Themes by tag: women
Olha Chernilevska is a philologist who worked as a dubbing director and project manager for the translation of foreign films. In the village of Busha, Vinnytsia region, she once bought two houses, renovated them and rented them to visitors looking for a retreat. In civilian life Olha’s son, Illia Chernilevskyi, worked as a screenwriter, he translated songs for TV shows, and wrote poetry and music. Illia enlisted immediately after the start of the full-scale invasion and was killed two months later.
Illia did not tell his family what he saw and experienced during the war, but Olha says his work spoke for him. Olha published her son’s first collection of poems as a gift for his 21st birthday. The second collection was published posthumously. She called it “I am a bird among nets,” taking a line from Illia’s poem. Olha’s son’s body is still in the enemy-occupied territory, and she hopes to bring it back after the village of Kamianka in the Donetsk oblast is liberated.
This summer, a woman who lost her husband in the war came to Busha. After talking with her, Olha decided to invite mothers and wives of fallen soldiers to her estate. The stay is free for them. The initiative was supported by the village community: locals volunteered to cook and the staff of the Historical and Cultural Reserve promised to give them tours. Olha is expecting 15 guests soon.
For reference: Olha Chernilevska will be abroad until November 12, 2024. After her return, she is ready to talk to journalists offline.
Rita is from the town of Avdiivka, Donetsk oblast (13 kilometers from Donetsk, now occupied). In 2015, 11-year-old Rita lived there without her parents, only with her grandmother. Their house was located in one of the most dangerous parts of the city. Rita had to attend school under constant russian shelling. Rita was one of the first children that Olena Rozvadovska, co-founder of the Voices of Children charitable foundation, met while helping children in eastern Ukraine. Since then, Olena, Rita and her grandmother have remained friends.
After the outbreak of the full-scale war, Rita and her grandmother moved to the west of the country. There, Rita worked at the Voices of Children charity center, helping children affected by the war.
Later, Rita moved to the Kyiv region and got married. Her husband is now defending Ukraine. The Voices of Children foundation helped organize her wedding, and since Rita grew up without a father, one of the foundation’s employees walked her down the aisle. Rita is now expecting a child.
By prior arrangement, journalists can talk to Rita in the Kyiv region. (Footage of her wedding is also available).
Background: In February 2024, russian forces occupied the town of Avdiivka in the Donetsk oblast. Enemy shelling has left the settlement in ruins.
Gala Kozyutynska, a filmmaker and artist from Kyiv, had long dreamed of creating an artistic residence in a rural setting. Though she split her time between Kyiv and Lviv, her heart was set on buying a house in the countryside. When Russia launched its full-scale invasion, Gala felt it was time to turn that dream into reality. Her partner, Viktor Petrov, wholeheartedly supported the idea, and together, they began searching for the perfect spot. They found it in the small village of Latirka in Zakarpattia.
After purchasing the house, they began restoring it and even named their future creative space “The Attic.” But their plans took a devastating turn when Viktor was called to serve in Ukraine’s Defense Forces. In May 2023, Viktor was killed in combat near Bakhmut, leaving Gala to carry on their dream alone. Despite the heartbreak, she pressed forward with their vision.
In the year since Viktor’s passing, Gala has hosted over 20 gatherings with young creatives at the residence. Together, they’ve learned traditional crafts like weaving, whitewashing clay brick warming stove, foraging for mushrooms, and gardening. Gala is also focused on finding ways to offer relaxation and rejuvenation for those visiting the artistic space.
Today, Gala divides her time between Zakarpattia and Lviv, and she remains open to sharing her story with journalists, both in person and virtually.
Nadiia Zharkykh, a coffee art instructor, had long dreamed of opening her own barista school. In 2021, she relocated with her family from Mykolaiv to Kherson, a city in southern Ukraine. But just two months after settling in, her plans were shattered by russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Her barista school, tentatively set to open on February 26, 2022, never saw its grand debut as the war swept across the region.
Caught under occupation, Nadiia sought refuge by working at a friend’s coffee shop, where she also volunteered, cooking and helping however she could. But as threats from russian forces mounted, she knew she had to leave. The escape was grueling—she passed through 70 checkpoints to reach Zaporizhia, and from there, made her way to Kyiv.
On August 7, 2023, exactly a year after leaving occupied Kherson, Nadiia’s resilience paid off when she opened a coffee shop near Kyiv with the support of a government grant. The shop is more than just a business—it’s a place of learning. Nadiia and her team now teach young women the art of coffee-making, and some of her students have gone on to open their own cafes, both in Ukraine and abroad.
During the summer blackouts, the café also served as a co-working space, offering a sense of community during challenging times. In addition, Nadiia and her close friends established a charity foundation in Mykolaiv called “Welcome to Ukraine,” which supports both military personnel and civilians across the country.
For those interested, interviews with Nadiia can be arranged by appointment in the Kyiv region.
Background: Kherson fell to russian forces on March 1, 2022, in the early days of the invasion. Ukrainian troops liberated the city on November 11, 2022, but russian shelling continues to threaten the area.
Before the full-scale invasion, Nataliia Havrylenko was a businesswoman in Kherson. She prepared for the impending war and, together with her husband, planned to join the Territorial Defense Forces. On February 24, 2022, the couple went to the military recruitment office. Soon the Kherson Territorial Defense unit, which Nataliia had joined, received weapons. But they served for only two days.
