Themes by tag: Mykolaiv

On July 22 and 23, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine will host a two-day press tour to Mykolaiv Oblast for regional, national, and international media. The tour will highlight several sites established by UNDP in cooperation with international partners, including the European Union (EU), and the governments of Denmark and Germany.

The itinerary includes a visit to a dedicated space for veterans, where journalists will meet with veterans and their families; a tour of a public health and rehabilitation center; and a demonstration of mobile medical teams specially equipped to serve communities in need. Participants will also visit a newly opened Administrative Service Center and an inclusive youth hub in Mykolaiv. There, they’ll have the opportunity to speak with visitors and students from the Mykolaiv Higher School of Physical Education, the alma mater of Olympic champion Olga Kharlan and other elite Ukrainian athletes.

Journalists will have the chance to speak with UNDP’s local partners, community leaders, service users, and local authorities, gaining firsthand insight into the efforts to rebuild and empower war-affected communities.

The tour will cover eight key locations in Mykolaiv and Voznesensk, including sites heavily impacted by the war.

Transportation from Kyiv, hotel accommodations, and meals will be provided.

Submission of accreditation requests is open until 6:00 p.m. on July 20.

For reference: The press tour is organized as part of the UNDP-EU flagship initiative EU4Recovery – Empowering Communities in Ukraine.

• Mykolaiv

On July 22 and 23, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine will host a two-day press tour to Mykolaiv Oblast for regional, national, and international media. The tour will highlight several sites established by UNDP in cooperation with international partners, including the European Union (EU), and the governments of Denmark and Germany.

The itinerary includes a visit to a dedicated space for veterans, where journalists will meet with veterans and their families; a tour of a public health and rehabilitation center; and a demonstration of mobile medical teams specially equipped to serve communities in need. Participants will also visit a newly opened Administrative Service Center and an inclusive youth hub in Mykolaiv. There, they’ll have the opportunity to speak with visitors and students from the Mykolaiv Higher School of Physical Education, the alma mater of Olympic champion Olga Kharlan and other elite Ukrainian athletes.

Journalists will have the chance to speak with UNDP’s local partners, community leaders, service users, and local authorities, gaining firsthand insight into the efforts to rebuild and empower war-affected communities.

The tour will cover eight key locations in Mykolaiv and Voznesensk, including sites heavily impacted by the war.

Transportation from Kyiv, hotel accommodations, and meals will be provided.

Submission of accreditation requests is open until 6:00 p.m. on July 20.

For reference: The press tour is organized as part of the UNDP-EU flagship initiative EU4Recovery – Empowering Communities in Ukraine.

• Mykolaiv

Before 2022, Ihor Kazmin repaired passenger and commercial vehicles. When fighting broke out in the Mykolaiv oblast, he began helping the military fix armored vehicles.

In May 2022, he built his first buggy for soldiers and has since completely repurposed his auto shop to meet the army’s needs. To date, his team of mechanics has assembled 70 buggies and sent them to the front lines. Fitting out a single buggy takes anywhere from two to three weeks up to two months, depending on the base vehicle being modified. Initially, volunteers worked with Ladas, then moved on to Fords and Skodas, and later began using all-wheel-drive cars.

Some vehicles are handed over after being damaged at the front or in accidents, while others have to be purchased using personal or donated funds. Currently, eight people work in the workshop. In the future, Ihor plans to open a hostel and café for soldiers, who are frequent visitors to the auto shop.

You can connect with Ihor Kazmin online or in person in Mykolaiv by prior arrangement.

• military
• volunteers
• Mykolaiv

Maryna Muzyka and Dmytro met after russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. At the time, they lived in different countries, Maryna in Ukraine, Dmytro in the Czech Republic. A former soldier, Dmytro had served in the Ukrainian army until 2019, when he was discharged after sustaining injuries. But when the war escalated in 2022, he didn’t hesitate. On March 4, just days after the invasion began, Dmytro returned to Ukraine and enlisted in the 59th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade.

Their paths crossed in Mykolaiv, where Dmytro and fellow soldiers were looking for a place to stay. The two quickly grew close. Eventually, Maryna moved to the Donetsk region to be near him, waiting for him to return from combat missions.

On July 1, 2024, Dmytro Muzyka was killed in action during a mission in the Donetsk sector.

The couple had often talked about building a future together, dreaming of launching their own business someday. After Dmytro’s death, Maryna decided to turn that dream into reality on her own. She opened a coffee shop in Mykolaiv and named it Mykyta the Cat, a tribute to her fallen husband, who, she says, had remarkable night vision and moved with the silent grace of a feline.

Maryna designed the space with a theme she calls “combat cats”, a nod to the qualities she saw in Dmytro and the soldiers he served with.

Maryna can be reached for interviews in Mykolaiv or virtually, by appointment.

• dead
• military
• women
• Mykolaiv

On June 5, a learning space will be opened in the shelter of one of the kindergartens in Mykolaiv.

Participants:

• savED Foundation (Anna Novosad, Anna Putsova);
• LEGO Foundation representatives;  
• MES (Oksen Lisovyi);
• Danish Embassy (Ole Egberg Mikkelsen, Jakob Torrild Hansen).

* Local educators, children, and parents.

Thanks to the LEGO Foundation’s support, the savED charitable foundation is completing the construction of modern, safe shelters at four kindergartens in Mykolaiv. Now, over a thousand local children will be able to study and develop their skills in a comfortable environment.

The shelters have been converted into spaces equipped with play areas and study zones for classes during air raid alerts. Children will also be able to sleep in special beds. The renovation of the shelters began in February 2025. Two locations have been completed, and two more are in the final stages.

