Themes by tag: Kyiv

Nadiia is a teacher of the art of making coffee. The woman and her family had moved from Mykolaiv to Kherson, a city in the south of Ukraine that was under russian occupation for more than half a year. This had happened two months before the beginning of russia’s full-scale invasion. Nadiia wanted to open a barista school in the city. The official opening was scheduled for February 26, 2022, but the war changed everything.

The woman found herself under occupation, worked at a friend’s coffee shop, and volunteered by cooking food. When threats from the occupiers poured in, she decided to leave. She had to overcome 70 roadblocks. From Zaporizhia, she went to Kyiv, where she started all over again. On August 7, 2023, precisely on the anniversary of her escaping the occupation, she was able to open a coffee shop near Kyiv with the help of a state grant. Nadiia also helped a displaced woman from Zaporizhia region by employing her as a barista in her coffee shop.

Together with her close circle, Nadiia created the “Welcome to Ukraine” charity foundation in Mykolaiv, which helps the military and civilians.

For reference: November 11, 2023 marks the anniversary of the liberation of Kherson from the occupiers. Last year’s counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the South of Ukraine also liberated some of the districts of Kherson region and a part of Mykolaiv region on the right bank of the Dnipro. 

• occupation
• volunteers
• women
• Kyiv

On October 30, in Kyiv, the Ukrainian Veterans Fund, together with partners, will present an interactive map of veteran businesses within the framework of the “Veteran’s Way. Business” concept. Businesses of veterans and their families from different regions of Ukraine will be gathered on one platform. This way everyone can easily find and support a veteran business in their city.

Participants:

• Ruslana Velychko-Trifonyuk, Acting Executive Director of the Ukrainian Veterans Fund
• Dmitry Dubrovskyi, Co-Founder and CEO of Uklon, Ambassador of the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation
• Denys Sudilkovsky, Chief Marketing Officer at LUN, Ambassador of the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation

Accreditation of journalists is required and will be open until 6:00 PM on October 29.

• Kyiv

Colonel Monte and Colonel Chuck from the U.S. call themselves the “Traveling Colonels.” They are retired US Marine Corps officers, both are Iraq War veterans. The men help Ukraine: they bring medical and other supplies purchased, in particular, with funds donated by U.S. citizens. All this is transferred to the Ukrainian military at the front.

Monte and Chuck, together with volunteers from Ukraine, Canada and the U.S., prepared and packed 1,167 IFAKS (Individual First Aid Kit — standard individual first aid kit in NATO member state) and 16 medical bags this week in Kyiv.

Journalists will have an opportunity to talk with Colonel Monte in Kyiv over the next week.

For reference: Colonel Monte first came to Poland to help Ukrainian refugees in April 2022 and worked with World Central Kitchen. Then he went to Ukraine, now this is his 10th trip. Colonel Chuck made 7 trips. Currently, he is not in Ukraine.

• military
• volunteers
• Kyiv

Stefan came to Ukraine from Finland. He is an entrepreneur consulting asset and fund management companies and a fund management director, previously working in Luxembourg. He attained education in accounting and law. 

The foreigner decided to help Ukrainians and joined the Brave to Rebuild project volunteers in early October. He dismantled the rubble of destroyed buildings in the Kyiv region. In addition, the volunteer helped make concrete for masons and dug a trench for a water supply system.

The man believes that the war in Ukraine is highly illustrative of the battle between good and evil that a person can witness nowadays.

Journalists are welcome to talk to Stefan during his volunteer work in the Kyiv region.

• reconstruction
• volunteers
• Kyiv

On October 27, the final event to mark the completion of the SportAmbassadors project will take place in Kyiv. Journalists are invited to join the event and meet the sports ambassadors, learn firsthand about the motivation of the participants and the results achieved during the project.

In addition, the event will feature a demonstration of adaptive training equipment, including wheelchairs for basketball and concepts for rowing that will be used for training. The importance of adaptive sports and the involvement of veterans will be discussed as well. 

Press registration is required to attend the event.

SportsAmbassadors are veterans from different regions of Ukraine who underwent a personal recovery journey following an injury sustained on the front line. They are united by a common feature and mission—recovery through sports and motivation to share their experience with their brothers and sisters-in-arms, to engage them in adaptive sports, and to create such opportunities for other veterans in their local communities to go through this path.

For reference: The SportsAmbassadors project is implemented by the Come Back Alive Foundation supported by the US Embassy in Ukraine in partnership with the NGO “Invictus Games Ukraine”.

• casualties
• military
• psychological support
• 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