Themes by tag: Lutsk

Yevhen Neskreba, a champion kettlebell athlete, has experienced two forced relocations. Originally from a village in the Donetsk oblast near the front line, he moved to Volnovakha, 20 kilometers away, in 2017. There, he coached at a youth sports school, while still traveling home twice weekly to train local children. When the full-scale invasion began, Yevhen had to leave again — three days into the invasion, Volnovakha lost all utilities.

The day after he evacuated, Yevhen learned that his home in his village had been destroyed by russian shelling — along with his life’s work: six hundred medals and three hundred championship cups.

After finding out what had happened to his awards, Yevhen thought he would never lift weights again. The first training sessions in a rented apartment in Lutsk were difficult for the athlete. He went two weeks without touching a kettlebell, and tears came to his eyes during warm-ups as he remembered what he had lost.

After the evacuation, Yevhen participated in his first international competition in December 2022. He placed third. He now has 15 kettlebells that were given to him by fellow athletes. He managed to recover about 70% of his destroyed awards — though some remain irreplaceable.

You can contact Yevhen Neskreba online or in-person in Lutsk by arrangement.

• casualties
• occupation
• Lutsk

Lutsk resident Tetiana Pototska had been originally running a travel agency that specialized in organizing pilgrimage trips abroad until February 2022, Tetiana shifted her focus when the full-scale invasion began. Moved by a friend’s inability to transport her father’s body from Kharkiv to Lutsk, Tetiana stepped in to assist and has since been tirelessly evacuating fallen soldiers’ remains and transporting them to morgues.

Beyond her duties in retrieving the fallen, Tetiana extends her aid to Ukrainians trapped in occupied regions, particularly those with limited mobility, helping them return to government-controlled territory. Additionally, she devotes herself to caring for the children of fallen defenders, arranging celebratory events and outings to the seaside for them.

Through her volunteer efforts, more than 50 individuals with amputations, including civilians, women and children among them, as well as military personnel have been transported to Poland, where they received free prosthetic care through an international initiative.

Those wishing to interview Tetiana can reach her both offline in Lutsk or through online channels. She is gearing up for another journey to Eastern Ukraine soon.

• dead
• volunteers
• women
• Lutsk
• evacuation

Before the full-scale invasion, Vladyslav Trotsiuk lived in Kherson and worked as an IT professional. On February 25, 2022, he evacuated his mother and sister from the city. While his family fled abroad, Vladyslav and a friend enlisted in the Defense Forces.

He served as a combat engineer, operating in the Kyiv and Donetsk regions. In the summer of 2023, he was wounded by a landmine. Vladyslav was transferred to Volyn for treatment. There, he met his future wife. Trotsiuk recalls seeing Maryna for the first time while lying on the operating table, she was working as a nurse. A month later, they met again, and have remained in contact since.

Following the injury, doctors were forced to amputate his leg. He later adapted to a prosthetic, proposed to Maryna, and in January 2025, the two were married.

Vladyslav Trotsiuk is available for interviews, both online and in person in Lutsk, by appointment.

• casualties
• military
• Lutsk

When russia first attacked Ukraine in 2014, Viktor-Mykola Havryliuk was a student and an active member of Plast (a Ukrainian scout organization). He was offered the chance to mobilize into the “Harpun” unit, where many fellow Plast members were already serving.

When the full-scale invasion began in 2022, Viktor-Mykola was in a Plast camp. He immediately rejoined his former unit and fought first in the Kyiv oblast and then went to defend Ukraine in the east. In July 2023, he suffered a mine injury – an enemy drone strike tore the muscle in his leg. Thanks to the efforts of surgeons, his limb was saved.

After his injury, however, the veteran spent some time in a wheelchair. That’s when he realized how difficult it would be to leave the hospital unassisted – his hometown of Lutsk simply wasn’t designed for people with disabilities.

Later, BusMarket Group reached out to Viktor-Mykola to learn about his experiences navigating the city. Their goal was to create an accessibility map and develop the Better Mobility app, which highlights wheelchair-friendly establishments.

Today, the app is expanding, and volunteers are encouraged to photograph buildings so that people with disabilities can assess accessibility beforehand.

Viktor-Mykola can be contacted both online and offline by appointment.

• casualties
• military
• Lutsk

Viktor Shemediuk is a veteran of the Ukrainian Armed Forces from Lutsk. He was mobilized in the first days of the full-scale invasion. Viktor fought in the Luhansk, Donetsk and Kharkiv oblasts. During the Kharkiv counteroffensive in September 2022, he was wounded and lost his left leg above the knee.

After treatment, Viktor underwent rehabilitation and got used to using a prosthesis. He cites his wife and daughters as his greatest support, as they have been with him throughout his journey. Viktor decided to start a business that would not only generate income, but also benefit the community. He began installing solar-powered electric vehicle charging stations.

With the support of the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation, Viktor launched the project “Eco Power: Charging Electric Cars with the Sun”. He used the grant to purchase high-capacity, fast-charging stations and solar panels. His stations are currently available in a village in the Volyn oblast, but he plans to expand the project soon and install panels in Lutsk.

