Themes by tag: Lviv
For the third consecutive year, soldiers undergoing treatment, prosthetic fitting, and rehabilitation at the UNBROKEN Center in Lviv are marking Christmas in the Ukrainian tradition – gathered around a shared table with traditional dishes, carols, and a nativity scene. This year, the nativity play has emerged as the central symbol of the holiday, blending the sacred and the everyday, pain and hope, history and the lived reality of war.
At UNBROKEN, the nativity scene is conceived as a fully developed theatrical production, carefully shaped with the audience’s traumatic experiences in mind. The production is directed by Igor Bilyts, chief director of the Maria Zankovetska Theater, who views the nativity scene as a distinctive form of folk theater in which the sacred naturally coexists with the mundane, and timeless archetypes remain recognizable across generations.
Among the performers is Mykhailo Fatieiev, a soldier with the 103rd Brigade of the Territorial Defense Forces who sustained a severe spinal injury on the front lines. During rehabilitation, Fatieiev has turned to writing plays, painting, and acting in stage productions, including Sam na Sam (“Alone with Myself”), a performance based on his own text.
Sharing the stage is Valentyn Oleksienko, a tank driver from the Kyiv region who survived a complete spinal cord injury. After months fighting for his life and nine months of daily rehabilitation, he appears in the production not in pursuit of a role, but for the experience of presence – a sense of support and shared rhythm. According to the director, this is where the strength of theatrical practice for veterans lies: the chance to simply be themselves, without the need to explain or prove anything.
This year’s Christmas dinner for veterans will be held on December 26. On December 27, the nativity scene will be performed on Lviv’s Rynok Square and will be open to the public.
Media representatives must be accredited to attend the event.
For reference: The Ukrainian nativity scene is among the country’s oldest and most intricate forms of folk theater. First mentioned in the 17th century, it was initially performed by members of the Kyiv and Lviv brotherhoods and students of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. Over time, it evolved as a puppet theater, a live dramatic performance, and a Christmas ritual – all at once.
An interactive installation highlighting the dangers of human trafficking will be unveiled in Lviv on December 23 as part of a nationwide awareness campaign led by the International Organization for Migration.
The International Organization for Migration Mission in Ukraine is continuing its countrywide information drive against human trafficking and exploitation under the campaign “Sound Familiar?” Lviv will become the second city to host the installation, designed to help visitors recognize warning signs of exploitation, identify risky situations, and learn where to seek assistance.
The following guests are invited to participate in the event:
– Rigoberto Mesa, IOM Ukraine’s Head of Programmes (Humanitarian);
– Khrystyna Zamula, Deputy Head of the Lviv Regional State Administration;
– Volodymyr Kopotiuk, Deputy Head of the Migration Police Department of the Main Directorate of the National Police in the Lviv Region;
– Tetiana Krut, Director of the Department of Social Protection of the Population of the Lviv Regional State Administration;
– Oksana Yezerska, Head of the Western Interregional Department at the State Labour Service of Ukraine;
– Dmytro Shvets, Rector of Lviv State University of Internal Affairs;
– Taras Podvirnyy, Representative of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights in Lviv Region;
– Olena Kalbus, Head of the Preventing and Combating Human Trafficking at the Center for Women’s Perspectives.
Journalists wishing to cover the event are required to register by 5 p.m. on December 22. Accreditation will require a passport or ID card and a valid editorial certificate.
For reference: The “Sound Familiar?” campaign is implemented by the International Organization for Migration in Ukraine with funding from the Government of Sweden. The initiative is carried out in cooperation with the Ministry of Social Policy, Family and Unity of Ukraine, the National Social Service of Ukraine, the National Police of Ukraine, and the All-Ukrainian Counter-Trafficking NGO Coalition.
The campaign aims to raise public awareness of the risks associated with human trafficking and exploitation and to inform potential victims about available support services. These include the National Toll-Free Counter-Trafficking and Migrant Advice Hotline, reachable at 527, as well as the website www.stoptrafficking.org, where individuals can seek advice and submit requests for assistance.
During the Christmas holidays, Lviv will host a series of events. On December 24, the Didukh will be installed in the city. On December 25, a Mourning Carol will be held at the Field of Honorary Burials. The Parade of Star-Bearers also known as the Flash of the Christmas Stars festival, will take place on December 28.
