Themes by tag: women

On April 28, the Octave of My Life dance and theater performance by Kseniia Huz from Mariupol will take place in Kyiv. In it, the woman will talk about what she was forced to go through during the full-scale war: occupation, forced relocation, her husband’s death at the front, the struggle with oncology and depression.

Before the full-scale war, Kseniia Huz together with her husband Maksym had opened “Art House” creative space and “Urban Buddha” space for spiritual communication in Mariupol, where visitors had actively participated in self-development and creative activities. Maksym had conducted yoga, meditation, and spiritual practices classes. And Kseniia (Head of an event agency) organized various events, performances, cocoa ceremonies, poetry battles and master classes for children.

The woman and her 18-year-old daughter were at home when the full-scale invasion started. They had to survive in encircled Mariupol for 20 days. Despite running out of food, they shared it with others. In the end, they managed to leave the city.

When the big war started, Maksym was in Kyiv region, where he had come on a business trip. The man immediately joined the territorial defense. In November 2022, he joined the ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (airborne assault troops). On February 13, 2023, he died near Bakhmut.

Maksym wanted his ashes to be scattered over the Sea of Azov, but since this is impossible now, Kseniia scattered her husband’s ashes over the Dnipro in Kyiv. Three months later, the woman was diagnosed with cancer. She underwent a successful operation in Belgium.

Journalists have the opportunity to talk with Kseniia in Kyiv.

• casualties
• dead
• occupation
• women
• Kyiv
• Mariupol

Mariia Volia was born and raised in Mariupol, a city in the south of Ukraine that was destroyed and occupied by the russians in spring 2022. She joined the ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in 2015. She wanted to defend the country after the first russian attacks on Mariupol. Mariia Volia used to be a mortar commander at the front, and now she is a communications unit commander.

Before the occupation of her hometown, she had been hiding her orientation. However, after she was wounded in Mariupol, and later escaped from the russian encirclement, Mariia opened up to her brothers in arms. Currently, the commander of the communications unit hopes that civil partnerships will be legalized in Ukraine, because in the future she wants to get married with her partner.

Currently, Mariia Volia is along the Donetsk axis. The military woman is ready to communicate with journalists, both online and offline.

For reference: the defense of Mariupol lasted 86 days. On May 20, 2022, Mariupol was occupied by the russians.

• military
• occupation
• women
• Mariupol
• LGBT

The “Rehabilitation in the Carpathians” project was created as a part of the “Psychological support for women defenders” project of the Zemliachky NGO. Its purpose is to restore the mental and emotional health of military women. The initiative is open to all female defenders.

According to the organizers, the project gives women the opportunity to reboot, rest and spend time in a safe place surrounded by their people (“tribe” effect). It is also an opportunity to spend time alone with nature.

Preference in the formation of the group is given to military women who were held in captivity, as well as defenders who have worked in the combat zone for a long time, because they are the ones who need support and the opportunity to recover the most.

As part of the project, 5 groups have already undergone rehabilitation in the Carpathians, and the sixth group is set to start in the near future as well.

Journalists are welcome to learn more about the peculiarities of covering the initiative.

• military
• psychological support
• women

In the early days of the all-out war, russian forces seized control of Krasiatychi village in the Kyiv region, where Nadiia Smyrnova resided. Nadiia, alongside her mother and 9-year-old son Sashko, remained in the village. The invaders ransacked their home, even attempting to detonate a grenade, putting the family’s lives at risk. Sashko’s grandmother bravely intervened, shielding her loved ones from harm, despite facing the barrel of russian machine guns. Surviving nearly a month under occupation, the ordeal left a lasting impact on Sashko, who vividly recalls the harrowing experiences shared with his mother and grandmother.

At the onset of the full-blown war, Sashko’s father voluntarily served in defense of Ukraine. Tragically, on August 29, 2022, he fell victim to a russian mine in the Donetsk region. Now, the family receives support from the Children of Heroes charity foundation. 

Journalists seeking to interview Nadiia in the Kyiv region must arrange it in advance. 

For reference: As of April 2, 2022, the Kyiv region has been completely liberated from russian occupation. 

Children of Heroes Charity Fund aids youngsters who’ve lost one or both parents due to russia’s large-scale invasion, offering financial aid, psychological and legal assistance, and fostering their educational and personal growth until adulthood.

• casualties
• children
• dead
• occupation
• russian crimes
• women
• Kyiv

On April 22, courses in computer diagnostics for women who have found themselves in difficult life circumstances will start in Kyiv. In particular, these are women who experienced domestic violence or suffered from war (those who had to leave their homes, lost their jobs, survived the occupation).

