Themes by tag: Kyiv

On December 17 in Kyiv, the Association of Relatives of Political Prisoners of the Kremlin and the Center for Civil Liberties will present an analytical report and hold a public discussion on how civilians who independently escaped from russian captivity can prove their imprisonment by the aggressor state.

According to the Ministry of Reintegration as of November 2023, every third attempt to confirm illegal imprisonment of civilians as a result of russian aggression ends in a refusal. As a result, people who were tortured and detained without rights or documents are left without essential state support.

The presentation will be followed by a discussion with the following participants:

• Kateryna Levchenko, lawyer with the Association of Relatives of Political Prisoners of the Kremlin;
• Mykhailo Savva, Doctor of Political Science and member of the Expert Council of the Center for Civil Rights;
• Yuliia Poliekhina, lawyer with the Human Rights Protection Group “Sich” and the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union (online);
• Oleksandr Panchenko, former prisoner released from unlawful detention (online).

Moderator: Ihor Kotelianets, head of the Association of relatives of Kremlin political prisoners.

Registration is required.

• russian crimes
• Kyiv

Olena Lehenchuk, a native of Zhytomyr and mother of four, moved to Spain with her children six years ago. When the full-scale war began, she began volunteering and later became a chaplain (military priest). Now Olena divides her time between Ukraine and Spain, returning to see her children.

Olena serves as a volunteer chaplain. Her duties include providing pastoral care to soldiers, but as she explains, her role has expanded significantly. In addition to spiritual guidance, she provides psychological support.

Chaplain Olena organizes retreats for soldiers and their families, holds weekly meetings for soldiers’ wives, and provides counseling for veterans and those returning from captivity. She also provides general support to the wives of POWs and visits widows.

By prior arrangement, interviews with Olena can be conducted in Kyiv or Poltava, as well as online.

• military
• religion
• women
• Kyiv
• Poltava

The presentation of the research “Forecast 2025: What Awaits Ukraine?” will take place on December 16.

Participants:

– Igar Tyshkevich, political scientist, analyst;

– Iliya Kusa, expert on international politics and the Middle East;

– Vadym Denysenko, political scientist;

Moderator: Andriy Shevchenko

The year 2025 brings great hopes and fears for Ukrainians, especially regarding possible peace negotiations. How realistic are these negotiations? What can we expect from them and what are the possible scenarios for 2025? These and other questions are addressed by the authors of the study.

For reference: “Forecast-2025. What Awaits Ukraine?” is a joint project of the analytical network Research Solutions, the publication Dilova Stolytsya (Business Capital) and the Media Center Ukraine.

• Kyiv

The Kyiv Regional State Administration’s Department of Youth and Sports has launched several initiatives to support veterans through sports and recreational programs. A key focus is on adaptive sports clubs designed to aid the rehabilitation of veterans, active-duty military personnel, individuals with disabilities, and their families. Six such clubs, known as “Active Parks — Unstoppable” program, are currently operating across the Kyiv region.

These clubs provide visitors with access to specialized equipment and certified trainers skilled in working with diverse groups. Participants can engage in activities like swimming, fitness, jiu-jitsu, general physical training, and archery.

Over the past year, more than 500 veterans have received rehabilitation services at these adaptive sports clubs in the Kyiv region, highlighting their growing impact on the community.

• casualties
• military
• Kyiv

Before russia’s full-scale invasion, Oleh Bykov and his brother ran a legal firm as advisors. But their lives shifted after February 2022—Oleh paused his legal career to dedicate himself to volunteer efforts, while his brother joined Ukraine’s National Guard.

Oleh went on to establish the Kremenchuk Volunteer Defense Headquarters, delivering humanitarian aid to front-line regions. During one visit to a stabilization center for injured soldiers, he witnessed the challenges medics faced in removing shrapnel from wounds. Determined to help, Oleh collaborated with a technologist to develop magnetic extractors, innovative devices designed to remove shrapnel from hard-to-reach areas.

His team has since produced five types of extractors, each tailored to different parts of the body. Among their most advanced designs is the Hydra—a flexible tool for extracting shrapnel and bullets from the heart, currently undergoing testing at the Heart Institute and the Shalimov National Research Center for Surgery and Transplantation. Oleh provides these devices to civilian and military doctors free of charge, using their feedback to refine the designs further.

To arrange an interview with Oleh Bykov, you can meet him in Kremenchuk or Kyiv, either online or in person, by appointment.

• doctors
• volunteers
• Kyiv
• Poltava

On December 13 the Media Center Ukraine will host the presentation of the art and historical project “Flowers of Victory”. The centerpiece of the project is a sculpture crafted from the remnants of an enemy infantry fighting vehicle destroyed in the Kyiv oblast, and ammunition fragments left behind by russian shelling of civilian targets. The sculpture depicts sunflowers growing through enemy equipment, symbolizing Ukraine’s triumph over the aggressor.