Journalists have the opportunity to review the full program of Christmas events.
For reference: The Didukh is a Ukrainian Christmas decoration made from sheaves of grain. Originally a pagan idol, it is a symbol of the ancestor-protector, as well as a symbol of harvest, well-being, and wealth.
Volodymyr Sorochan is originally from Kherson. In 2014, he joined the Ukrainian military and served in Crimea. After russia annexed the peninsula, he remained loyal to his oath and relocated to mainland Ukraine with his comrades. He later continued his service under contract with the 36th Brigade.
Volodymyr encountered the start of the full-scale invasion while on duty near Mariupol. He was captured in April 2022 after attempting to escape the Azovmash plant in Mariupol. He spent nearly three years in russian captivity. There, he endured daily beatings and constant hunger. The former prisoner recalls receiving meager portions of slop instead of proper food.
On October 18, 2024, Volodymyr was returned to Ukraine. After receiving treatment and undergoing rehabilitation, he returned to civilian life. He now maintains a blog where he shares his experiences. He has also finished writing a book in which he recounts his story.
Journalists can speak with Volodymyr Sorochan online or in person in Lviv by prior arrangement.
The Forum of Donor Initiatives of Ukraine will be held in Lviv on December 19, bringing together key participants of the donor movement. The event will serve as an important platform for sharing experiences, discussing current issues, and developing new initiatives in the field of donation.
The forum aims to establish a network of partners for donor initiatives and develop unified communication strategies and messages to promote donation in Ukraine. One of the key tasks is formulating a joint action plan for 2026 that includes specific steps for developing and improving the donation system. Forum participants will prepare an analytical report with recommendations for the Ministry of Health and public organizations to improve the situation in the field.
The program includes:
- Speeches by key speakers, including representatives from the National Blood Center, international partners, organizations, and local initiatives;
- Panel discussions addressing various aspects of the national blood system, including challenges and solutions for improving the efficiency of blood collection and storage and the role of volunteer initiatives in crisis situations;
- Presentations of donor initiatives. Participants will share successful practices and introduce new ideas and projects that have transformed the landscape of the donor movement in Ukraine.
Journalists must register for the event.
Background: The forum is held within the framework of the project “Your Blood. My Life. Our Victory” implemented with the support of Veteran Media, People’s Self-Defense of Lviv Region, the First Primary Healthcare Center of Lviv, and the Eskulab laboratory network. The Lviv City Council also assists with this project.
Yuliia Stefaniuk is the head of the International Charity Organization World Central Kitchen’s mission in Ukraine and one of the women who, from the very first days of the full-scale invasion, joined organizing humanitarian aid in the country.
Before the full-scale war, she lived in Lviv and for over eleven years worked as the managing partner of !FEST Catering and Just Lviv It! — partner projects of the !FEST Holding of Emotions. Yuliia graduated from the Faculty of Economics at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv with a degree in sociology and worked in the insurance business in Kyiv for some time.
When the invasion began, Yuliia was among the first to join World Central Kitchen in Lviv. In March 2022, she organized the first large-scale hot meal production for refugees arriving in Lviv and played an active role in creating the logistical and organizational processes that enabled WCK to rapidly scale up and operate across Ukraine, including frontline communities. To date, World Central Kitchen has provided over 290 million meals as part of its mission in Ukraine. Currently, the organization provides hot meals, distributes food and vegetable kits, supports evacuation centers, delivers water and bread to communities on the front lines, and implements long-term programs to restore local food security, particularly by helping families grow their own food and opening kitchens for internally displaced persons.
Over the course of two years during the war, Yuliia served as the executive director of the Ukraine Foundation, which was established with the support of the Howard G. Buffett Foundation. She is also a co-founder of the Hachiko Pet Foundation in the United States, which supports frontline animal shelters by providing food, medical assistance, and sterilization services, as well as facilitating adoptions.
Currently, Yuliia coordinates one of the country’s largest hot meal programs, created in response to the full-scale invasion. She works tirelessly to ensure that citizens have stable and easy access to humanitarian aid, even under the most difficult conditions.
Yuliia is a mother of two children and the rescuer of a cat she adopted from the de-occupied city of Izium.
By prior arrangement, journalists have the opportunity to speak with Yuliia in person in Lviv or online.
