainian authorities, contacted the couple and asked if they could take in two girls from an orphanage.

The family took a risk: aside from birth certificates, the girls had no other documents. Later, Ivan bought a seven-seater, and the family decided to flee to Ukrainian-controlled territory. They had to pass through twenty russian checkpoints, and the journey took three days. The Umanskys eventually reached the Kyiv oblast, where they initially stayed in a family support center. They later lived in an apartment provided to them free of charge. In April 2024, they moved into a new house built as part of the “Address of Childhood” project by Ukraine’s First Lady, Olena Zelenska’s Foundation. Today, Ivan and Iryna are raising ten children and have the status of a large foster family.

Journalists can speak with Ivan and Iryna Umansky online or in person by prior arrangement.

• children
• occupation
• Kyiv

Olena Yefremova, a paramedic and deminer from Kramatorsk in Donetsk Oblast, has been serving with the HALO Ukraine team since 2021. Previously employed as a saleswoman, she made a decisive career change after learning about the call for deminers in Bakhmut, promptly joining the ranks.

Today, Olena’s son is also a member of HALO, having been persuaded by his mother to enlist.

Reflecting on her work, Olena says, “I don’t keep track of how many explosive devices I have discovered. But I know that our efforts translate directly into lives saved.”

Journalists may arrange interviews with Olena and her son by prior appointment in the Kyiv region.

• women
• Kyiv
• demining

On June 12, Kyiv will host a screening of Generation, a film by director Marisa Nikitiuk and the Voices of Children Foundation, followed by a discussion exploring the lives of a generation shaped by war. The event is titled “A Generation Growing Up in War: What Challenges Do Children Face Today and How Can We Support Them?”

Generation is a collaborative project between Nikitiuk and the Voices of Children Foundation that seeks to view the war through the eyes of its youngest witnesses and give them a voice to share their experiences. The film was created with 14 teenagers who faced evacuation, forced relocation within Ukraine and abroad, the loss of social connections, and the struggle to adapt to unfamiliar surroundings, all while enduring life under russian occupation or on the frontlines.

Over five months, the teens participated in the “Storytelling in Film with Elements of Art Therapy” lab, working alongside a psychologist and learning scriptwriting under Nikitiuk’s guidance. Through this process, they processed their experiences and transformed them into personal stories on screen.

Speakers:

– Olena Rozvadovska, co-founder and Chair of the Board of the Voices of Children Foundation;

– Marysia Nikitiuk, screenwriter and director;

– Children featured in the film Generation. 

Moderator: Olha Birzul, journalist, editor, cultural manager, film program developer and curator, writer.

Organizers: NGO Docudays and the Voices of Children Charitable Foundation.

• casualties
• children
• culture
• Kyiv