You can speak with Viktor Shemediuk either online or in person by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• military
• Lutsk

Before the full-scale invasion began, Liudmyla Porfilenko lived in Kurakhove, Donetsk oblast, worked as a nurse at a local school, and in her spare time made toys and jewelry in a small workshop she set up in her apartment. Liudmyla’s husband was a doctor, and together they raised three children.

On February 24, 2022, Liudmyla could not believe that a great war had begun. But by the third week of the invasion, her family decided to evacuate. They packed their children, two dogs, and canisters of gasoline into the car. They took only a change of clothes and some of Liudmyla’s craft supplies. The family made their way to the Volyn oblast, choosing it on the advice of acquaintances who had evacuated from Donetsk oblast in 2014.

Later her parents were also evacuated to Volyn. Liudmyla’s husband found a job in a local hospital, and she revived her small studio. She starts working early in the morning, sewing toys and making jewelry from precious stones. She sells her creations on social media or through acquaintances. Some of her handmade dolls have traveled the world, with orders from France, Germany and England. Liudmyla also holds wool felting workshops for children.

You can speak with Liudmyla either online or in person by appointment.

Background: Kurakhove is currently under heavy fighting, and most of the population has fled the city.

• culture
• women
• Lutsk
• evacuation

Alla Senchenko is both a skilled tailor and a dedicated soldier. She joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces in 2018, serving for three years before her initial contract ended. When russia launched its full-scale invasion, Alla wasted no time and reported to the military recruitment office, where she was mobilized as a rifleman.

In May 2022, while defending Lyman in the Donetsk region, she was captured by russian forces. Held in captivity for eight months and 11 days, Alla recalls relying solely on her faith and hope to endure. On February 4, 2023, she was finally released and returned to Ukraine. After completing her rehabilitation in late March, Alla was able to reunite with her family, whom she had not seen since the war began.

Today, Alla works at the Lutsk Territorial Center of Recruitment and Social Support. Alongside her current role, she dreams of designing clothing for soldiers and remains steadfast in her hope for Ukraine’s victory.

For those interested, Alla Senchenko is available for conversations both online and in person, by prior arrangement.

• military
• prisoners
• women
• Lutsk

Valentyn Shabunin worked as a driver and also repaired cars. In 2007, he was involved in a car accident and was seriously injured. Due to a fractured spine, he was forced to use a wheelchair. He was also unable to drive a regular car, so a colleague gave him a hand-cranked car.

The car needed to be repaired, but the garages refused to help Valentyn, so the mechanic set out to fix it himself. That’s how he came up with the idea of opening his own garage to repair cars for people with disabilities. In 2014, the authorities of Lutsk supported this idea and provided him with premises, tools and an elevator. Valentyn soon found other mechanics to join him. Together, they not only repair cars, but also install hand controls in vehicles for people with disabilities. Cars come to Valentyn’s shop from all over Ukraine, and one order was even completed for a resident of the United States. The workshop also retrofits cars for driving schools that train people with disabilities.

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Valentyn’s garage has had more work, as the mechanics have also started repairing and maintaining regular cars for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. They do this free of charge, the soldiers only pay for spare parts.

Valentyn Shabunin is based in Lutsk and is open to communication with journalists, both online and offline, by prior arrangement.

• Lutsk

Before the war, Mykhailo Sokolian worked as a wood processing plant operator. But when russia’s full-scale invasion began, he answered the call to defend his country. After completing military training, he joined the 4th Separate Tank Brigade as a sapper.

In August 2022, while on a mission, Sokolian suffered a serious injury that resulted in the loss of his leg. He was sent to the Netherlands for prosthetic treatment, where he received his first permanent prosthesis. Upon his return to Ukraine, he dedicated himself to mastering his new limb, with constant support from his wife and son.

Soon after, Mykhailo Sokolian found a new passion—adaptive sports. He began competing in events like the “Games of Heroes” and the “Invictus Games.” Most recently, he completed a 100-meter race using his prosthetic leg in an impressive 15 seconds.

Today, the veteran is not only focused on his personal achievements but also on helping fellow soldiers recover and embrace adaptive sports. Mykhailo hopes to promote these sports among the military community.
Currently based in the Volyn region, MykhailoSokolian is open to interviews, available for both in-person and online meetings by appointment.

• casualties
• military
• Lutsk

Dmytro Bereziuk has been making musical instruments for over 10 years. During this time he has mastered the creation of 15 different types of instruments – flutes, bagpipes, lyres, violins, “vykrutka” pipes, and many others. At first Dmytro was interested only in foreign medieval instruments, but later he turned his attention to Ukrainian history.

The craftsman focused on studying traditional musical instruments from his native Volyn. Dmytro personally sources the materials for his instruments, searching for the necessary wood and working it himself.

Dmytro has become well known among connoisseurs of ethnic instruments. Musicians often approach him with requests to build various ancient instruments.

Dmytro Bereziuk is based in Lutsk and can be contacted for online or offline meetings by prior arrangement.

• Lutsk