Nataliia recalls how the commander entered the room where the newly formed Territorial Defense members were gathered and ordered them to lay down their weapons and flee home across the fields. At that moment Nataliia, her husband and the other civilians realized that they would have to defend their hometown on their own. This is how the partisan movement in Kherson was born. Nataliia and her comrades managed to set up a hospital and establish cooperation with the special forces.
On July 7, 2022, Russians broke into Nataliia’s home, where she was staying with her daughter-in-law, son, and grandson. Nataliia was taken to a temporary detention center for several months. The woman says she was not tortured, but was subjected to a lie detector test and forced to give an interview to Russian propagandists. On November 1, 2022, Nataliia was released – without papers, money or a phone. Today, she continues to volunteer and support the Ukrainian army.
Nataliia Havrylenko is currently in Izium, Kharkiv oblast. She can be contacted for interviews both online and offline by prior arrangement.
For reference: Kherson was occupied by the Russians at the beginning of the full-scale invasion (on March 1, 2022). Ukrainian forces liberated the city from Russian troops on November 11, 2022. The occupiers continue to shell the city regularly.
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.
Twelve years ago, Yuliia Roshchenko and her husband opened a copy center in Chornobaivka, Kherson oblast. There, local people could make copies of documents or print out necessary papers. After the beginning of the full-scale russian invasion, Yuliia stayed up at night printing signs that read “Children” so that those fleeing the occupation could put them on their cars, hoping to protect their families from russian attacks.
Later, the occupiers came to the copy center and demanded that Yuliia and her husband print russian documents and take photographs for russian passports. The couple refused, even though the enemy threatened them with weapons. Fearing for their lives, Yuliia’s family fled to western Ukraine, where they lived until their village was liberated by Ukrainian forces.
Upon their return, the couple received a government grant to reopen the copy center in Chornobaivka. Later, Yuliia and her husband were able to open a second location in Kherson.
Yuliia Roshchenko and her husband are currently in Kherson and are open to communication with journalists, both online and offline, by prior arrangement.
Background: Kherson was occupied by russian forces at the beginning of the full-scale invasion (March 1, 2022). Ukrainian forces liberated the city from russian troops on November 11, 2022. However, the occupiers continue to regularly shell the city.
Nataliia Holubieva, a medical doctor by profession, co-founded and leads the Kherson Oblast Medicine charity foundation, which provides humanitarian aid to hospitals and patients. During the russian occupation of Kherson, she remained in the city, continuing her volunteer work, including sourcing scarce medicines from the Ukrainian-controlled areas.
Following the liberation of part of the region, Holubieva turned her focus to helping residents affected by the occupiers’ destruction of the Kakhovka HPP. She coordinated efforts to resettle those displaced, ensuring they received clothing, food, and medical supplies.
Holubieva stayed in Kherson until August 2023, when intensifying russian shelling with guided bombs forced her to leave for Kropyvnytskyi with her child. On the anniversary of Kherson’s liberation, she established the “United by Kherson Region” Humanitarian Aid Center, which now supports over 1,500 people (560 families) displaced from the Kherson region. The Center also aids residents from other hard-hit areas, including Melitopol, Crimea, and Kharkiv, and assists medical and educational institutions by providing medicine and hygiene products.
Holubieva dreams of opening a medical center specifically for displaced persons, where she can offer both psychological and humanitarian assistance. She is currently searching for a location while pursuing a degree in psychology to further help those in need.
Journalists can arrange interviews with Nataliia in Kropyvnytskyi or online by appointment.
Background: Kherson was occupied by russian forces in March 2022, shortly after the invasion began. Ukraine retook the city of Kherson from occupying russian forces on November 11, 2022, though russian shelling continues.
Inna Korolenko mobilized with the Defense Forces at the beginning of the full-scale invasion. In the first two weeks of the great war, Inna lost her friends on the front line, so she joined the army to save the lives of other soldiers. Inna serves as a combat medic in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, organizing the evacuation of the wounded and dead from the battlefield. She has served in Vovchansk, Bakhmut, Soledar, and Marinka.
Last year, she suffered a shrapnel wound to the neck and a contusion.
During one of her rotations, Inna’s comrades suggested she apply for the Invictus Games. A friend collected her documents while Inna was still on duty. When the selection process began, Inna was in hospital recovering from a difficult rotation. But that did not stop her from competing in the qualifying events, and later it was sport that helped her find an environment where she was understood and supported.
Inna Korolenko will represent Ukraine at the Invictus Games in Canada in February 2025, competing in skeleton, alpine skiing and swimming.
Before the full-scale invasion, Inna Yakovenko ran a successful business selling windows and doors, operating out of two trade pavilions in the village of Novovorontsovka, Kherson region. When war broke out, her village was the only one in the Novovorontsovka community that remained unoccupied, but it endured relentless shelling from russian forces for seven straight months. Throughout August 2022, Inna took refuge in her basement, sheltering from near-constant bombardments that eventually wrecked her business.
After Ukrainian forces liberated the region, Inna decided to shift her focus from retail to reconstruction. Determined to help her community recover, she began producing granite blocks to support the rebuilding of homes in her war-torn village.
For reference: November 11, 2024, will mark the two-year anniversary of Kherson’s liberation from russian occupation.
