Themes by tag: Kyiv

On June 30, Kyiv will host a charity Run to Remember to honor Rekrut, the call sign of Oleksii Chubashev, a military journalist and creator of the military training program Rekrut.ua. Proceeds from registration fees will support the International Legion at the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

The event features 5 and 10-kilometer runs, which participants can join either in-person in Kyiv or online from anywhere in the world. The competition will include both civilians and military personnel, with many participants running within their units. 

Oleksii Chubashev was dedicated to physical training and actively participated in running and other sports. In his honor, his wife, Yuliia Chubasheva, partnered with Run Ukraine to initiate this race.

Chubashev participated in the Anti-Terrorist Operation in Eastern Ukraine and, following the full-scale invasion, joined the International Legion of the Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. He was killed in action near Sievierodonetsk on June 10, 2022.

The event is organized by Run Ukraine, with Rekrut as a co-organizer.

• Kyiv

Veteran of the Joint Forces Operation, Andrii Nesmachnyi, has resumed a production facility destroyed by russian forces. A few years ago, Nesmachnyi came up with the idea to set up a workshop where servicemen on leave or recovering from injuries could work. The BatArt workshop, located in the Kyiv region, successfully produced craft glassware and donated proceeds to support wounded combatants in eastern Ukraine. This was until the workshop was destroyed following the full-scale invasion by russia. Afterward, Andrii took up arms again to defend Ukraine.

Recently, Nesmachnyi has renewed production. During breaks in military personnel rotations, he and his fellow soldiers craft glasses, shot glasses, knives, and various souvenirs. Among other materials, they use bullet casings for manufacturing. Starting in July, they plan to expand their production to include ceramics. The money earned in the workshop is used to provide units with drones, night vision devices, and vehicle repairs.

• military
• reconstruction
• Kyiv

On June 29-30, volunteers of the Brave to Rebuild project will organize community cleanup events in Irpin and Hostomel, Kyiv region. They will clear the rubble of buildings that were damaged as a result of russia’s full-scale invasion into Ukraine.

Journalists have the opportunity to cover the volunteer community cleanups.

For reference: on April 2, 2022, Kyiv region was completely freed from the russian occupation.

• reconstruction
• volunteers
• Kyiv

On June 26, the Ukraine’s War Museum will mark the Day of the Crimean Tatar Flag by aiming to set a new Ukrainian record for the largest Crimean Tatar flag. The achievement will be officially recognized and documented in the Book of Records of Ukraine.

Initiated in 2021, the Crimean Tatar Flag over Crimea campaign kicked off in Kramatorsk. Volunteers meticulously handcrafted a 16-meter-long flag, which embarked on a journey across Ukrainian cities, gathering well wishes for the people of Crimea.

On June 28, 2021, using 200 balloons to fly the flag, it soared above the administrative boundary between Ukraine’s free territory and the temporarily occupied peninsula. As the wind carried it over Crimea and back to the activists, the symbolic slogan “The flag is back—Crimea will be back” emerged.

Subsequently, event organizer Ismail Ramazanov entrusted the flag to the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in World War II for safekeeping until the liberation of the Crimean peninsula.

The commemorative event will witness the participation of activists pivotal in both crafting and raising the historic flag in the air.

• Kyiv

Inspired by Nordic Therapy Gardens, this environment will debut in Kyiv with the participation of the Embassy of Denmark.

Over the past 10 weeks, a collaborative effort between Danish and Ukrainian designers—Coolville Design Lab and L Design Landscape Architecture—has brought the Nordic Therapy Garden to life.

This garden aims to alleviate stress and help individuals overcome mental trauma. By harnessing the power of nature and Scandinavian principles of sustainable design, the garden is specifically designed to facilitate interaction with nature’s healing elements for those affected by the russian invasion.

The initiative is led by renowned Danish urbanist, writer, and TV presenter Mikael Colville-Andersen.

• psychological support
• reconstruction
• Kyiv

Media professionals are cordially invited to a press tour on June 28 to witness the unveiling of the newly restored library in the once-occupied village of Rudnytske, nestled in Kyiv region. In 2022, the village fell victim to russian military aggression, resulting in the destruction of its school, infrastructure, and numerous private residences.

Among the casualties was the local club, which housed the village library. Thanks to generous benefactors, the club has been transformed into a vibrant creative hub for Rudnytske’s youth. The latest endeavor in this revitalization effort is the restoration of the library, featuring complete refurbishment of its premises—walls, ceilings, and floors—alongside the acquisition of new furniture and a selection of books.

