Themes by tag: Kyiv
On September 18, Kyiv will host the premiere of the large-scale light installation “The Power of Values,” which is part of the Brand Ukraine International Conference. The installation is created by Ukrainian artist and lighting designer Mykola Kabluka, founder of Expolight and Kabluka Light & Digital Sculptures.
This groundbreaking project, the first of its kind on one of Ukraine’s major monuments, combines deep lighting effects with laser graphics in the air. It merges innovative technology with light art to demonstrate how culture and creativity are shaping the voice of modern Ukraine.
The installation took five months to prepare, including concept development and technical planning.
The premiere will take place during the 2025 Brand Ukraine International Conference. A press briefing with Mykola Kabluka has been arranged for media representatives immediately before the light show.
Attendees and conference participants will witness a large-scale artistic manifesto that visualizes the five fundamental values forming Ukraine’s unbreakable shield today: Love, Freedom, Resilience, Unity, and Justice.
Journalists must register to attend the event. The exact address will be provided after accreditation.
Daniil, whose call sign is “Taiets” (Thai), is from Shostka in the Sumy oblast. He has been passionate about sports since childhood, practicing Muay Thai and being an avid football fan. At age 14, Daniil experienced the football fan sector for the first time and saw that the supporters were true Ukrainian patriots. When russia first attacked, most of these fans became volunteers. “Taiets” recalls that they were his role models.
After finishing school, Daniil moved to Kyiv to study to become a coach and was there when the full-scale invasion began. He immediately joined the Defense Forces, first defending the Kyiv oblast, then Izium, and later the Donetsk oblast. In Bakhmut, says “Taiets”, he learned what real war is. He currently serves in an unmanned systems battalion and is responsible for FPV drone operations.
Over time, Daniil began thinking of ways to help finance drone repairs for his battalion. He decided to try creating merchandise. First, he made challenge coins featuring his photo from Bakhmut, and then he started producing T-shirts with custom prints. Daniil explains that every T-shirt purchased is a donation to the battalion’s drone workshop. “Taiets” does not deduct his own expenses from the sales. Instead, he invests all the profit directly into repairing drones.
Daniil is available for conversations online and in person in Kyiv until September 22 by prior arrangement.
On September 17, the Media Center Ukraine will host a briefing titled “Where will the state’s additional 3 billion hryvnias for medical procurement actually end up?” examining how and where the extra funding is being directed within the healthcare system.
Participants:
– Oleg Klots, General Manager, State Enterprise Medical Procurement of Ukraine;
– Inna Ivanenko, Chief Executive Officer, Charitable Foundation “Patients of Ukraine”;
– Tetiana Kulesha, Head of the NGO “Orphan Diseases of Ukraine”.
Key topics:
– How the adopted Law will affect patient access to modern therapy;
– Which treatment and diagnostic areas will receive additional funding;
– What role did patient organizations and others play in the aforementioned decision?
For reference: Amendments to the 2025 State Budget have allowed for an increase in the reserve fund, directing additional resources to priority non-military spheres, namely healthcare, education, and support for veterans and internally displaced persons.
Specifically, Medical Procurement of Ukraine will receive over UAH 3 billion for the centralized procurement of medicines to treat oncology, rare diseases, viral hepatitis, hemophilia, cardiovascular diseases, multiple sclerosis, childhood mental disorders, and more.
This additional funding represents over a quarter of the annual budget for centralized procurements (UAH 11.2 billion). According to the Ministry of Health, the current level of funding was only sufficient to cover about 60% of hospitals’ needs for medical goods.
Mykhailo Purin, 62, hails from Odesa but was in Kyiv when russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Before the war, he worked as a journalist, contributing articles to a Ukrainian media outlet. When the first explosions shook the capital, he volunteered for the army, drawing on his prior experience as a medical instructor in the Soviet military to serve in a similar role with the Navy’s river flotilla.
During his service, Purin patrolled rivers and participated in combat missions in the Kherson region, particularly around Krynky. After several years on the front lines, he retired in August 2024 upon reaching retirement age. Rather than settling into a quiet pensioned life, he sought a role that would give him purpose.
