Themes by tag: Kyiv
The Energy Act for Ukraine Foundation, a Ukrainian charitable organization, has outfitted two schools in Kyiv Oblast with hybrid solar power systems equipped with energy storage. These installations are a significant step toward ensuring energy resilience in regions still recovering from the scars of occupation.
Bobryk Gymnasium: Rebuilding after the devastation. Bobryk Gymnasium, part of the Velyka Dymerka Village Council, endured occupation beginning March 8, 2022, lasting until the month’s end. Russian forces used the school as a base, leaving it heavily damaged and stripped of all equipment, including sports supplies. By the time the village was liberated, the gymnasium and the neighboring preschool had sustained 45% structural damage.
Now, the school is taking a step toward energy independence. Specialists have installed 93 photovoltaic panels on its roof, paired with an inverter and batteries offering 29.7 kWh of storage capacity. This hybrid solar power system can keep the school running for up to four hours during blackouts. Additionally, the system is projected to save the school approximately €5,925 annually—a much-needed financial reprieve in challenging times.
Nemishaieve Lyceum No. 2: A shelter turned stronghold. During the early days of the full-scale Russian invasion, Nemishaieve Lyceum №2 became a refuge for residents unable to evacuate. Villagers sought safety in the school’s basement during rocket attacks, while teachers and staff prepared meals for those in need. The 37-day occupation left a trail of destruction—shattered windows, damaged doors, a compromised roof, and multiple missile strikes on the school grounds, some of which resulted in devastating losses.
Today, the lyceum is fortified with a 10 kW hybrid solar station featuring 30 solar panels, an inverter, and a 26 kWh energy storage system. This setup can power the bomb shelter and the school’s first floor for up to four hours during outages, ensuring safety and functionality. The system is expected to save the school roughly €1,985 per year.
For reference: The Energy Act for Ukraine Foundation is leading initiatives like “100 Solar Schools” and “50 Solar Hospitals,” which aim to equip educational and healthcare facilities affected by Russian aggression with renewable energy solutions. These efforts not only restore critical infrastructure but also pave the way for a more sustainable future.
A groundbreaking initiative to protect Ukraine’s cultural heritage will be showcased as representatives from leading Czech cultural institutions donate a state-of-the-art mobile safeguard vehicle the Ark 1 (Archa 1). This specialized workstation is designed to safeguard and restore library collections impacted by war. The Ark 1 features advanced tools for cleaning documents of dirt, mold, and fungi, as well as equipment for dehumidification, sterilization, and disinfection. It also aids in restoring documents damaged by fire, water, or improper storage.
Coordinated in Ukraine by the Yaroslav Mudryi National Library, this project underscores international efforts to support Ukrainian culture during challenging times.
The event will include a demonstration of Ark 1’s practical applications and unveil future initiatives aimed at protecting Ukraine’s cultural legacy.
Participants:
– Halyna Hryhorenko, First Deputy Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine;
– Radek Pech, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Ukraine;
– Michal Šedivý, Coordinator of the “Support for Ukrainian Culture” program;
– Oleh Serbin, Director General, Yaroslav Mudryi National Library of Ukraine;
– Oksana Brui, President, Ukrainian Library Association.
Event registration is required.
Media Center Ukraine to unveil the investigation “An opportunity for exchange or a trap: What happened to the Il-76 over Belgorod?” on January 24.
A year ago, on January 24, 2024, a military transport aircraft Il-76 crashed in russia’s Belgorod region. russia claimed that 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war, being transported for exchange, were on board and blamed Ukraine for the plane crash.
The Media Initiative for Human Rights conducted an extensive investigation, interviewing some 40 witnesses and experts, using its own sources within the Defense Forces, and reconstructing the events of that day and the aftermath. MIHR representatives gathered facts to create a comprehensive picture of what happened to the plane.
During the presentation, participants will reveal where the plane was actually headed, who is responsible for its downing, and whether russia deliberately directed the aircraft into an active combat zone.
