Themes by tag: Poltava

On April 21, Khartiia Hub invites the public to meet Serhii Kozlov, a liquidator of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident, and Mykola Lykholobov, author of the book Family Stories of Chornobyl.

The presentation will take place in Poltava and will be moderated by volunteer and writer Mykhailo Kushnir.

Registration is required to attend the event.

Background: Family Stories of Chornobyl tells the stories of families who were forced to leave their homes forty years ago.

• culture
• Poltava

A meeting with representatives of the UAV Systems Battalion “Viy” of the 18th Sloviansk Brigade, 2nd Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine “Khartiia,” will take place on April 18 in Poltava and Kyiv.

During the event, battalion representatives will speak about the unit’s combat operations, training, and daily life, as well as outline the key skills civilians should start developing now to join the team.

Participants will learn:

• how the UAV Systems Battalion “Viy” was established,
• what types of drones the unit operates and the missions they perform,
• how training is conducted and how service members’ daily routines are organized,
• how to join the unit and what positions are currently open,
• which skills are essential to develop now for effective service in the military.

Registration is required to attend the event.

• military
• Kyiv
• Poltava

Eleven years ago, student Nina Tantsyura left for America. She first worked in a hotel, and then wherever she could find work — as a barista, a cleaner, and a cook in a pizzeria. Nina quickly realized that the “American dream” did not appeal to her and wanted to return home. But she met her future husband and stayed abroad.

The second time, Nina was prevented from returning home by the full-scale russian invasion. Finally, in the spring of 2025, she took her children and went to Kharkiv. Her husband remained in the United States.

It took Nina four days to reach her native home with her two children. A few weeks later, she bought a house in the Poltava region and is now fixing up her new home. Her husband supports the family financially, and Nina has created a social media account where she talks about her life in the village.

Journalists can arrange an interview with Nina Tantsyura either online or in person in the Poltava region, by prior arrangement.

• women
• Poltava

Before the full-scale invasion, Artem Sokolov worked as an assistant locomotive driver at Ukrzaliznytsia, and his passion was sport motorcycles.

With the start of the full-scale war, he joined the Territorial Defense Forces and later volunteered for the police assault brigade “Liut” (“Fury”). Artem was deployed to Donetsk region after nine months of basic military training and unit coordination. In October 2023, he went on his first combat mission. An enemy drone spotted the group, and a mine exploded near him. Artem sustained severe injuries and could only be evacuated several hours later. Doctors had to amputate both of his legs.

Artem underwent prosthetic fitting and rehabilitation. The first thing he did after returning home was get behind the wheel of a car. Later, he tried riding a friend’s motorcycle. Realizing he could successfully control it even with prosthetics, he soon bought his own bike. Today, the veteran is looking for a position within the military, as despite his disability he is determined to return to service.

Interviews with Artem Sokolov are available both online and offline in Poltava by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• military
• Poltava

Before the war, Bohdan’s company in Poltava produced ice cream and frozen foods, such as traditional Ukrainian varenyky (dumplings) and syrnyky (cheese pancakes). He had never cooked hot meals or worked in public catering. That all changed in February 2022, when families fleeing the war began arriving in Poltava. Bohdan posted a simple message on social media: “We know how to cook. If anyone needs help, we are ready.”

His company began cooking hot meals with leftover frozen ingredients and distributing them to those in need. Soon, Bohdan had to sell freezers and a delivery van to pay for ingredients and continue feeding people escaping the war. “I was a few days away from shutting down,” he says. “We had no money left, but people still had to eat.” It was then that he learned about World Central Kitchen (WCK).

With their support, Bohdan was able to cook up to 5,000 hot lunches a day and develop a delivery system. His team delivered food to schools, dormitories, and shelters across Poltava. Since 2022, they have prepared over 427,000 meals in partnership with WCK.

What began as emergency food relief has since evolved into Poltavski Pundyky, a food company built on the values WCK tapped into — dignity, care, speed, and community. Today, his team runs five dining spaces across the city. They also still deliver hundreds of free meals daily to those affected by the war. Many employees are internally displaced persons who first came to Poltava after russia’s full-scale invasion. Bohdan’s business is a key emergency partner for WCK and is ready to cook hot meals in the aftermath of missile strikes or other emergencies.

Journalists can speak with Bohdan in Poltava or online, by prior arrangement. Representatives of World Central Kitchen are also available for communication.

• food
• volunteers
• Poltava

The Frame workshop, which converts ordinary vehicles into transport for evacuating the wounded from the front, appeared in Poltava in 2024. Its creators, Ihor and Polina, were combat medics with the Hospitallers. Thus, from their own experience, they know what a maximally convenient vehicle for evacuation from the front line should be like.