With guidance from Lobby X, an organization supporting veteran employment, Purin explored opportunities that aligned with his passions. He first took a position at Pethouse, a company specializing in pet food and shelter support, where he now manages supply chains. Beyond his day job, he volunteers with UAnimals, helping rescue and evacuate animals from conflict zones.
Purin is available for interviews both online and in person in Kyiv by prior arrangement.
Ukraine, together with millions of activists from 211 countries of the world, will join World Cleanup Day — the largest environmental civic initiative on the planet, organized by the international movement Let’s Do It World.
This year Kyiv will become the heart of the global event: here the international press media center, call center and online studio will operate, with a live broadcast for 211 countries of the world on the YouTube channel and the “Kyiv” TV channel. The event will take place on September 20.
Central location
(registration of participants, warm-up; press briefing; official opening, welcome speeches of guests; safety instructions, group photo; cleanup (green zone cleaning); final photo, waste removal)
Representatives of government authorities, international partners, celebrities, corporate participants and volunteers will take part.
International Press Conference and Media Center
The international press conference with the participation of Ukrainian and foreign media will take place. Among the speakers:
- Heidi Solba, President and CEO of Let’s Do It World, World Cleanup Day;
- Iuliia Markhel, Leader of Let’s Do It Ukraine, National Coordinator of World Cleanup Day in Ukraine;
- Representatives of the Government of Ukraine and Kyiv City State Administration.
After the press conference, participants will be able to get acquainted with the work of the World Cleanup Day global online studio. The central hub will be the international communication media center, which will coordinate the broadcast and the participation results of all countries.
Journalists are invited to review the detailed program for the event. Accreditation is required to attend.
Peaceful demonstrations will take place in 29 cities across Ukraine to draw attention to the plight of Azovstal defenders and other service members who remain in enemy captivity.
On September 13, rallies will be held in Lviv, Arbuzynka, Pivdenoukrainske, Okhtyrka, Vinnytsia, Chernihiv, Sumy, Dnipro, Bila Tserkva, Pavlohrad, Shpola, Volochysk, and Poltava.
On September 14, events are scheduled in Kyiv, Krolevets, Kremenchuk, Mykolaiv, Obukhiv, Irpin, Ovruch, Cherkasy, Uzhhorod, Dolynska, Berdychiv, Lozova, Kropyvnytskyi, Shostka, Odesa, and Chernivtsi.
The rallies are organized by families of prisoners of war from the Mariupol garrison. Ukrainians who have been released from captivity frequently take part, standing in solidarity with those still held.
Crimea-born artist Kateryna Tutierova, has transformed a soldering iron into an unlikely tool of artistry. Born in Bakhchisarai, she entered university in 2014, the year russia annexed the peninsula. Tutierova wanted to transfer to the mainland, but as a minor, she needed her parents’ consent, which they refused to give. Three years later, she graduated with a russian diploma and moved straight to Kyiv.
In Kyiv, she earned a second bachelor’s degree, followed by a master’s in cultural studies from Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, before starting a career in social media management. But after russia launched its full-scale invasion, Tutierova came across an online video demonstrating how to make jewelry with a soldering iron. Intrigued, she borrowed one from a friend, picked up the basics, and began experimenting. By March of that year, she had sold her first piece.
Today, Tutierova works with an alloy of tin and copper, metals that are both environmentally friendly and safe to wear. She began with earrings and chokers, then expanded into larger pieces such as handbags and paintings. Her bold, sculptural designs have since appeared on Fashion Week runways and on Ukrainian celebrities featured in magazines and music videos. Last year, singers Jerry Heil and Alyona Alyona performed at the Eurovision Song Contest wearing her creations.
Tutierova named her brand Sfurato, a word she once misspelled during a university class. What started as a personal experiment has grown into a distinctive label defined by resilience, artistry, and reinvention.
Those interested in her work can reach her online or arrange an appointment in Kyiv.
The State Emergency Service of Ukraine and the creators of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl have joined forces to raise awareness about landmine dangers: On September 12, the Media Center Ukraine will host a special event promoting the safety of Ukrainian youth.