Participants:
– Tetiana Katrychenko, Executive Director of the Media Initiative for Human Rights (MIHR);
– Andriy Yakovlev, MIHR expert on international humanitarian law;
– Olena Tailakova, representative of the families of prisoners of war;
– Oksana Lozytska, representative of the families of prisoners of war.
Event registration is required.
Launched in 2024, the “Strong 300” running club was created by wounded military members to support their fellow servicemen and women on a personal, one-to-one level. The club focuses on promoting adaptive sports while offering physical rehabilitation through running for veterans and their families. Beyond fitness, it aims to uplift the psychological well-being of Ukrainians and organizes running events for both veterans and active military personnel.
All members undergo comprehensive evaluations at a diagnostic center before beginning their training, which is held in both an athletics arena and outdoor settings.
Currently, the club consists of 10 members, some of whom are preparing to compete in veteran-specific distances at international races.
Journalists interested in covering the club’s training sessions in Kyiv can do so by prior arrangement.
Researchers in Kyiv have developed an innovative medical dressing, Gidrobint, designed to accelerate the healing of burns and wounds. This pioneering hydrogel dressing, created using silver nanoparticle technology, was developed by Professor Volodymyr Neimash of the Institute of Physics at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Gidrobint comes in two forms: a wound dressing and a disinfectant spray.
The idea for Gidrobint originated in 2014 after the battle for Ilovaisk in Donetsk Oblast, where hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers were injured. Scientists patented the underlying technology in 2017 and introduced the dressing in 2020. Initially, small batches of Gidrobint were independently produced and delivered to the front lines by volunteers.
When russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the researchers offered their technology to manufacturers free of charge to facilitate mass production. By 2023, entrepreneurs acquired a license for the technology, automating and certifying the production process. In 2024, Gidrobint officially entered large-scale manufacturing.
For reference: This next-generation Gidrobint hydrogel bandage provides instant pain relief, disinfection, and protection from external infections. It is non-toxic, hypoallergenic, and speeds up the healing process without adhering to wounds, ensuring painless removal.
Journalists interested in learning more about Gidrobint can arrange interviews with its developer, Professor Neimash, as well as with manufacturers and doctors experienced in using the product.
On January 23, the draw and presentation of the songs of the finalists of the National Selection for Eurovision Song Contest 2025 will take place at the Media Center Ukraine.
Participants:
– Tina Karol, singer, music producer of the National Selection for Eurovision 2025, Suspilne Movlennia (Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine);
– Oksana Skybinska, head of the Ukrainian delegation to Eurovision, Suspilne Movlennia (Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine);
– Herman Nenov, creative producer of the National Selection for Eurovision 2025, STARLIGHT PRODUCTION.
Moderators:
– Timur Miroshnychenko, commentator and presenter of Eurovision National Selections;
– Ann Tulieva, host of Eurovision vlogs.
During the event, the ten songs of the finalists will be presented and a draw will be held to determine the order of performances in the National Selection final.
Registration is required to attend this event.
Stepan Korobkin, 25, is from the town of Myrnohrad in the Donetsk oblast, which is currently on the front line. In November 2020, Stepan joined the Defense Forces on contract and served in an assault mortar battery. He was on active duty when the full-scale invasion began.
In June 2022, Stepan suffered his first injury, but soon returned to the front. In 2023, he lost his right arm in an artillery attack.
The amputation and 32 surgeries did not prevent Stepan from returning to civilian life. During his rehabilitation, the veteran received and mastered a prosthetic right arm and found a new passion – soccer. He also volunteered to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak, to prove that amputation is not the end of life and that there is always a way to move forward. After his successful climb, Stepan was entered into the National Register of Records of Ukraine.
You can speak with Stepan Korobkin online or in person in Kyiv by prior arrangement. The veteran is ready to share photos and videos of his Kilimanjaro climb with journalists.