The total renovated area is over 2,000 square meters. One of the renovated centers will be the largest underground educational space in the city. Two shelters will also serve as educational spaces for secondary school students.

Background: Over 130 kindergartens (one-third) in Mykolaiv oblast currently operate remotely, according to the Ministry of Education and Science. One of the reasons is the security factor and lack of equipped shelters in educational institutions.

• children
• Mykolaiv

The social project “Come Out and Play!” was launched in Bucha and Irpin in June 2022 in response to the challenges these towns faced after liberation. Its main goal was to help children recover emotionally after living under occupation. Free soccer training was organized for school children, and in November 2022, the NGO “Come Out and Play!” was officially registered.

The training sessions are designed for boys and girls between the ages of 5 and 12, including internally displaced children. Since its inception, over 600 children from Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, Bucha, Irpin and Odesa have participated in the football program.

Today, the NGO “Come Out and Play!” also provides comprehensive psychosocial support to IDPs, children and people affected by the war. Services include individual and family counseling, group therapy, and art therapy. In addition, free legal counseling is provided, including assistance in recovering lost documents and applying for social benefits.

By prior arrangement, the project’s activities can be covered in Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, Odesa, and Mykolaiv. Psychosocial football training takes place in these cities, and in Dnipro and Kryvyi Rih, art therapy and legal training sessions are also conducted.

• casualties
• children
• psychological support
• Dnipro
• Odesa
• Mykolaiv

On March 5, a renovated bomb shelter in one of the gymnasiums in Mykolaiv will be opened. The shelter was restored by “Dobrobat” volunteers, who carried out demolition work, wall reinforcement, and floor and ceiling replacement. The three-month renovation was funded by the international organization “Nova Ukraine”.

The shelter will serve as a safe space for 400 children and staff. This is the second shelter restored at the gymnasium, helping to ease the transition to face-to-face learning.

Speakers:
– Mykhailo Bryzhko, Head of Regional Development, NGO “Dobrobat”
– Yurii Osipov, Coordinator of the Mykolaiv branch, NGO “Dobrobat”
– Representatives of “Nova Ukraine”
– School administration

Accreditation is required to participate in the event.

• reconstruction
• volunteers
• Mykolaiv

Kateryna Pisna, the wife of an Armed Forces serviceman, has launched a social car repair shop in Mykolaiv, a city in southern Ukraine. The idea was born when her husband, who had been mobilized to serve in the Defense Forces, began contemplating life after his return to civilian life. Together, they envisioned opening a car service station to build a new chapter.  

To bring their plan to life, the couple applied for and secured a grant. A key requirement of the funding was incorporating a social component into the business. Using the grant, they purchased six manual handling units designed to adapt cars for individuals with lower extremities amputations. The shop will retrofit these systems free of charge for customers with disabilities.  

Each handling unit costs 12,000 hryvnias. Four of them will be distributed through a raffle among graduates of a local driving school for people with disabilities. The remaining units will be available for installation on a first-come, first-served basis, with plans to replenish the supply as needed.  

Currently, the repair shop employs a car mechanic and an assistant, but Kateryna and her husband have broader ambitions. They hope to expand by opening a car shop in the future.  

Kateryna is available to connect online or in person in Mykolaiv, with meetings arranged by appointment.

• women
• Mykolaiv

Is humanitarian mine action possible in winter? How do snow and freezing temperatures affect the painstaking work of removing deadly explosives? These are the questions many are asking as winter sets in.  

Deminers face extreme challenges in cold weather, but the work doesn’t stop when the first snow falls. Can mines be detected beneath a blanket of snow? How do teams stay warm during long hours in the field? And is it true that some even heat the frozen ground to continue clearing land?  

Journalists now have the chance to witness these operations firsthand. Media visits can be arranged to key regions where HALO Ukraine is actively working, including Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, and Kherson.  

For context: HALO Ukraine is part of The HALO Trust, the world’s largest non-governmental organization dedicated to humanitarian demining. Since russia’s full-scale invasion, they’ve cleared over 6 million square meters of land, ensuring safer ground for thousands of Ukrainians.

• Chernihiv
• Kharkiv
• Kherson
• Kyiv
• Mykolaiv
• demining

Kateryna and Artem Sobchenko were married in 2016, welcoming their son, also named Artem, a year later. Though the couple eventually divorced, they remained on good terms, maintaining a warm and supportive relationship.

When russia launched its full-scale invasion, Kateryna and her son were living in Mykolaiv, a city in southern Ukraine. On that fateful day, Kateryna was preparing for work when the sound of explosions shattered the morning calm.

Artem Sobchenko had dedicated his life to military service. He served as a Marine during the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) but was forced to retire due to health issues. However, when the invasion began, he immediately volunteered at the enlistment office. Despite being turned away, Artem was undeterred. He defended Mykolaiv as a volunteer, helped evacuate civilians from Mariupol, and eventually joined the 77th Airmobile Brigade as a medic and platoon sergeant.

Artem’s bravery earned him the title of Hero of Ukraine, the Golden Star badge, and the Order of Courage. During the battle for Soledar, he saved 15 comrades. Later, while defending Bakhmut, he saved another soldier’s life but tragically did not return from the battlefield himself.

Kateryna received the devastating news just as their son was preparing to start first grade. The loss plunged young Artem into a deep depression. He became withdrawn, crying constantly and stuttering when he tried to speak.

Seeking help, Kateryna turned to the Children of Heroes Foundation, which supports children who have lost parents in the war. With the help of a psychologist and art therapy, Artem began to heal. He now speaks more openly and has started to smile again.

For context: The Children of Heroes Foundation provides financial aid, psychological and legal support, and educational opportunities for children who have lost one or both parents due to the war, continuing its assistance until they reach adulthood.

• children
• dead
• military
• women
• Mykolaiv