Themes by tag: Kyiv

The public monitoring group OZON from the Center for Civil Liberties will conduct its third round of shelter inspections, focusing on accessibility and basic standards. 

This effort will be joined by volunteers from the UAnimals community, who will also check if shelters allow animals.

The inspection campaign is open to the public. The Center for Civil Liberties will offer special training beforehand. 

Following the inspections, a detailed report with recommendations for shelter improvements will be prepared and presented to local and national authorities responsible for shelters.

Journalists are invited to cover the shelter inspection campaign in Kyiv, tentatively set to begin in mid-July.

• Kyiv

Oksana Myronenko was a surgeon in her hometown of Luhansk. In 2014, following russia’s initial attack on Ukraine and the occupation of the city, Oksana and her husband relocated to Bucha in the Kyiv region.

In February 2022, during the Russian assault on Kyiv, reluctant to face occupation again and swiftly moved with her children from Bucha to Kyiv. Tragically, Oksana’s parents also attempted to flee Bucha, but her mother died and her father was injured en route.

In spring 2022, Oksana and her sister established the Nash Sokil (Our Falcon) charity foundation, dedicated to aiding internally displaced persons with limited mobility. They named the foundation in honor of their late mother, whose last name was Sokolovska. Despite her new responsibilities, Oksana continues her medical practice, performing at least 30 surgeries a month in Ivano-Frankivsk and Kyiv. As a peripheral nerve injuries expert, she helped many soldiers avoid disability and alleviate pain. Oksana offers all surgeries for military personnel at no charge. 

Journalists can interview Oksana Myronenko in Ivano-Frankivsk or Kyiv.

• casualties
• dead
• doctors
• occupation
• women
• Ivano-Frankivsk
• Kyiv

On July 4, the Ukraine Media Center will host a press conference to reveal the national team for the 2025 Invictus Games, set to take place in Whistler and Vancouver, Canada.

Participants: 

– Oleksandr Porkhun, Acting Minister for Veterans Affairs of Ukraine; 

– Anastasia Rashchenko, Head of Program Department at the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation; 

– Ilona Voloshyna, National Coordinator of the Invictus Games in Ukraine; 

– Alina Frolova, Founder of Stratcom Ukraine, Founder of the Invictus Games in Ukraine;

– Taras Kovalyk, Head of the Veterans Department at Come Back Alive. 

From May 31 to June 2, Kyiv held the All-Ukrainian Adaptive Sports Competition. Based on its results, the selection committee has formed a team of 35 participants who will travel to Canada in February 2025.

For reference: The selection and preparation of the 2025 national team is overseen by the Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine, in collaboration with the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation, StratCom Ukraine, Come Back Alive Foundation, and Invictus Games Ukraine.

• Kyiv

In Kyiv, Ukrainian defenders, including veterans who have lost limbs during the war, now have the opportunity to rehabilitate through water sports such as paddleboarding, wakesurfing, and wakeboarding. These activities utilize special inclusive seats for training.

The training sessions are free and take place 2-3 times a week, depending on the sport, with professional instructors on hand. Journalists can arrange in advance to cover these sessions and speak with participants and organizers.

For reference: These lessons are organized with support from the Ukrainian Wake Federation (UWF) and X-Park. 

X-Park has been providing comprehensive support for veterans, participants of the Revolution of Dignity, the russian-Ukrainian war, and their families for six years. The park offers inclusive sports facilities, including basketball courts, stand-up paddle boards, and surfing locations, aimed at post-frontline rehabilitation. This support is crucial for soldiers with severe injuries and physical limitations, as it helps improve their psychological well-being, prevent depression, and demonstrate possibilities for a vibrant, active life.

• casualties
• military
• Kyiv

On July 5, media representatives are invited to the opening night of the inclusive and interactive theatrical performance for children with disabilities entitled “Symphony of Ukrainian Fairy Tales” performed by the Kyiv-Classic Symphony Orchestra under the direction of UNESCO Artist for Peace Herman Makarenko. The event will take place on the territory of Okhmatdyt National Specialized Children’s Hospital. Young patients of the hospital will take a direct part in the play.

In “Symphony of Ukrainian Fairy Tales” musical and theatrical art are combined using an interactive approach. The script is based on Ukrainian folklore. The performance will feature the works of Semen Hulak-Artemovsky, Mykola Lysenko, Levko Kolodub and Volodymyr Ptushkin, as well as Ukrainian folk melodies.

