Themes by tag: Kyiv

Since the beginning of the full-scale war, Olena Yuzvak has been under occupation. Despite the Russians taking over Hostomel, the doctor stayed and continued to work and help people. Olena distributed medicine and took care of the wounded until the occupiers took her prisoner. The doctor was imprisoned for a day, and 10 days later, the Ukrainian forces retake control of Hostomel. Olena immediately went back to work and tackled to restore the medical facilities she managed. One of them was located in the village of Moshchun in the Kyiv Oblast and was destroyed by a direct shell hit. Thanks to the support of international funds, Olena managed to build a new Health Center and turn it to be an energy-independent Point of Invincibility. Now the doctor continues to work toward the restoration of medical facilities. 

• doctors
• occupation
• prisoners
• reconstruction
• women
• Kyiv

On October 21, Dobrobat volunteers will clean up a kindergarten damaged in a helicopter crash in Brovary in Kyiv Oblast from rubbles. 

January 18, 2023 helicopter crash killed 14 people: the aircraft crew and all passengers, as well as a child and adult civilians at the crash site. The leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs who were on board: Minister Denys Monastyrskyi, State Secretary of the Ministry Yurii Lubkovych, and First Deputy Minister Yevhen Yenin were among the onboard victims. 25 people were injured (including 11 children).

For reference: Dobrobat is a volunteer building division assisting victims in the urgent restoration of housing and social infrastructure in the de-occupied territories.

• casualties
• dead
• reconstruction
• volunteers
• Kyiv

On October 23, a sports ground and a rehabilitation ward will be opened at the Kyiv Regional Mental Health Center. The occupiers seized the center at the beginning of the full-blown war. Russian soldiers stole valuable equipment and severely damaged the Center while living in the facility. In particular, the windows and doors were smashed. After the de-occupation, the medical center reconstruction began. 

The philanthropists who contributed to the restoration of the Center, as well as the first captain of the Ukrainian national team at the Invictus Games, champion of the Games, commander Oleksandr Pysarenko (to train patients exercises on the playground) will attend the new sports ground opening. 

Journalists will also be able to interview the institution’s management and talk to doctors and patients as far as possible. 

For reference: The Kyiv Regional Mental Health Center is a healthcare institution providing qualified inpatient physical health assessment, treatment, and social and labor rehabilitation for patients with mental disorders.

• casualties
• doctors
• reconstruction
• volunteers
• Kyiv

The Media Center Ukraine – Ukrinform to hold a briefing involving the Ukrainian Burning Man team representatives, engaging the global community to rescue the Ukrainian military and civilians from hot spots in the war zone on October 19. The Burners started The Hedgehog Temple charity fundraising project to buy 20+ new Toyota cars to evacuate people from the war zone. 

The fundraiser’s symbol is The Hedgehog Temple, this year’s Ukrainian art object at the Burning Man event, which took place from August 27 to September 4 in the Black Rock Desert, Nevada, USA. The Hedgehog Temple is a huge structure in the form of a hedgehog, built of steel, wood, camouflage nets, and 100 anti-tank obstacles — “hedgehogs,” which were exclusively made for the installation. In the center of the artwork, the stories of fallen soldiers and cultural figures who were supposed to be at Burning Man 2023 were placed.

Participants:

– Yaroslav Korets, Head of Ukrainian Burners NGO, Leader of Kurenivka Camp at Burning Man (online);

– Oleksandr Slobodianyk, Co-Creator of The Hedgehog Temple project, a volunteer helping the military (in person);

– Arsen Mirzoyan, Singer-Songwriter, Volunteer, Project Ambassador (in person);

– Iryna Guk, Head of Leleka Foundation (in person);

– Captain Andrii Maksymchuk (call sign Batman), airborne assault trooper, scout (in person);

For reference: Burning Man has been gathering people for more than 30 years, bringing together 80,000 artists and visitors from more than 50 US states and 35 countries every year.

• culture
• Kyiv

On October 18, the “LOOK CLOSER” installation will be unveiled in Kyiv. On the occasion of EU Anti-Trafficking Day, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Ukraine is launching a new information campaign “LOOK CLOSER” with the aim of preventing human trafficking and raising awareness of safety rules during migration. It encourages people to think about the risks of exploitation and to see possible outcomes of offers of work or housing, which seem attractive at first glance.

In addition to Kyiv, “LOOK CLOSER” exhibition created as part of the campaign will be set up inside railway and bus stations and shopping malls as well as in the central squares of cities, etc. in 20 regions of Ukraine.