The library’s grand reopening will feature a presentation of “Piddubnyi: Victories and Unforgiven Love for Ukraine” by author Serhii Smahlicuk. Additionally, the philanthropists behind the restoration project will host 3-5 summer events for locals, including book presentations, literary readings, and poetry evenings.

During the press tour, a press conference will be convened with Natalia Vasylenko, head of the branch library, Oleksandr Pakholiuk, director of the MHP-Gromadi Foundation, and Iryna Borzak, village head, in attendance. Attendees will have the opportunity to be among the inaugural visitors and receive Rudnytske library cards.

Complimentary shuttle services will be provided. Journalists must secure accreditation for the event, with registration open until 12:00 on June 27.

• occupation
• reconstruction
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

Recent developments in the Black Sea region have underscored Ukraine’s resilience and strategic prowess. With significant blows dealt to the russian Black Sea Fleet and efforts to restore vital shipping lanes, the security landscape has undergone a transformation. In response to these shifts, the Crimea Platform Expert Network has convened the Third International Forum, slated for June 25.

The forum will convene Ukrainian and global experts alongside government officials to take stock of the evolving situation in Ukraine as of summer 2024. Discussions will focus on strategies to further weaken russian naval capabilities and strategies for economic revitalization amidst persistent threats from russia and its allies.

Integral to the International Crimea Platform’s mission of de-occupation and reintegration of Crimea, the forum seeks to bolster Black Sea, European, and global security.

Representatives from over 15 countries will gather, including members from the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Security and Defense Council, as well as independent experts, international think tanks, NGOs, diplomats from member countries of the International Crimea Platform, and academic circles.

Prior accreditation is required.

• occupation
• Kyiv

Arkadii Fishman, an innovative mind hailing from Sloviansk, Donetsk Oblast, now residing in Ternopil Oblast, has devised a unique fundraising strategy. Teaming up with his companion, Olenka Dunets, Fishman is embarking on a 650 km journey across Ukrainian cities, showcasing his creation—a sofa on wheels—to raise funds for the Armed Forces.

Their odyssey has already commenced, with Ternopil, Vinnytsia, Khmelnytskyi, Zhytomyr, and Kyiv slated as pit stops along the way. Residents of these locales can catch a glimpse of the mobile sofa, snap photos, and contribute to the cause through donations. Fishman aims to culminate the tour in the capital on July 6th.

As Fishman is on his way to Khmelnytskyi, journalists have the opportunity to delve deeper into the charitable expedition and engage in conversation with him.

• Khmelnytskyi
• Kyiv
• Ternopil
• Vinnytsia
• Zhytomyr

Since last summer, the security situation in the Black Sea region has shifted significantly. Ukraine’s security and defense forces have inflicted heavy losses on the russian Black Sea Fleet and helped restore shipping and sea trade routes. In light of this new context, the Crimea Platform Expert Network has initiated the Third International Forum. The event will bring together Ukrainian and international experts and government officials to assess the current situation in Ukraine as of summer 2024, devise strategies to further diminish russian naval capabilities, and explore approaches to revitalizing Ukraine’s economy despite ongoing threats from russia and its allies.

The forum is part of the International Crimea Platform, a mechanism aimed at the de-occupation and reintegration of Crimea, and the restoration of Black Sea, European, and global security.

Representatives from over 15 countries will attend the forum, including members of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the National Security and Defense Council, independent experts, international think tanks, non-governmental organizations, diplomats from International Crimea Platform member countries, and the academic community.

Prior accreditation is required.

• occupation
• Kyiv

Folklorist Yaryna Sizyk, animation director Maria Ozirna, and the Oleksii Shovkunenko Kherson Art Museum have launched a project focused on restoring paintings seized by russians during the city’s occupation. Museum staff estimate that about ten thousand artworks were taken. The project’s goal is to recreate these stolen pieces.

The team has successfully reproduced Mykhailo Bryansky’s painting “Portrait of a Girl in an Embroidered Dress.” Yaryna and Maria spent a month preparing this first piece, which was not only repainted but also modernized and animated. Ukrainian model and singer Daria Astafieva helped bring the painting to life, transforming herself into the girl in an embroidered dress made from the stolen canvas. During the animation, they used a shirt embroidered by Inna Mykutska, a Kherson guide, during the occupation.

The project founders are now preparing for their next restoration and are in discussions with Ukrainian influencers. 

Yaryna Sizyk and Maria Ozirna are available for interviews with journalists in Kyiv.

• culture
• russian crimes
• Kherson
• Kyiv