On April 1, 2022, Jay Rivera, a 38-year-old former account manager from Pennsylvania, boarded a plane from New York to Warsaw for his first trip to Europe. Leaving behind his family and job, he came with a mission: to support Ukrainians affected by the war.
Rivera began by coordinating foreign volunteers and managing logistics in Przemyśl, Poland. By October 2022, he had taken the helm of Hope Shelter refugee center for Ukrainians.
In November 2024, he moved to Ukraine’s Lviv region to start Phoenix, a reintegration center and shelter for displaced persons. It currently hosts up to 48 residents, providing housing, meals, professional and language courses, and psychological support. The center’s operations are funded through foreign donors, grants, and private contributions. Plans are underway to expand the facility to accommodate veterans and their families.
Jay Rivera is available to meet with visitors in the Lviv region, both online and in person, by prior arrangement.
A solemn ceremony to lay a coin of St. Nicholas under the mast step for Ukraine’s first inclusive sailing boat, Illia, will take place on December 6 in the Lviv region. The boat is named in honor of fallen soldier Illia Rudnikovych. The coin-laying ritual, an ancient tradition dating back to the time of ancient mariners, has always symbolized protection, good luck, and a safe return home.
Ukraine’s first inclusive boat is a project aimed at adapting sailing for people with disabilities. All those affected by the war, who require not only physical but also psychological rehabilitation, will be able to join this active form of recreation.
The boat’s design is based on the blueprints of the French sailing boat Bac à Voile. The 12-meter-long, 3.5-meter-wide boat has a completely flat deck to allow for easy and safe movement of the crew. Furthermore, the boat’s structure will allow it to approach any shore and facilitate the boarding and disembarkation of people with disabilities.
The boat is scheduled to launch in April or May of 2026.
Journalists will have the opportunity to see the boat and speak with those involved in its construction in the Lviv region by prior arrangement.
For reference: The Galician Sailing Federation and Inclusive Sailing of Ukraine are constructing the inclusive sailing boat at the Kitva Shipyard.
Lviv will host the Third National Forum “PRO Parenthood” on December 2-3, providing a platform for professional dialogue on the state and future of foster parenting in Ukraine. The event will focus on the challenges, needs, and support available for foster families, family-type children’s homes, and adoptive parents, while exploring solutions amid ongoing reforms of the boarding school system.
Over two days, participants will examine key topics including the development of family-based foster care placement, parental support programs, community involvement with adoptive families, and practical strategies to support children without parental care. The forum will bring together government officials, experts, social workers, and foster parents to develop joint recommendations.
Participants include:
– Maksym Kozytskyi, Head of the Lviv Regional Military Administration;
– Valentyna Zozulia, Head of the State Service of Ukraine for Children’s Affairs;
– Olena Remen, Head of the Expert Group on Development of Family Forms of Upbringing and Adoption of the Coordination Center for the Development of Family Education and Child Care;
– Darya Kasyanova, Program Development Director at SOS Children’s Villages Ukraine and Chair of the Board of the Ukrainian Child Rights Network;
– Volodymyr Vovk, Deputy Director of the Department, Head of the Division for Monitoring the Rights of Children in Alternative Care at the National Social Service of Ukraine
– Inna Miroshnychenko, Adoptive Parent, Opinion Leader, and Member of the International Board of the SOS Children’s Villages International.
Journalists wishing to attend must register in advance.
For reference: The forum is organized by the international charitable organization SOS Children’s Villages.
From November 30 to December 3, the fourth international “Vision for Ukraine” oculoplastic mission will take place in Kyiv. A team of medical professionals will work to reconstruct the faces of defenders who have sustained severe trauma and lost an eye.
The international surgeons are preparing a series of advanced reconstructive procedures, including restoring the orbit and soft tissues, microvascular skin flap transplantation, and installing custom titanium implants created with a 3D printer. According to the mission organizers, one such implant can cost approximately $10,000, but the defenders will receive them free of charge.
The mission’s schedule includes consultations on November 30 and operating days from December 1 to 3, with approximately 30 surgeries and over 40 consultations planned. From December 4 to 5, the team will continue working in Lviv, providing care to children affected by the war.
Background: Over the past two years, “Vision for Ukraine” medics have provided assistance to more than 130 patients.
Interviews with medics and patients will be available online and in person in Kyiv and Lviv by prior arrangement.