Participants:

– Kostiantyn Cherniavskyi, chairman of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine, Honored Artist of Ukraine; 

– Bohdan Mazur, author of the sculptural composition, winner of the Taras Shevchenko National Prize of Ukraine, member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine;

– Mamuka Mamulashvili, soldier, founder and commander of the Georgian National Legion;

– Oleksandr Kuklyshyn, project manager and head of the NGO “Green Stripe”.

During the event, journalists will have an opportunity to see metal fragments from russian missiles left after the attack on the Ohmatdyt National Children’s Hospital.

• culture
• russian crimes
• weapon
• Kyiv

A pilot project initiated by the Ministry of Communities and Territories Development to train female truck drivers is underway in Ukraine. The participants have completed the theoretical training and are now beginning practical driving lessons, which are scheduled to last until February 2025. Upon completion of the practical phase, participants will take an exam to obtain the appropriate driver’s license.

In addition, the participants have already started visiting partner companies that are ready to employ program graduates.

Under prior arrangement, journalists have the opportunity to report on the project in Kyiv.

Background information: The pilot project to train female truck drivers started in September 2024 in four cities: Kyiv, Rivne, Ternopil and Khmelnytskyi. The primary goal of the initiative is to expand the professional potential of women in the transportation sector and address the labor shortage and critical deficit of long-distance drivers in Ukraine. As part of the initiative, at least 100 women are expected to complete the program and secure employment with partner companies specializing in logistics and transportation.

The project is being implemented by the NGO Foundation for Institutional Development in cooperation with the Ministry of Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine and with support from the USAID Competitive Economy Program in Ukraine.

• women
• Kyiv

On December 13, Kyiv will host an event marking the 50th anniversary of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War. (The event will be held as part of the Third Christmas Gatherings format).

This year, the War Museum is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Throughout its history, the institution has fulfilled an important social mission and remained at the center of Ukraine’s public and cultural life. Today, the Museum actively documents and highlights the ongoing russian-Ukrainian war, and its exhibitions and events have a strong resonance both in Ukraine and internationally.

In addition, the Museum has prepared the exhibition project “Past – Future”, which presents unique original drawings used for the construction of the Memorial Complex.

Accreditation is required to attend the event.

• culture
• Kyiv

On December 11, Media Center Ukraine will host a press brunch entitled “Healthcare in 2024 highlights: Key failures and achievements”.

Participants:

– Olha Stefanyshyna, MP and member of the Committee on Public Health;

– Inna Ivanenko, Chief Executive Officer, Charitable Foundation “Patients of Ukraine”;

– Anastasia Boichuk, Strategic Lead, War Trauma Rehabilitation Project, Charitable Foundation “Patients of Ukraine”;

– Oleksii Golovin, Chair, Public Control Council at the National Health Service of Ukraine, and Chief Legal Advisor, Charitable Foundation “Healthy Solutions”.

Topics of focus:

– Challenges in reforming medical and social expert commissions;

– Delays in the procurement of innovative medicines;

– Patient treatment needs and funding gaps in the 2025 State Budget;

– Timeline for the availability of cannabis-based medicines in pharmacies;

– Anticipated healthcare reforms in 2025. 

Registration is required to attend the event.

• doctors
• Kyiv

On December 11, Kyiv will host an event marking the conclusion of the charitable project “Childhood Without War”, which facilitated the largest private evacuation of orphaned children from Ukraine to Turkey.

Participants of the event:

• Oksana Zholnovych, Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine
• Ruslan Shostak, philanthropist, President of TERWIN Corporation and founder of national retail chains EVA and Varus
• Petro Dobromilskyi, Head of the State Service of Ukraine for Children
• Vasyl Bodnar, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Turkey
• Andrii Bobliakh, Member of Parliament of Ukraine
• Nadiia Zadorozhna, Deputy Head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration
• Participants of the project (orphans and their caregivers)

Accreditation is required to attend the event.

Background: At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Ruslan Shostak, together with partners, organized the largest evacuation of orphaned children and their caregivers from Ukraine to Turkey. This was made possible by an agreement between the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, and the First Lady of Turkey, Emine Erdoğan.

A total of 3,500 children – including orphans, children deprived of parental care, and children from families in difficult circumstances – were provided with shelter in Turkey. For three years, Ruslan Shostak’s charitable foundation, together with partners, provided these children with shelter in hotels on the Mediterranean coast and fully covered the costs of their housing, food, education, and holistic development.

The “Childhood Without War” project has received international recognition and has been included in the World Record Book. The documentary film “Save Generation UA” dedicated to the project has won seven international awards in five countries.

• children
• Kyiv