Themes by tag: Lviv

On March 16, Ukraine will hold an annual event to honor the victims of the Mariupol Drama Theater tragedy. Mariupol residents and all those who remember are invited to light candles near theater buildings across the country in a tribute to those lost.

Commemorative gatherings will take place in Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Dnipro, Zaporizhia (March 15), Ivano-Frankivsk, Kalush, Lviv, Kyiv, Kamianske, Kremenchuk, Rivne, Ternopil, Uzhhorod, Khmelnytskyi, Cherkasy, Chernivtsi, Kropyvnytskyi, Poltava, Kryvyi Rih, and Odesa.

Background: On March 16, 2022, russian forces dropped bombs on the Mariupol Drama Theater, despite the russian word for “children,” “ДЕТИ”(DETY), written in large, clearly visible white letters on the pavement outside the building. At the time, hundreds of Mariupol families were sheltering there, seeking refuge from relentless russian shelling. The attack claimed the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians, including children.

The Mariupol Drama Theater has since become a harrowing symbol—of brutality and destruction, of Mariupol’s suffering, of Ukraine’s pain. It remains an enduring testament to a russian war crime the world must never forget.

• children
• dead
• russian crimes
• Dnipro
• Kyiv
• Lviv
• Odesa

In the Lviv Oblast, mountain hiking trips are being organized for defenders undergoing rehabilitation, including veterans with prosthetic limbs. These therapeutic hikes are arranged by the charity foundation With an Angel on a Shoulder.

Recently, the defenders climbed Mount Makovytsia and Mount Smerichok in the Ivano-Frankivsk region. The next hike is planned for mid-April.

Journalists can cover the mountain therapy by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• Lviv

At the UNBROKEN Center in Lviv, defenders recovering from serious injuries are exploring a new form of rehabilitation—golf.

Participants have already completed three training sessions under the guidance of Volodymyr Shevchun, a certified trainer and rehabilitation specialist. Shevchun is actively developing this approach as a method of both physical and psychological recovery in Ukraine. He explains that golf engages various muscle groups while also helping to relieve stress, promote relaxation, and provide a mental escape.

The coach sees significant potential in golf as a rehabilitation tool for veterans. To expand the program, he is currently training three specialists at the UNBROKEN Center, preparing them to lead similar sessions for patients in the future.

• casualties
• military
• Lviv

A project by Lviv-based reproductive specialist and four-time Fertility Award winner Liubov Mykhailyshyn, “Preserve Your DNA for the Future,” offers free egg cryopreservation to 20 women in the military who risk their lives every day. The program is open to women between the ages of 21 and 41.

To date, 50 women have applied. Registration and consultations will continue until March 31, and the program will run until the end of 2025.

Journalists can arrange interviews with Liubov Mykhailyshyn in Lviv or online, and, if possible, with program participants.

Background: The “Preserve Your DNA for the Future” project is funded by a grant from L’Oréal Paris and UNFPA Ukraine (the United Nations Population Fund in Ukraine).

Similar programs have been successfully implemented in the United States (Fertility Preservation Program) and Israel. According to American researchers, service members experience a significant decline in reproductive potential compared to control groups, even without physical injury. Chronic stress is a major contributing factor.

While sperm cryopreservation is a relatively quick and simple process for military personnel, egg freezing is more complex and requires an initial consultation with a reproductive specialist; controlled ovarian stimulation with specific medications; egg retrieval from the ovaries; cryopreservation and long-term storage of the oocytes.

• doctors
• military
• women
• Lviv

Lviv has inaugurated its first social home for severely wounded soldiers undergoing rehabilitation at the UNBROKEN Center. The new housing facility is designed to accommodate up to 60 people at a time, including both patients and their relatives.

The six-story building features 24 fully accessible apartments—20 two-room units and four one-room units. Each apartment is equipped with a kitchen and a bathroom, ensuring a comfortable living environment. The entire facility is barrier-free, designed to meet the needs of residents using crutches, wheelchairs, prosthetics, or those with visual impairments. Each unit is also fitted with a panic button for emergency assistance.

The primary goal of the social housing project is to support patients through the critical adaptation period following their injuries in a comfortable and accommodating environment.

The first residents, along with their families, have already moved in. In the coming months, the building will be further equipped with shared community spaces, and the terrace will serve as a public area for events. This is just the beginning—seven more buildings are planned for social housing to support the UNBROKEN Center’s patients.

Background: The initiative is managed by NEFCO as part of the “Housing for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Reconstruction of Liberated Cities in Ukraine” project, funded by the European Union.

