Themes by tag: Sumy
Haj Ali Shadi moved to Ukraine in 2009. Two years later, war erupted in his homeland, Syria. Choosing to stay in the Sumy region, he eventually launched his own business—a fast-food restaurant in the city. He started out working alone, but as the business grew, he began hiring local employees. Before long, Sumy had two Khazh restaurants.
By February 2022, his restaurants were at risk of shutting down, and the site where he had planned to open a third location fell under Russian occupation. Yet in April, after Ukrainian forces drove the occupiers back, Shadi pressed forward with his plans and opened his third restaurant. He says his decision was driven by a desire to support the local community after all they had endured.
Today, Haj Ali Shadi’s restaurants remain in operation across the Sumy region. He is available for interviews with journalists, both online and in person, by prior arrangement.
For more than 32 years, Valentyna Hantseva has worked at the library in the village of Soldatske, Sumy Oblast. Just months before russia’s full-scale invasion, the library underwent a modern renovation and received new equipment. But when a russian airstrike hit the village center during the occupation, the library building was left in ruins. Only the roof and walls remained intact, while the blast wave devastated the interior.
Despite the occupation and the constant threat of russian aircraft overhead, Valentyna and her husband began salvaging books, hiding them in grain sacks to keep them safe. In total, she managed to rescue more than 1,000 volumes.
In April 2022, Ukrainian forces liberated the village. With support from a benefactor in Germany, the library was restored, and by the fall of 2022, Valentyna was able to reopen its doors to readers.
For reference: By April 11, 2022, then-Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi announced that Ukraine had fully regained control of its state border in the Sumy region.
Twelve years ago, Ihor Tsyba and his family turned their backyard into an ostrich farm. Over time, their farm in the village of Verkhnia Syrovatka, Sumy Oblast, grew to house more than 50 species of birds.
When russia launched its all-out war against Ukraine, the village was occupied, putting the animals in grave danger. In early March 2022, heavy shelling shook the area, injuring many birds in their enclosures. Three ostriches suffered wounds so severe that they had to be euthanized.
Following the village’s liberation, the farm took on a new role—rehabilitating injured wild animals. Among its rescues was a roe deer that lost a leg after being struck by a combine harvester and a swan found trapped in the ice with its wings severed. Tsyba funds the farm’s operations himself, dedicating his resources to caring for the animals.
For reference: Ihor Tsyba, based in Sumy Oblast, is available for interviews with journalists both online and in person by prior arrangement.
By April 11, 2022, Ukrainian forces had liberated Sumy and restored control over the state border in Sumy Oblast.
Twelve years ago, Ihor Tsyba and his family established an ostrich farm in their backyard in the village of Verkhnia Syrovatka, located in Ukraine’s Sumy Oblast. Over the years, the farm grew to house more than 50 different bird species. However, when russia’s full-scale invasion began, their tranquil village was occupied, putting all the animals at risk.
In early March 2022, heavy shelling ravaged the area, injuring several of the birds in their enclosures. Tragically, three ostriches had to be put down due to the severity of their injuries.
After the village was liberated, Tsyba’s farm took on a new mission: rehabilitating wild animals affected by the war. Among the new residents are a roe deer that lost a leg after being struck by a combine harvester and a swan that was rescued from the ice with its wings severely damaged. Despite the challenges, Tsyba uses his own funds to keep the farm running.
For reference, Ihor Tsyba is based in the Sumy region and is available for interviews with journalists, both online and in person, by prior arrangement.
Hazh Ali Shadi moved to Ukraine in 2009. Two years later, the war broke out in his native country, Syria. The man decided to stay in Sumy oblast, and eventually opened his own business in the city – a fast food restaurant. At first, he worked by himself, and later started hiring locals. Soon Hazh had two establishments in the city.
In February 2022, the Syrian man’s restaurants were on the brink of closing, and the location where the entrepreneur planned to open his third establishment was occupied by the russians. However, in April, when the Armed Forces of Ukraine pushed the enemy military from Sumy region, the Syrian man managed to open his third fast food restaurant. He says he did it to support local residents after everything they had to go through.
Hazh Ali Shadi is in Sumy oblast. He is ready to communicate with journalists, both online and in person, by prior arrangement.
