Themes by tag: Kyiv

On April 24-26, Fight For Right will host the forum “Developing Leadership of Girls with Disabilities Starting in School” in Kyiv, presenting a new methodological manual that outlines effective strategies for unlocking the potential of girls with disabilities.

The event will bring together educators, parents, and guardians of participants from Fight For Right’s Liderka-Teenagerka (Teenage Girl Woman Leader) School, along with the young leaders themselves. Together, they will explore ways to strengthen collaboration, boost motivation during the learning process, and address key issues such as conflict resolution, the role of education in rights advocacy, and fostering leadership among girls with disabilities.

The April 25 agenda includes:

– A presentation of the methodological manual, accompanied by training sessions with its authors, who developed innovative approaches to working with children with disabilities;

– Addresses from experts in inclusion and psychosocial rehabilitation, officials from the Ministry of Education and Science, the Advisor to the Presidential Commissioner for Barrier-Free Access, and human rights advocates and disability rights activists from the Fight For Right team;

– An official meeting between girls with disabilities and representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science, held at the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

Accreditation is required to attend the event.

Background: The Teenage Leader School is a Fight For Right initiative dedicated to fostering leadership in girls with disabilities and promoting their active participation in education and society. Twenty-three participants have completed the two-year training program, where they gained skills in self-advocacy, leadership, and achieving personal and academic goals.

• Kyiv

On April 25, the eve of the anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster, the European Institute of Chornobyl will once again convene leading Ukrainian scientists, experts, researchers, and liquidators for CHORNOBYL FORUM 2025. Now in its third edition, the international forum aims to reframe Chornobyl not only as a historical tragedy but also as a pressing contemporary challenge. The event will be held in Kyiv.

In parallel, an exhibition marking the anniversary of the Chornobyl tragedy will run in the capital from April 23 to 27. The showcase will feature works by both Ukrainian and international artists, examining the complex relationship between humanity, nature, and technology. Visitors will also have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the experience through VR headsets, offering a deeper emotional and sensory connection to a history that continues to shape the present.

Key themes of the forum include the current state of the Exclusion Zone, emerging threats posed by war, ecocide as a weapon of conflict, and strategies for recovery and safeguarding the future.

Among the forum’s featured speakers are Andrii Mizko and Ihor Pysmennyi, Mi-6 helicopter pilots and among the first liquidators of the Chornobyl disaster. In May 1986, they flew missions over the destroyed reactor, dropping lead cargo from an altitude of just 200 meters under extremely hazardous conditions. Today, both men remain active in advocating for liquidators’ rights through public initiatives.

Advance registration is required to attend the event.

• ecology
• Kyiv

On April 18, Kyiv will host a charity premiere of the documentary We Are Home. Directed by Roman Krasnoshchok and Anton Chistiakov, the film tells the deeply personal stories of children from across Ukraine who were forced to flee their homes and begin new lives in the Carpathians following the full-scale invasion. British comedian and writer Stephen Fry lends his voice to the narration.

A charity fundraiser will be held during the screening to benefit the Voices of Children Foundation, which supports Ukrainian children affected by the war. That same day, the film will also be released online – available on Apple TV in the United States and Amazon Prime Video worldwide – with all proceeds directed to the charity.

The screening will be followed by a panel discussion featuring members of the film’s creative team and Azad Safarov, co-founder of the Voices of Children Foundation.

• children
• culture
• Kyiv

TMS HUB is a sports facility where servicemen and veterans with amputations or injuries can practice Brazilian jiu-jitsu free of charge. The project promotes the physical rehabilitation and social reintegration of military personnel.

The initiative is led by Artem Kuzmich, a veteran of the Ukrainian Special Forces. Originally from Belarus, Kuzmich has been defending Ukraine since 2014. In 2019, he stepped on an enemy mine and lost a leg. Despite this, he became a champion in Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitions held in Ukraine, Europe and Brazil.

Twelve TMS HUB branches now operate across Ukraine, including in Kyiv, Odesa, Lviv, Chernihiv, Chernivtsi, Mykolaiv, Zhytomyr, Rivne, Dnipro and Khmelnytskyi. More than 200 veterans have already joined the program.

The “TMS Victory Cup” competition will be held at the end of May.

Journalists may arrange to cover this sports initiative in Kyiv by prior coordination.

• casualties
• military
• Kyiv

Tribute exhibition commemorating Hero of Ukraine Andrii Pilshchykov, call sign “Juice”, will open on April 17 at one of Kyiv’s libraries. Visitors will have the opportunity to learn more about the life and legacy of the legendary Ukrainian defender through materials provided by his mother, Liliia Averianova.

For reference: Andrii Pilshchykov (1993–2023), a military pilot with the 40th Tactical Aviation Brigade, played a key role in Ukraine’s air defense from the outset of the full-scale Russian invasion. Known widely as one of the figures behind the “Ghost of Kyiv” legend, he was posthumously conferred the title Hero of Ukraine in 2024. He also received the Order “For Courage” III Class in 2022 and II Class posthumously in 2023.

Recognized as a leading reformer of the Air Force, Pilshchykov made a significant impact on its development. In June 2022, he joined an official delegation to the United States, helping to secure the delivery of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine and laying the groundwork for pilot training. He died on August 25, 2023, in the Zhytomyr region and was buried at Askold’s Grave in Kyiv.

• culture
• dead
• military
• Kyiv

The consecration and installation of a cross on the Trinity Gate Church will take place on April 15 at the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra (Kyiv Cave Monastery) National Conservation Area. The event marks the resumption of restoration work on one of the Lavra’s oldest and most treasured sacred sites.