• casualties
• military
• Lviv

13-year-old Ukrainian Yana Stepanenko, who lost both her legs in a rocket attack on the Kramatorsk railway station in 2022, will run in the Tokyo Marathon on March 1, following her triumph in Boston last year. Media representatives are invited to attend her open training session in Lviv on February 19.

In Japan, Yana will run 5 kilometers on running prostheses to raise funds for two sports prostheses for Ukrainian soldier Oleksandr Zhavnenko, who lost both legs on the front line. Oleksandr dreams of returning to an active lifestyle – playing sports, running and dancing. He was a dancer before the war, and his greatest wish is to return to the dance floor and waltz with his wife again.

Media accreditation is required for this event.

Background: In 2024, Yana completed a 5K run in the Boston Marathon and successfully raised funds for a sports prosthesis for Ukrainian soldier Oleksandr Riasnyi.

On April 8, 2022, Yana Stepanenko lost both her legs as a result of a terrorist attack by russian forces on the railway station in Kramatorsk. A photo of her being carried in the arms of a surgeon from the First Medical Association of St. Nicholas Children’s Hospital in Lviv went around the world.

• casualties
• children
• russian crimes
• Lviv

From February 14 to 16, Ukrainian Railways is bringing back its “Train to You” romantic express, offering Ukrainian military personnel and their loved ones a unique railway experience.  

This year’s journey promises an unforgettable ride, with vintage steam locomotives setting the scene for a special celebration in both Kyiv and Lviv. The trip will last just over two hours, giving couples time to enjoy a private compartment with romantic music and a themed game designed for two. A charming tea party is also planned, along with special gifts for those traveling on Valentine’s Day, February 14.  

• culture
• military
• Kyiv
• Lviv

Before russia’s full-scale invasion outbreak, 58-year-old Halyna Hlobchasta was a math and physics teacher and served as the village elder of the Krasnorichenske community in Luhansk Oblast. But her life changed dramatically in late February 2022, when russian forces occupied her village, Makiivka.

On March 12, Halyna was abducted. Her captors took her to a local school and demanded to know where she had hidden weapons. When she refused, they beat her and subjected her to electric shocks. Eventually, she was released—but only under the condition that she would gather intelligence on her fellow villagers and report back to the occupiers.

The next day, Halyna and her husband made the difficult decision to flee, leaving behind everything, including money and documents. They managed to reach Dnipro, while her blind mother remained in the occupied territory until a neighbor later helped her escape to Kharkiv.

Now living in Lviv, Halyna has undergone extensive rehabilitation after enduring torture and displacement. Despite everything, she remains hopeful that one day she will return to her home village.

Those wishing to speak with Halyna can arrange a meeting with her in person or online.

• casualties
• occupation
• russian crimes
• women
• Lviv

How can we talk about pain and loss without causing further trauma? How can the media report responsibly on sensitive issues? Which words help the reintegration of veterans? These questions will be the focus of a discussion in Lviv on February 11. The event will take place on the eve of the anniversary of the outbreak of full-scale war and the anniversary of the Revolution of Dignity, two events that have shaped the new Ukrainian reality and made the issue of responsible communication even more relevant.

The discussion will bring together psychologists, media professionals, volunteers, representatives of civil society organizations, and veterans.

Speakers include

• Orest Suvalo, Deputy Head of the Working Group for Program Development, Coordinator of the Swiss-Ukrainian Project “Mental Health for Ukraine”, Executive Director of the UCU Institute of Mental Health, Consultant for the Malteser Relief Service
• Halyna Bordun, Head of the Counseling and Coordination Center for Internally Displaced Persons in the Lviv oblast
• Nataliia Ivanchenko, Coordinator of the “How are you?” program in the Lviv oblast

Registration is required to participate in the event.

• Lviv

A dog-assisted therapy program to help rehabilitate both military personnel and civilians is currently underway at the Superhumans Center in Lviv. For two weeks, police dogs from the Dog Training Center of the Main Department of the National Police in the Kyiv oblast will work with patients at the center.

The dogs Vanda, Bentley, Ares and Polia worked during the de-occupation of the Kyiv oblast. They were used to search for saboteurs and looters and in demining operations.

Since the start of the full-scale invasion, these trained assistance dogs have been actively working in hospitals across the Kyiv region and other areas, providing emotional support to patients. They have undergone special certification and are trained to assist in rehabilitation. Patients can play with, feed and pet the dogs as part of their therapy. The specialists who run the program use unique methods that combine psychological techniques and canine assisted therapy to help patients recover.

Journalists interested in covering these sessions in Lviv next week can arrange access by prior arrangement.

• animals
• casualties
• psychological support
• Lviv