Participants:
- Roman Prymush, Deputy Head of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine for Digital Development, Digital Transformation, and Digitalization;
- Serhii Artemenko, Creative Director of Rockets. Growth R&D Creative Marketing Agency.
Key topics:
- The greatest threat to Ukrainians: mine danger;
- New approaches by the State Emergency Service to promote mine safety.
Background: For the first time in Ukraine, a unique special project within the iconic game S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl has been created to combine cutting-edge technology with a critical educational mission — to convey a simple truth to teenagers and young people: in real life, a second chance might not come.
Visitors can stroll through a wheat field under the Ukrainian sky, and see a 20-meter Cossack Chaika boat; examine Ivan Mazepa’s saber and a sword from the Kyivan Rus era; fly in virtual reality over Bakota, Syvash, and the Carpathians; step into a pink train carriage; attend the final rehearsal of Rebellion by MUR; explore the set of The Witch of Konotop ― all of this and more will be available from September 26 in Kyiv, at the interactive Ukraine WOW exhibition.
Ukraine WOW aims to immerse people in Ukrainian heritage and historical continuity, empowering visitors to create the future.
The exhibition consists of five thematic sections: Land, Rulers/Warriors, Thinkers, Artists, and Independence. It features over a hundred exhibits and dozens of interactive zones. Exhibits include Ivan Mazepa’s saber; a sword from the Kyivan Rus era; Cossack bowls; a hetman’s mace; original prints of Ukraine, from Beauplan (1651) to Marshall (1772); the Unification Train, where the Unification Act between the West Ukrainian People’s Republic and the Ukrainian People’s Republic was signed; a 20-meter replica of a Cossack chaika; and much more.
Background: Over 200 people worked on the project. The concept and implementation of this exhibition was fulfilled by the NGO, Ukraine WOW, and the agency, Gres Todorchuk. It was organized together with JSC Ukrzaliznytsia, in cooperation with strategic partner Aurora Multimarket, general partner ROZETKA, and official partner Visa. The project is supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. The exhibits have been provided by museums in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine.
The exhibits were provided by museums and private collectors. Part of the proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to support the Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine, the Museum of Archaeology at the Institute of Archaeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the National Museum of Natural History of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the Cherkasy City Archaeological Museum of the Middle Dnipro Region, the National Museum of the History of Ukraine, and the Chernihiv Regional Historical Museum named after V. V. Tarnovsky.
In partnership with IREX and with funding from U.S. taxpayers, the savED Charitable Foundation has opened modular, temporary learning spaces in the Pervomaiska and Shevchenkivska communities of the Mykolaiv oblast. This initiative will enable over 500 local children to resume in-person learning.
Throughout 2022, the Pervomaiska community — which received one of the temporary learning spaces — was on the frontline of combat and suffered significant destruction. Specifically, a russian attack destroyed a secondary school in one of its villages. In 2023, savED established an educational center called “Vulyk” (The Hive) in a local family medicine clinic, where students could participate in interactive extracurricular sessions with tutors. However, this was insufficient to restore full-scale education for the hundreds of children in the community. The new modular space will enable 220 local students to resume in-person schooling.
Shevchenkivska is the second community to receive a modular temporary learning space. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the community has been on the frontline, with some of its settlements enduring eight months of occupation.
The temporary learning spaces are barrier-free and child-friendly. Each of the six classrooms features high ceilings, comfortable furniture, tablets, and interactive multimedia panels. The facilities also include a large inclusive restroom, a teachers’ lounge, and a server room. The entrance is equipped with a ramp. Alternative power sources enable the spaces to operate fully during electricity outages.
It is worth noting that students in Bohdanivka, a village in the Kyiv oblast, where russians burned down the local school, students now study in a similar modular temporary learning space.
Background: Temporary learning spaces are built by benefactors using reliable modular structures in communities where schools have been damaged due to russian aggression or where the infrastructure needs to be expanded due to an increase in student enrollment, including internally displaced persons.