Participants:

• Iryna Postolovska, Deputy Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine for European Integration
• Marco Chimenton, IOM Ukraine Deputy Chief of Mission
• Theodora Dell, Deputy Mission Director at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Ukraine (confirmation pending)
• Nils Dahlqvist, Second Secretary of the Embassy of Sweden in Ukraine
• Oleksandra Khamulenko, Head of the Department for Quality Standards at the National Social Service of Ukraine
• Roman Delimbovskyi, Deputy Head of the Migration Police Department at the National Police of Ukraine

Accreditation is required.

• casualties
• culture
• Kyiv

Kyiv-based rehabilitation center “Spirit” features a special “Spirit warrior” psycho-emotional recovery program for the military. Defenders are rehabilitated with the help of equine-assisted therapy. Psychologists of the center take part in the rehabilitation sessions. The techniques used during equine-assisted therapy for the military are aimed at teaching them to sense reality “here and now” and to be able to fully concentrate on the process. This therapy helps to relieve stress, improve sleep and get rid of obsessive thoughts. More than 600 defenders have already undergone this rehabilitation program.

For reference: rehabilitation center “Spirit” specializes in working with children with disabilities. And since the beginning of the full-scale war, it has been helping internally displaced persons to recover.

• casualties
• military
• psychological support
• Kyiv

One of the areas of work of the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) in Ukraine is non-technical survey of the territory and clearance of explosives. The DRC work involves training sappers of the State Emergency Service and volunteer civilians to search for explosive ordnance. Since the contaminated areas are quite large, DRC is raising the number of demining specialists who, after completing their training, will get a job in the organization. Deminers work in Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Mykolaiv regions together with the State Emergency Service, because it is sappers who have to remove explosive objects. In addition, the organization provides grant support to those affected by mines or other explosive remnants of war.

For reference: Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine’s territory has become one of the most contaminated with explosives in the world. According to the UN, it will take dozens of years to demine the country.

• Chernihiv
• Kharkiv
• Kyiv
• Mykolaiv
• demining

On October 22, a mural dedicated to Ukrainian army volunteers called “Shadow” will be unveiled in Kyiv. The mural depicts military officer Oleksii Movchan, call sign “Shadow,” who died on May 1, 2022 in Donetsk region while performing a task. The man was not a military man by profession, but he had combat experience. He participated in the anti-terrorist operation, and on the first days of russia’s full-scale invasion, he joined the army to defend Ukraine.

The mural is based on Oleksii’s last photo, taken a few minutes before he died. In it, Movchan is holding a cat that he and his brothers in arms saved from under the rubble.

The idea of creating a mural came to Oleksii’s wife Yuliia in July 2022. She wanted to make a parting gift for her husband. The mural was paid for by Yuliia, as well as her relatives, her husbands’ fellow soldiers and people who knew Oleksii. “Shadow” was painted by a couple of artists: Vitaliy Gideone and Lena Noyna. After all, during his lifetime, Oleksii was very fond of the works of Vitaliy Gideone.

At the unveiling of the mural, journalists will have the opportunity to talk to Oleksii’s wife Yuliia Movchan and his brothers in arms. 

• culture
• dead
• military
• Kyiv

On October 20-21, the International Forum “United for Justice. United for the Environment” will be held in Kyiv. At the event, Ukrainian and international statesmen, government officials, leading experts and representatives of NGOs will discuss the consequences of the war for the Ukrainian environment. The participants will also work out mechanisms to hold the russian federation accountable for the damage it caused, in particular, with regards to the clause 8 of the Peace Formula – stopping the ecocide and paying reparations to Ukraine for the devastated environment.

The topics of discussion at the forum will also include: the impact of russian ecocide in Ukraine on the whole world; how the environmental damage caused by the russian’s war in Ukraine is estimated; how the war affects the climate crisis in the world, in particular the Southern countries of the world.

One of the Forum’s key results will be the project of the environmental treaty, which will create conditions for sustained protection of the environment and the cessation of ecocide.

A briefing by Ukrainian and foreign guests of the conference is planned for the first day of the Forum.

Accreditation for media is required. Please confirm your participation by 6:00 PM on October 17.

• ecology
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

28-year-old photographer Vitalii Yurasov has been documenting the war for almost one and a half years. He filmed battles, prisoner exchanges and secret operations of special forces. Vitalii doesn’t just visit the military, he lives together with the heroes he films at the frontline: he sleeps where they sleep and helps with whatever is necessary.

On October 15, Yurasov’s first photo exhibition “War Face Project” will open in the capital. He will present more than 50 works, in particular, those signed by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Valerii Zaluzhnyi and Kyrylo Budanov.

Journalists are welcome to visit the opening of the exhibition and talk with Vitalii Yurasov in the capital.

• culture
• military
• Kyiv