The workshop makes casevac vehicles meticulously detailed: with optimized space for medics to work, a high level of safety for the wounded and crew, and fully equipped with necessary gear and electrical systems for effective work in field conditions.

A team of over 20 people, which includes veterans, works daily to transform ordinary off-road vehicles into effective evacuation machines.

The Frame team has already converted more than 70 vehicles for various units. The workshop is funded by business and donations from subscribers.

Journalists can speak with Ihor and Polina in person in Poltava or online, by prior arrangement.

Background: The Hospitallers Medical Battalion has been operating on the front line since 2014. Its crews conduct dozens of evacuations daily along almost the entire front line. The Hospitallers have been teaching tactical medicine since 2015 and pre-medical care since 2018. Their instructors are certified by NAEMT (the American National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians), UVMA (the Ukrainian Military Medical Academy), and other organizations.

• volunteers
• Poltava

From July 18 to 21, Ukraine’s Poltava Oblast will host the annual Kobzar’s Family Tree Festival, a celebration of Ukraine’s deep-rooted musical heritage. The event brings together folk ensembles, cultural figures, and rare ethnomusicians from across Ukraine and the diaspora. As in previous years, the festival’s centerpiece is a performance by the legendary group Kryachkivske Drevo.

The driving force behind the festival is Jurij Fedynskyj, a Ukrainian-American who moved to Ukraine 26 years ago to reconnect with his ancestral roots. Fourteen years ago, he settled in Kriachkivka, dedicating himself to reviving the ancient kobzar tradition, the epic songs and instruments once played by wandering Ukrainian bards.

In Kriachkivka, Fedynskyj founded a kobza workshop where he not only crafts traditional instruments by hand but also teaches others to play them. His repertoire includes the Veresaiev kobza, kobza bandura, pan bandura, mama kobza, and torbana, instruments largely unknown outside specialist circles.

Journalists are invited to explore the festival’s program and share the story of how one man’s passion is helping to preserve and pass on a fading musical legacy.

• culture
• Poltava

Journalists are invited to attend the presentation of a new initiative focused on providing essential healthcare services to women veterans, a group often overlooked in military medical infrastructure. The event will take place on June 13 in Poltava.

Launched by the VETERANKA Movement in partnership with the Kvitna Charitable Foundation, the project addresses a critical gap: the absence of specialists such as gynecologists and mammologists within military units. As part of the initiative, women veterans will receive free comprehensive medical screenings, including ultrasound and gynecological exams, along with consultations from qualified doctors.

The event will feature remarks from organizers, medical staff from the mobile health unit, and Poltava’s acting mayor Kateryna Yamshchykova, herself a veteran. Journalists will have the opportunity to speak with project participants and hear firsthand accounts from the women involved.

Originally launched in the Kyiv region, the initiative has already served more than 1,000 women defenders across Ukraine.

Event registration is required to attend.

• doctors
• women
• Poltava

Before the full-blown war, Yevhen Korinets was passionate about sports and played volleyball professionally. When russia launched its invasion, he joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He initially served in a security unit, later transferring to the 30th Separate Mechanized Brigade, which was deployed in the Bakhmut sector.

In March 2023, an enemy mine detonated near Yevhen’s trench. The explosion caused severe injuries to his leg and arm. His lower limb had to be amputated.

During his recovery, Yevhen was approached by the coach of a regional volleyball team, who encouraged him to try sitting volleyball. That invitation ultimately led him to the Ukrainian national Paralympic team. At the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, the team secured seventh place. Today, Yevhen remains committed to training.

Yevhen Korinets is available for meetings, both online and in person, in the Poltava region by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• military
• Poltava

Artist Yaroslava Yatsuba and schoolboy Mark Ivanchenko began collaborating at the onset of russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. At just 13 years old, Mark created his first animation based on one of Yaroslava’s drawings. He brought to life a piece titled What a Moonlit Night, depicting Ukrainians destroying enemy tanks under the glow of the moon. Since then, the artist and the young animator have continued working together.

Yaroslava paints nearly every day, drawing inspiration for her artwork from current news events. Mark transforms her illustrations into animations.

Yaroslava later raffles off these “living pictures” to raise donations and showcases them at international exhibitions. The pair now focuses solely on producing animations for Ukrainian military training camps. Mark’s most recent works have supported fundraising campaigns for the Come Back Alive and Azov charities.

The animation team is available for online or in-person interviews by prior arrangement.

• children
• culture
• Poltava