Themes by tag: reconstruction
The Repair Together volunteer community is joining forces with the Gurtum Charitable Foundation’s Save Mala Opera project. On February 16, they will hold a restoration event at Kyiv’s Mala Opera—an initiative known as the “Rave Toloka.”
Built in 1902, the Mala Opera is a historic architectural landmark in Kyiv. The building sustained damage from enemy shelling, with its walls, ceiling, and decorative elements suffering significant harm.
During the cleanup, volunteers will work to the rhythm of music. And, as organizers note, “there will be a little dancing” at the end of the day.
Journalists will have the opportunity to cover the volunteers’ efforts on-site.
For the past 15 years, Tetiana Hrek has dedicated herself to teaching karate to children and adults. Before the all-out invasion, she and her husband owned a gym in Bucha, a town in the Kyiv region. But when the war broke out, their lives took a dramatic turn. The family found themselves under occupation, their gym looted by russian forces, and their home shot at. After enduring two weeks of occupation, Tetiana and her family managed to escape to Ukrainian-controlled territory.
A year later, Tetiana decided to return to Bucha. In the interim, other coaches who had remained in the city had restored the gym and resumed teaching local children. Upon her return, Tetiana was welcomed back by eager students. A public martial arts school in Bucha also reopened its doors, inviting her to teach there.
Today, Tetiana offers lessons both online and offline, available by appointment.
Tetiana Skyba, a 66-year-old preschool teacher, is a resident of Hostomel and the head of a homeowners’ association that manages two apartment buildings. At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, she opened all the basement shelters in the buildings and placed wooden pallets so that people would have a place to hide. More than a hundred people took refuge there, including a two-month-old baby. Tetiana and her neighbors cooked food in her apartment. When the utilities were cut off, they cooked outside. Her husband was injured by a blast.
On March 5, russian occupiers stormed the buildings and took up residence inside, forcing civilians to remain in the basements. Some residents later decided to evacuate and moved to another neighborhood, but they couldn’t leave the town. The occupiers ordered them to return and tried to deport them to Belarus. However, none of the residents agreed.
A few days later, Tetiana managed to escape. When she returned to Hostomel in April 2022, she saw a horrible scene — her building and the one across the street each had three direct hits. Their roofs were destroyed, and there was no electricity, water, or gas. Tetiana’s own apartment was so badly damaged that she had to stay in someone else’s home when she returned.
Along with other residents, Tetiana began restoring the buildings. She recalls that even her former preschool students came to help. By the end of 2022, the roof of her building had been repaired. Later, a European charity helped restore the roof of the second building and replace broken windows. Just a few days ago, the last broken window in the damaged house was finally replaced with a new glass unit.
By prior arrangement, journalists can meet with Tetiana in Hostomel, Kyiv oblast.
Background: February 24, 2025, marks three years since the beginning of russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The Energy Act for Ukraine Foundation, a Ukrainian charitable organization, has outfitted two schools in Kyiv Oblast with hybrid solar power systems equipped with energy storage. These installations are a significant step toward ensuring energy resilience in regions still recovering from the scars of occupation.
Bobryk Gymnasium: Rebuilding after the devastation. Bobryk Gymnasium, part of the Velyka Dymerka Village Council, endured occupation beginning March 8, 2022, lasting until the month’s end. Russian forces used the school as a base, leaving it heavily damaged and stripped of all equipment, including sports supplies. By the time the village was liberated, the gymnasium and the neighboring preschool had sustained 45% structural damage.
Now, the school is taking a step toward energy independence. Specialists have installed 93 photovoltaic panels on its roof, paired with an inverter and batteries offering 29.7 kWh of storage capacity. This hybrid solar power system can keep the school running for up to four hours during blackouts. Additionally, the system is projected to save the school approximately €5,925 annually—a much-needed financial reprieve in challenging times.
Nemishaieve Lyceum No. 2: A shelter turned stronghold. During the early days of the full-scale Russian invasion, Nemishaieve Lyceum №2 became a refuge for residents unable to evacuate. Villagers sought safety in the school’s basement during rocket attacks, while teachers and staff prepared meals for those in need. The 37-day occupation left a trail of destruction—shattered windows, damaged doors, a compromised roof, and multiple missile strikes on the school grounds, some of which resulted in devastating losses.
Today, the lyceum is fortified with a 10 kW hybrid solar station featuring 30 solar panels, an inverter, and a 26 kWh energy storage system. This setup can power the bomb shelter and the school’s first floor for up to four hours during outages, ensuring safety and functionality. The system is expected to save the school roughly €1,985 per year.
For reference: The Energy Act for Ukraine Foundation is leading initiatives like “100 Solar Schools” and “50 Solar Hospitals,” which aim to equip educational and healthcare facilities affected by Russian aggression with renewable energy solutions. These efforts not only restore critical infrastructure but also pave the way for a more sustainable future.
On January 16, a newly restored outpatient clinic will officially open in the village of Zdvyzhivka, located in the Bucha district. The facility, which was devastated during the 2022 occupation of the Kyiv region, has been fully renovated and upgraded after being looted and severely damaged by russian forces.
The clinic now boasts modern equipment and expanded diagnostic services, including ultrasound, laboratory testing, and cardiac evaluations for patients with complex needs. It is set to provide primary healthcare to approximately 2,000 residents of Zdvyzhivka, Babyntsi, and neighboring villages.
The opening ceremony will be attended by representatives from the Ministry of Health, regional and local governments, as well as international partners who supported the reconstruction efforts.
