Themes by tag: Lviv

Before the full-scale invasion, Oleh Slyvar was a professional folk dancer in Lviv region. Oleh changed his life radically in the summer of 2022, when he decided to join the ranks of the National Guard of Ukraine. Together with his brothers in arms, Oleh fought in the Donetsk direction. During one of the assaults, the man received numerous shrapnel wounds. Due to shelling, it was not possible to evacuate the soldier immediately. Later, at the stabilization point, the man’s heart stopped, however, doctors managed to bring Oleh back to life. The soldier lost his leg, but thanks to rehabilitation at the medical center, he learnt to live with an electronic knee prosthesis. And recently he returned to the stage.

Oleh is ready to communicate with the media online or in person in Lviv.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• Lviv

Summer mountain therapy for veterans will be held in the Carpathians on June 13-16. The idea behind this type of therapy is healing by hiking and interacting with other people.

Mountain therapy is organized by the Metta NGO. Participation, accommodation and meals for participants are free.

The mountain therapy team includes psychologists and guides. Military personnel, who have already tried the effects of mountain therapy on themselves, are now helping their brothers and sisters in arms to recover. They also take part in the hikes.

By prior agreement, journalists can cover the mountain therapy.

• psychological support
• Lviv

Olha is an economist by profession, and her husband Andrii is an engineer. At the beginning of a full-scale war, their relative joined the ranks of the defenders of the country (and in April 2022, he was wounded, lost a limb, and was captured by the enemy, where he was held for 7 months). In turn, Olha and Andrii decided to make “bomber drones” (FPV drones with a drop mechanism) and give them away to the soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces for free. Andrii designed and developed these drones by himself.

Later, this initiative grew into a full-fledged company “IRV — Innovative Research Vision,” which currently employs qualified specialists working on the development of UAVs, video surveillance systems, and analytical research. They also manufacture a variety of drones (kamikaze, FPV, reconnaissance, attack drones).

Throughout 2022 and 2023, the company gave away its products for free, but this year, due to a lack of funds, as well as expenses for the treatment of a relative, they began selling them.

Journalists can communicate with the couple in Lviv or online.

• Lviv

“Ukrainian Puzzles” is a social enterprise born from the idea of creating puzzles depicting objects destroyed or damaged in the war, such as the Chernihiv Youth Library, the An-225 Mriya, the Mariupol Drama Theater, and Karazin University. Symbolically piecing these puzzles together contributes to the real-life reconstruction efforts, as the net profits from Ukrainian Puzzles are allocated to restore these destroyed cultural monuments.

Founded in April 2022 by Vita Vorobchuk and Yaryna Zhurba, the company operates under the slogan “A puzzle to rebuild Ukraine.” The founders believe these puzzles offer a unique way for people worldwide to participate in Ukraine’s restoration. Additionally, the initiative aims to showcase Ukrainian culture and highlight the devastation inflicted by Russia on Ukraine’s cultural heritage.

Among the best-selling puzzles is the An-225 Mriya, the world’s largest airplane. Even President Volodymyr Zelenskyy owns one. Beyond the initial collection focused on destroyed landmarks, new series are in development, including Ukrainian Art, Discover Ukraine, and Glory to Ukraine.

Journalists interested in the initiative can arrange interviews with the founders in Lutsk, Lviv, Kyiv, or via online communication.

• culture
• reconstruction
• Kyiv
• Lutsk
• Lviv

In 2021, Olha Akymova founded an online modeling school for women over 40. The project also worked with mothers of children with disabilities (participation was free for them): the idea was to give an opportunity to women who devote themselves completely to their children to discover themselves. A little later, young girls also joined the project, and it became inclusive. Models with and without disabilities work at the school, and together they participate in all the projects, shows, and performances.

The transformed project held its first classes in February 2022 in Kyiv and Lviv, but they had to stop because the full-scale invasion started. A year later, Olha decided to resume classes. The students of the school study subjects just like in any other modeling school: the basics of modeling, posing techniques, model walking, etc. The school operates in Kyiv and Lviv. Classes take place online and offline. Currently, the school has 32 graduates from Kyiv, Lviv, and Vinnytsia.

The mission of this project is to use the art of modeling to bring Ukrainian society closer to a new tolerant inclusive European barrier-free space with equal opportunities for everyone.

In the near future, journalists will be able to visit a show with the participation of the students of the modeling school in Lviv or a rehearsal in Kyiv.

• culture
• women
• Kyiv
• Lviv

Serhii Zhukovskyi, 43, hails from the Zaporizhia region. Despite his childhood dream of becoming a soldier, he initially faced hurdles when got a medical certificate determining his unfitness for military service. However, when his hometown faced a full-blown invasion, Zhukovskyi and his family evacuated before it was occupied. In the Lviv region, he eventually enlisted with the 80th separate airborne assault brigade after encountering delays at the military enlistment office. His first injury occurred during the storming of Serebryany Forest, where shrapnel lodged near his spine. Despite medics’ unsuccessful attempts to remove a dangerous object from his body, the man persevered and returned to the front line after his wound healed. In the summer of 2023, serving with the 82nd Brigade, he sustained severe injuries from a mine explosion, resulting in the loss of both arms. His wife took on the task of finding the top rehabilitation centers in Ukraine, eventually leading him to the Halychyna and the Superhumans rehabilitation centers in the Lviv region. Following his prosthetic journey, the veteran received training in launching veteran-owned businesses, to which Serhii readily agreed. Subsequently, he successfully brought to fruition an idea conceived during his time on the front lines: crafting jerkies, pre-marinated and dried slices of meat. The business, named Sushena Radist (Dried Joy), was coined by Serhii’s eldest son, Ivan. It’s not just a veteran’s enterprise but also a family affair, with his wife, Daryna, handling the bulk of the work. 