The emergency response team from the international non-profit organization World Central Kitchen (WCK) is actively aiding large-scale evacuations in the Vovchansk and Lipetsk communities of Kharkiv Oblast. From the outset, WCK has been on the ground providing hot meals, beverages, and emotional support to those impacted by the war.
Since May 10, WCK has distributed thousands of hot meals and sandwiches to approximately 10,000 evacuees. The team has also recently extended their assistance to evacuees from the Sumy region, aiding their relocation to the city of Sumy.
WCK welcomes all media inquiries and encourages coverage of their ongoing efforts.
For context, in Ukraine, WCK delivers hot meals, vegetable kits, grocery kits, and seeds to frontline areas. They also provide hot drinks and food in large cities affected by missile strikes, supporting both victims and rescue workers. Since initiating operations in February 2022, WCK has prepared more than 260 million meals for Ukrainians.
At Sumy National Agrarian University, seven ambitious young women are breaking stereotypes as they pursue degrees in agricultural engineering at the Faculty of Engineering and Technology. Alongside their male counterparts, these students are mastering the operation of tractors and combines.
Upon completing both theoretical instruction and practical training in agricultural machinery operation, these pioneering women will be awarded A1 category licenses, permitting them to operate tractors with engines up to 73.5 kW. With an eye toward further honing their skills, they plan to continue refining their expertise.
Journalists interested in covering these groundbreaking classes and interviewing the students can arrange access in advance.
Valentyna Hantseva, a stalwart of the Soldatske village library in Sumy oblast for over three decades, faced the ultimate test of resilience as the invasion broke out. Months before the onslaught, the library had undergone a modern facelift and invested in state-of-the-art equipment. However, the structure crumbled under Russian airstrikes, leaving nothing but the skeletal remains of walls and roofs.
Undeterred by occupation and aerial threats, Valentyna, alongside her husband, embarked on a daring mission to salvage the literary treasures. Amidst the chaos, they meticulously stowed away over 1,000 undamaged books in grain sacks, shielding them from destruction.
The tide turned in April 2022, as Ukrainian forces liberated the village. Generosity from a German philanthropist breathed new life into the ravaged library premises. Last autumn, Valentyna proudly swung open the doors, welcoming readers back to the cherished institution.
For reference: on April 2, 2022, Kyiv region was completely liberated from russian occupation. By April 6, 2022, the Defense Forces fully liberated Chernihiv region. On April 11, 2022, the then Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi announced that full control over the state border in Sumy region was restored.
Bakhmut resident Kateryna Arisoi is Head of Pluriton NGO: since the beginning of the full-scale war, the organization’s volunteers provided assistance in hot spots near the front. In particular, they were involved in the evacuation of people and animals.
While doing their work, part of the team was captured by the enemy in Lysychansk, Luhansk region. It was possible to return the volunteers home only after seven months. Kateryna met with the freed team members in Sumy oblast — at the only checkpoint on the border with russia. That’s when she saw that people after crossing the border have nowhere to rest or get help. A week later, the woman, together with other activists of the organization, returned to Sumy oblast with the necessary things and created an Assistance Center that could receive up to 20 people a day (March 2023). In addition, the NGO paid for a carrier who took refugees to Sumy or Kharkiv free of charge. The number of people grew, so the Center was repeatedly relocated to larger buildings. And recently, due to russian shelling near the border, the center was moved to Sumy.
In total, since the beginning of its work, the Atmosphere Assistance Center has received almost 19,000 people. Here the displaced people can eat and take a shower. There is a “mother and child” room. The center also helps people with limited mobility. In addition, all visitors can receive free psychological and legal assistance. People continue receiving support even after leaving the Center.
Journalists need to obtain a permit from the Sumy operational-tactical group in order to cover the activity of the Center.
Valentyna Hantseva has been working in the library of Soldatske village, Sumy oblast for 32 years. A few months before the full-scale invasion, the library had undergone modern renovation and purchased new equipment. But the building of the library could not withstand the air strike of the russians, who aimed right at the center of the occupied village. Only the roof and walls remained of the library: everything inside the building was damaged by the blast wave. Despite the occupation and the enemy aircraft, Valentyna, together with her husband, began to gather the undamaged books and hide them in grain sacks. The woman managed to take out and save more than 1000 books.
In April 2022, the Ukrainian military de-occupied the village. A philanthropist from Germany helped restore the library premises, and last fall, Valentyna opened the doors of the library to readers again.