Built in the 12th century by Nicholas Sviatosha Prince of Chernihiv, the Trinity Gate Church has survived in its original form – a rare example in Ukrainian ecclesiastical architecture. During the era of Ivan Mazepa, it was adorned in the Ukrainian Baroque style, featuring elaborate stucco work and distinctive murals.

By 2022, 75% of the church’s restoration had been completed under the President of Ukraine’s “Great Restoration” program. Work was then suspended due to the full-scale war. In December 2024, through collaboration with the Work.UA team, restoration efforts resumed, focusing on critical sections of the roof and preparing the church for its final restoration phase.

The installation of the cross represents not only a key milestone in the restoration of this sacred monument, but also a powerful symbol of resilience, renewal, and the enduring spirit of Ukrainian heritage amid the devastation of war.

Accreditation is required to attend the event.

• culture
• religion
• Kyiv

Yuliia and Serhii shared 27 years of a happy marriage. Together, they raised two daughters, Victoriia and Valeriia. The couple built their home with their own hands – Serhii oversaw the construction, while Yuliia, skilled in painting and plasterwork, contributed her expertise. Their teamwork eventually grew into a small family business, renovating apartments from start to finish.

Russia’s full-scale invasion found the couple at home in the Kyiv region. On the war’s first day, Serhii attempted to enlist in the Armed Forces, but long lines at military registration offices held him back. For a year, he kept trying – and in the meantime, he volunteered.

He later joined the 15th Border Guard Detachment. Though frequently deployed to the front line, Serhii always managed to send a few words to his wife. But after one mission, he never came back. For his unwavering commitment and courage, he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal “For the Defense of Ukraine.”

For reference: The Children of Heroes charitable foundation is currently supporting the family. The organization assists children who have lost one or both parents due to Russia’s full-scale invasion by providing financial aid, psychological and legal support, and resources for education and personal development until they reach adulthood.

• dead
• military
• women
• Kyiv

On April 15, Kyiv will host a screening of “Shadows on the Left Bank” – an investigative film by Danylo Mokryk exposing russian atrocities in the occupied Kherson oblast.

From the first days of the full-scale invasion, much of Kherson oblast, including the village of Hornostaivka (Kakhovka district), fell under Russian control. The occupiers turned the local national police station into a torture chamber where Ukrainian soldiers and civilians were detained.

A team of journalists from The Kyiv Independent uncovered the identities of several victims who perished at the torture site, as well as the names of “officers” of the occupation “police” responsible for torturing and killing Kherson residents.

The documentary centers on the murder of 28-year-old Hornostaivka resident Ruslan Rusnak, an ATO veteran who was abducted by russian occupiers in November 2023 and tortured to death in the former police station.

During the event, the film’s creators – Danylo Mokryk, a journalist from the Head of War Crimes Investigations Unit, and Yevheniia Motorevska, Head of War Crimes Investigations Unit (The Kyiv Independent) – will speak about the story behind the film creation and the progress of the investigation.

Accreditation is required to attend the event.

• culture
• dead
• occupation
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

From April 10, the film “MUR. You [Romance] in Cinema” will be shown in cinemas. This is Ukraine’s first theatrical musical filmed in a special format for the big screen. It tells the story of the life of Ukrainian writers and theater figures of the 20’s and 30’s – the era of the Executed Renaissance – most of whom were destroyed during the Stalinist repressions. The creators emphasize: we must know this tragic history to prevent it from repeating.

The historical musical first appeared as a musical album of the same name, which became a hit in 2024, gathering over 1 million views on YouTube. This was followed by a theatrical production seen by over 60,000 people in 15 cities. So the authors, the creative association MUR, approached the FILM.UA studio with the idea of filming it to preserve it for future generations.

About 5,000 tickets were sold before the film’s release, and the pre-premiere tour covered 10 cities, including the frontline cities of Kharkiv and Zaporizhia. Kyiv’s Zhovten Cinema will screen the film with English subtitles for foreigners who wish to learn more about our country.

On April 13 in Kyiv, after the film screening, journalists will have the opportunity to engage with director Oleksandr Khomenko, actors Oleksandr Zaika, Mykola Shmundyr, Mariia Lukianenko-O’Reilly, Lesia Patoka, and choreographer Inna Matiushina.

Background: Born during Russia’s full-scale war, the MUR project united artists from Kyiv and Donetsk, including Oleksandr Khomenko (director, actor, screenwriter, lyricist), Viktor Tkachenko (composer, actor), Mykola Shmundyr (actor), Mariia O’Reilly (editor), and Oleksandr Zaika (performer and songwriter).

The group has gained a large audience on social media. Their documentary shorts on the history of Shchedryk, Pavlo Tychyna, Ivan Bahrianyi, and Vasyl Stus have become Instagram’s most-watched educational content on Ukrainian literature.

• culture
• Kyiv

The Tytanovi Charitable Foundation, within the framework of the Tytanovi Rehab project, invites you to the presentation of the “Tytanovi Arts & Culture Center” for rehabilitation of veterans. During the event, veterans and journalists will get a preview of what the center will offer after its official opening.

The Foundation explains that war leaves not only physical wounds, but also deep psychological scars. Creative rehabilitation is one of the most effective ways to address them. The center will offer veterans the opportunity to participate in art therapy, try their hand in a photo lab, take the stage in a theater, and attend educational workshops.

The presentation will feature Viacheslav Zaporozhets, the founder and head of the Tytanovi Charitable Foundation – a veteran who lost a limb and has mastered a bionic prosthesis.

Background: Founded by Viacheslav Zaporozhets, a veteran of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the Tytanovi Charitable Foundation specializes in the rehabilitation of servicemen and veterans after severe injuries. According to the organizers, Tytanovi is the only foundation  that provides custom-made titanium bone implants for military personnel with high-level and severe amputations.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• Kyiv