Reporters welcome to seize the chance to interview Serhii Zhukovskyi in Lviv.

For context: The Sushena Radist veteran-owned enterprise emerged as a facet of the initiative “Reintegration of War Veterans through the Creation of Educational Opportunities,” spearheaded by DVV International in Ukraine and backed financially by the German Federal Foreign Office.

• Lviv

Originally slated to celebrate its 50th anniversary in Mariupol in 2022, the Arkhip Kuindzhi Art School faced a setback due to Russia’s full-scale invasion. The institution’s building suffered significant damage, including the destruction of equipment, prompting a relocation to Lviv in April 2022.

Despite the upheaval, the school has resumed operations at its new location, welcoming 40 children for both in-person and online fine arts classes. These students, hailing from Mariupol but dispersed across Ukraine and beyond. Moreover, adults are finding solace and expression through art therapy sessions offered in Lviv, Kropyvnytskyi, and Dnipro. These sessions include oil painting sessions and the exploration of traditional Ukrainian murals. Additionally, the art school remains active in organizing various exhibitions.

For reference: The battle for Mariupol raged on for 86 harrowing days until May 20, 2022, when russian forces seized control of the city. Human Rights Watch’s grim assessment puts the civilian death toll from russian shelling at a staggering 8,000, with thousands more left maimed and traumatized. Many suffered life-altering injuries, including loss of limbs, sight, hearing, or memory, often due to traumatic brain injuries inflicted by relentless explosions. By mid-May 2022, an estimated 400,000 residents, out of a pre-war population of 540,000, had fled Mariupol in search of safety.

• children
• culture
• occupation
• russian crimes
• Lviv
• Mariupol

On May 10, Lviv will host an opening of the Prosthetics Center. It will operate from the premises of the UNBROKEN National Rehabilitation Center. The Center has all the necessary equipment for the production of modern hand and foot prostheses. In addition to facilities for taking measurements, manufacturing, testing and trying on artificial limbs, there is also a walking laboratory, a room for specialists to train in and a courtyard for patients to relax. The Center will train specialists for all of Ukraine. It will also be a place to conduct research in prosthetics and the development of Ukrainian startups.

The goal of the UNBROKEN Prosthetics and Orthotics Center is to improve the field of prosthetics in Ukraine. Namely, to create a space for theoretical and practical training as well as for training prosthetists and orthotics specialists according to the standards of ISPO – the International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics.

Participants:

• Andriy Sadovyi, Lviv City Mayor;
• Oleh Samchuk, General Director of the Lviv First Territorial Medical Union;
• Daniel Boucher, Director of GIZ Ukraine.

Journalists are required to obtain accreditation for the event.

For reference: The initiative is implemented within the framework of the “Special Assistance Program Ukraine/ EU4ResilientRegions” project, implemented by GIZ Ukraine and funded by the German government.

• casualties
• doctors
• Lviv

On February 24, 2022, as the invasion surged, Pavlo Ponomarenko persisted in his studio, passionately painting for four consecutive days. Tragically, his creations vanished amidst the russian occupation of Mariupol.

In the ensuing days, the Ponomarenko family adapted to survival tactics like cooking over open flames, sourcing water, and melting snow, all while bearing witness to russian assaults and pillaging. Eventually, they managed to reach occupied Berdiansk in the Zaporizhia region. Initially, Pavlo’s wife led the way with their younger daughters, followed by Pavlo and their eldest daughter. After a stint in Berdiansk, they embarked on an 11-hour bus journey to reach the government-controlled zone in Zaporizhia. Along the route, they endured relentless scrutiny at checkpoints, enduring intrusive searches and questioning. In Zaporizhia, their eldest daughter underwent surgery for appendicitis. 

Presently, Pavlo resides in Lviv, continuing his work as an artist, while his wife and children have sought refuge in Belgium.

• casualties
• occupation
• russian crimes
• Lviv
• Mariupol

Before the full-scale invasion, Andrii Pentsak worked as a physical therapist. He headed the rehabilitation department in the network of medical centers in Kyiv and helped Ukrainian defenders recover. With the beginning of the big war, Andrii joined the Hospitallers Medical Battalion (a volunteer organization of paramedics), but later he was mobilized to the 38th separate marine infantry brigade as a combat medic.

In October 2023, Andrii and his brothers in arms came under mortar fire in Kherson region. In the enemy shelling the soldier’s leg got crushed, and his Achilles tendon was damaged. In total, the man underwent 10 operations, was treated in 3 cities of Ukraine, and is currently in Lviv’s Unbroken center. Doctors predict that Andrii will be able to fully restore his walking ability. The veteran himself dreams of returning to work as a physical therapist to help people.

• casualties
• doctors
• military
• Lviv