Yuliia Dudysheva, a displaced resident from Crimea, has spent the past year and a half transforming the lives of fellow internally displaced persons by repairing and restoring homes. Before russia’s full-scale invasion, Yuliia lived and worked in the Chernihiv region, where she specialized in advertising and occasionally helped friends with home repairs. But after the region’s liberation in spring 2022, she decided to leave her job and embark on a new path.
In June 2023, Yuliia launched her efforts to renovate and decorate homes for those displaced by the war. Her first project was helping friends who allowed her to redecorate their dwelling. Word spread, and soon she met another family in need of assistance. Over the next 18 months, Yuliia established the initiative Comfort for IDPs, completing repairs and restorations on eight homes for families forced to flee due to the invasion. Her most recent project, in Ternopil, involved preparing a house for a family from Enerhodar, a city in the occupied Zaporizhia region.
Yuliia actively shares her renovation journey on social media, where her followers rally behind her mission. Many support the Comfort for IDPs project by contributing funds and materials for her work. Currently based in the Chernihiv region, Yuliia is planning her next renovation for displaced families.
Those wishing to connect with Yuliia Dudysheva can schedule a meeting with her, either online or in person.
In the nearly 1,000 days since russia launched its all-out invasion, 1,941 medical facilities across Ukraine have been damaged or destroyed, according to official reports. This includes 1,714 facilities that sustained damage and 227 that were completely demolished. Hospitals in Kharkiv, Donetsk, Mykolaiv, Kyiv, Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhia regions have borne the brunt of the destruction.
Obtaining a complete assessment of damage in territories still under russian occupation remains impossible. However, the toll on healthcare extends beyond facilities. Since the start of the war, russia has damaged 235 ambulances, destroyed 263, and seized 125.
Despite the challenges, the Ukrainian government has made the restoration of medical infrastructure a priority. The Ministry of Healthcare, in collaboration with its partners, has overseen the repair and reconstruction of 904 facilities. These include hospitals and clinics in de-occupied areas, as well as those that sustained minor damage, such as broken windows or damaged roofs.
The largest recovery efforts have taken place in Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv regions, ensuring that access to quality healthcare remains available for Ukrainians even amidst the ongoing invasion.
Maryna Lytovchenko, a 33-year-old Paralympic table tennis champion from Kharkiv, has proven her fortitude both on and off the court. A bronze medalist at the Rio de Janeiro Paralympics and a gold medalist in Tokyo, she has faced challenges far beyond the sports arena.
In the spring of 2022, russian forces shelled Maryna’s alma mater, the H.S. Skovoroda Kharkiv National Pedagogical University, leaving parts of it heavily damaged. Determined to help, Maryna took the extraordinary step of auctioning off her gold medal—earned in a match against a russian competitor—to raise funds for the university’s restoration.
She also organized several charity table tennis tournaments in the Czech Republic with colleagues from her sociology department. By February 2023, the fundraising campaign had collected 500,000 UAH, thanks to support from the sports community and compassionate donors. The funds were dedicated to rebuilding the university’s damaged facilities.
Maryna’s determination extends to her academic and athletic pursuits. In 2024, she added a silver medal from the Paris Paralympic Games to her accolades. As a graduate student, she is working on practical recommendations for coaches on training Paralympic athletes while continuing to compete in local tournaments.
She is also an alumna of The Leader (Liderka) school, a program by the NGO Fight For Right that promotes political participation among women with disabilities in Ukraine.
Journalists interested in speaking with Maryna can arrange interviews with her in Kyiv.
Larysa Bortovyk, a native of Kherson, found out about russia’s full-scale offensive while she was in Mexico. Immediately, she began searching for ways to return home. Despite the russian occupation of her city, Larysa made it back to Ukraine. In May 2022, she traveled to the russian-held city, helping friends and others who wanted to escape to Ukrainian-controlled areas.
After relocating to the Kyiv region, she joined the volunteer efforts there, clearing the rubble of buildings destroyed by the war. Driven by a desire to bring similar recovery efforts to her hometown, Larysa returned to Kherson just days after its liberation on November 11, 2022. She took on the role of regional coordinator for the Dobrobat volunteer movement, leading a team in clearing debris and rebuilding homes. In addition, she spearheaded projects aimed at restoring private residences and creating shelters in medical facilities. Fellow volunteers affectionately call Larysa “mom,” recognizing her commitment and the care she extends to others.
Given the ongoing security risks in the Kherson region, her volunteer team is now focused on setting up shelters.
Journalists can arrange interviews with Larysa in Kherson or Kyiv, as well as remotely.
Background: Kherson fell under russian occupation at the start of the full-scale invasion on March 1, 2022. The city was liberated by Ukrainian forces on November 11, 2022, though russian forces continue to shell the area regularly.
Irpin, a city in Kyiv Oblast, has introduced a free demolition program for owners of private homes destroyed during the war. Launched by the Irpin City Council, the initiative is being executed by local utility services, which have already cleared dozens of plots for residents. This effort is designed to help homeowners begin reconstruction more quickly, while also reducing costs related to the initial cleanup.
The Irpin Housing and Utilities Department is using heavy machinery provided by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, including excavators, loaders, and crushers, to carry out the demolitions.
Journalists, with prior arrangement, are welcome to report on the demolition efforts underway in Irpin.
Background: During russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, 1,130 private homes in Irpin were damaged, and 1,483 were completely destroyed.