The program of the event includes: a briefing with the participation Volodymyr Zhovnir, General Director of the Okhmatdyt hospital, Herman Makarenko, Head of Kyiv-Classic Symphony Orchestra, Olena Anopriienko, Chief Psychologist of the Okhmatdyt hospital, Vadym Myroshnychenko, Director and Playwright, and Nataliia Miiedinova, actress and gamemaster; the performance; interaction with participants and spectators of the performance.

The event requires accreditation.

For reference: The project is supported by the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation.

• children
• culture
• Kyiv

Jennifer is a German citizen. She first learned about Dobrobat in the summer of 2023. Working on the delivery of humanitarian aid to Ukraine was not enough for her, so she also started restoring Ukrainian houses ruined by the occupiers.

During her first volunteer trip in June 2023, Jennifer worked in Kharkiv. After that she came to Kyiv and fell in love with this city. Since then, she has been constantly involved in Dobrobat’s work in Kyiv region. Mostly, this involves cleaning up construction rubble and debris, but Jennifer has a favorite job – repairing roofs.

The woman combines volunteering with work as a German language teacher in Kyiv. She supports Ukrainians in learning German in every possible way.

Tomorrow (July 2), Jennifer, together with other Dobrobat volunteers, will work in Horenka, Kyiv region. The roof of a house belonging to a large family was completely burnt out as a result of the russian attacks in the spring of 2022.

For reference: Dobrobat is a volunteer building division that helps those affected to urgently rebuild their houses and social infrastructure facilities in the de-occupied territories.

• casualties
• occupation
• reconstruction
• volunteers
• Kyiv

Peaceful demonstrations are planned in at least 20 cities to remind about the Azovstal defenders and other soldiers who are still held captive by the enemy.

On June 29, events will take place in Dnipro, Lviv, Chernihiv, Okhtyrka, Pavlohrad, Vinnytsia and Bila Tserkva.

On June 30, rallies are planned in Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Kremenchuk, Krolevka, Korosten, Ovruch, Obikhov, Sumy, Uzhhorod, Kryvyi Rih, Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Odesa.

The events are organized by the families of prisoners of war from the Mariupol garrison.

• military
• prisoners
• Dnipro
• Kyiv
• Lviv
• Odesa

On June 29, the largest open water swimming competition in the history of amateur sports, Oceanman Kyiv — 2024, will start in the capital for the second time. Over two days, more than a thousand participants from all regions of Ukraine will compete at various distances and in various age categories. This year’s start will be special, as there is a large number of military personnel and veterans among the participants.

Athletes will compete at different distances with the shortest being 1 kilometer, and the longest – 10 kilometers. Traditionally children’s and charity swims will also be a part of the event.

For reference: OCEANMAN is a unique international project for athletes of different level of training to take part. The competition features 27 stages held in the most picturesque corners of the world.

• Kyiv

On July 11, Ukraine’s first residential house built using 3D construction technology will be handed over to the family of the fallen hero (the Berezov family) in Kyiv region. The house with an area of ​​130 m² was printed within 58 hours using a 3D printer of 3D UTU company.

On March 6, 2022, during the occupation of Irpin, the Berezov family lost their home due to the russian aggression. And on November 6, 2022, the father of the family, Yaroslav, died in the battles for Bakhmut. This house will be a symbol of a new beginning for them as well as serve as the memory of their hero.

The special feature of this house is a dual-purpose room with an increased level of security, in which the Berezov family will be able to wait out air alarms.

Participants:

• Oleksandr Markushyn, Mayor of Irpin
• Inna Furman, Head of the Hold the Nation Charity Fund, Head of the United to Help project, CEO of 3D UTU
• Nataliia Berezova, wife of a fallen soldier
• Alina and Anna Berezova, daughters of the fallen soldier

The event requires accreditation.

For reference: The house for the Berezovs was built as part of the United to Help project. This is an initiative of the Hold the Nation Charity Fund, implemented with the support of the Irpin City Council and over 70 partners.

• casualties
• dead
• occupation
• reconstruction
• Kyiv

Carla Pizzolante moved to Ukraine from Italy seven years ago. She lives in Kyiv with her Ukrainian husband and 5-year-old son. When Carla first heard the explosions of the full-scale invasion, she was at home in the capital. Despite her husband’s attempt to convince her to leave for Italy with her son, the woman firmly decided that she would stay in Ukraine.

The Big War led Carla to starting learning the Ukrainian language. Later, the woman started posting videos on social networks with attempts to communicate in Ukrainian. After her videos became popular, Carla decided to inspire others to learn Ukrainian. These days, the Italian woman sings Ukrainian songs, and also launches fundraisers to support the Defense Forces.

• women
• Kyiv