Crimean Tatar Musa is the developer of the “Dracarys” buggies, which he and his team produce for the military. After the occupation of Crimea, Musa left the peninsula and started a business in the capital. After the beginning of russia’s full-scale invasion, he designed an all-terrain buggy for front-line use with enhanced off-road capabilities.
The first buggies had four passenger seats, could evacuate one wounded soldier, and ran on either gasoline or diesel fuel. After receiving positive feedback from the military, Musa’s team increased production and improved the vehicles.
Today, only the name “Dracarys” remains from the original buggies. The upgraded all-terrain vehicles have more powerful diesel engines and can carry two to three wounded. Musa’s team has also improved the vehicles’ off-road capabilities.
It takes volunteers up to four weeks to build a buggy, and two can be built at a time. Funding for parts comes from donors or military units.
You can connect with Musa online or in person, and visit the buggy production site in Kyiv by prior arrangement.
On January 22, Kyiv will host a Walk of Remembrance to pay tribute to the first Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred who lost their lives during the Revolution of Dignity. Participants will light candles and lay flowers at memorial plaques along the route, reflecting on the sacrifices made for Ukraine’s freedom.
The annual procession brings together families of the fallen, Maidan activists, and others who wish to honor their memory. The walk follows a solemn path from the Lach Gates to Mykhaila Hrushevskoho Street, retracing the steps of those who stood on the frontlines of the 2014 protests.
On this day in 2014, 20-year-old Serhiy Nigoyan from the Dnipropetrovsk region and 25-year-old Belarusian Mikhail Zhiznevsky were fatally shot. Nearby, the tortured body of Yurii Verbytskyi, a Lviv resident kidnapped a day earlier, was discovered outside Kyiv. Roman Senyk, a 45-year-old from Lviv, succumbed to his injuries days later, while activists Oleksandr Badera and Bohdan Kalyniak also lost their lives during the protests.
3 Sotnia Samooborony Maidanu (Third Hundred of Maidan Self-Defense), which Serhiy Nigoyan belonged to, initiated the event. Nigoyan, the first victim of the Maidan uprising, was stationed at the 3rd barricade checkpoint near the Lach Gates, a poignant location for the gathering.
Accreditation is required to attend.
For reference: The remembrance walk is organized by the NGO “3 Sotnia Samooborony Maidanu” (Third Hundred of Maidan Self-Defense), NGO “Families of the Heavenly Hundred,” the Kyiv Three Saints Theological Seminary of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), and the National Museum of the Revolution of Dignity.
Yuliia Buniak, originally from Crimea, has called Kyiv home since her university days. Now a widow raising her 14-year-old son, Tymofii, she is navigating life after her husband was killed in action on August 3, 2023, while serving on the frontlines.
For Yuliia, the russian-Ukrainian conflict began in 2014 with the annexation of her homeland. Her husband joined the military shortly after the invasion, fought for over a year, and then returned to civilian life. But the full-scale russian assault in February 2022 marked a turning point. On the evening of February 23, as the couple shared a quiet moment at home, a call from the territorial recruitment office changed their lives. Her husband reported for duty the next morning, initially serving in Kyiv before being deployed to the eastern front. As a mortar operator, he carried out missions near Bakhmut, one of the most fiercely contested areas of the war. After completing his first rotation in December 2022, he returned home briefly, allowing the family to celebrate the New Year together. But during his second deployment, tragedy struck. On August 3, 2023, he was killed during an artillery strike near Pivnichnyi, in Donetsk’s Bakhmut district.
Yuliia reflects on the close bond her husband shared with Tymofii. From teaching him to drive to bonding over their shared love of boxing, their relationship was filled with cherished moments. Last year, Tymofii had the chance to meet his idol, Oleksandr Usyk, and even attended his fight in Riyadh with his mother.
For reference: The Children of Heroes Foundation is now providing essential support to Yuliia and Tymofii. The organization, dedicated to aiding children who have lost one or both parents due to russia’s invasion, offers financial assistance, psychological counseling, legal aid, and educational resources to help them thrive despite their loss.