A total of 10 participants will be enrolled. During the selection process those with driving experience, basic knowledge of the structure and operation of the car and women planning to connect their work with computer diagnostics were given preferences.

The course is basic and will include one theoretical lesson and two in-depth practical ones.

By prior agreement, on Wednesday (April 24), journalists have the opportunity to cover a practical session at one of the capital’s service stations.

• casualties
• women
• Kyiv

Svitlana Trubachova is from Luhansk region. She is the mother of two children: 11-year-old Ihor and 5-year-old Polina. Svitlana’s husband, Volodymyr, served in Ukraine’s Border Guard Service for 18 years. The last time the woman saw her beloved was on February 24, 2022, when he left for work. And at the beginning of March, Troitske village, where the family lived, was occupied by russian troops. The russian soldiers started coming to Svitlana’s house, took the woman away for questioning, and even searched her. They also burned down all the clothes of her husband.

On April 13, 2022, Volodymyr died near Lysychansk. He was buried in Dnipro, and Svitlana could not even go to the funeral, because she was in the occupied territory. She managed to leave Luhansk region only in the summer, and the first thing she did was visit her husband’s grave. And then she went to Kyiv with her children.

Currently, Svitlana works at a center that helps children with autism spectrum disorders. She entered the university and is studying to become a psychologist. Svitlana also runs fundraisers for the Border Guard Service, because she wants other parents to return to their children.

By prior agreement, journalists have the opportunity to talk with Svitlana in Kyiv.

For reference: The Children of Heroes Charity Fund takes care of this family. The fund helps children who lost one or both parents as a result of russia’s full-scale invasion. The fund also provides financial assistance, psychological and legal support, facilitates education and development of children until they reach adulthood.

• dead
• military
• occupation
• russian crimes
• women
• Kyiv

During russia’s initial aggression against Ukraine in 2014, Halyna Klempouz was still a student but quickly immersed herself in volunteer work. In 2016, she decided to enlist in the military, undertaking various roles before specializing in aerial reconnaissance. However, her military service was cut short a year later due to personal tragedy—the loss of her father, and the need to care for her mother. Despite her eagerness to join the fight when full-scale invasion loomed, Halyna made a promise to her boyfriend, a defender of Mariupol, to remain in the rear until his safe return. Unfortunately, he was captured by russian forces alongside fellow Azovstal defenders, redirecting Halyna’s efforts toward advocating for Ukrainian prisoners. Today, she serves as a communication officer for the Association of Azovstal Defender’s Families. 

For reference: The defense of Mariupol lasted 86 grueling days, with Ukrainian forces eventually ceasing resistance and surrendering to the enemy on May 20, 2022, resulting in russian occupation.

• occupation
• prisoners
• women
• Mariupol

Soldier Karma, withholding her identity for safety, fled Luhansk in 2014 with her young daughter amidst militant occupation. A routine visit to her parents in 2016 turned into over three years of enemy detainment after she was accused of associating with detained football ultras. Despite her captivity, Karma’s daughter remained with her parents.

Finally, on December 29, 2019, Karma, alongside 75 others, was freed and returned home. Following rehabilitation, she resumed her studies, earning her diploma. A year later, she resolved to enlist in the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

While Karma maintains contact with her family, who still reside in the occupied territory with her daughter, she remains committed to her military service. 

Furthermore, she is stationed on the front lines and open to engaging with journalists online.

• doctors
• military
• prisoners
• women

Before the full-scale war, Olha Leus worked at an administrative service center in Mariupol. She was raising two sons: They are 10-year-old Hera and 16-year-old Mykhailo. Olha’s husband Volodymyr worked at the Azov Shipyard, and shortly before February 24, 2022, at the port.

Despite the escalating concerns about wider war, the family initially chose to remain in Mariupol, hoping for a swift expulsion of the invaders. However, as the situation worsened and the city became blockaded, evacuation became impossible.

Olha experienced relentless russian shelling and bombing for 11 consecutive days, culminating in tragedy on March 20, 2022, when her younger son sustained injuries from an enemy shell hitting their home, leaving him with leg wounds. A week later, her husband tragically passed away after leaving the house and never returning. His body was discovered by his mother-in-law and laid to rest in a local green space that once served as a sports ground.

It wasn’t until April 15, 2022, that Olha and her family were able to escape Mariupol. Following their displacement, the Children of Heroes Charitable Foundation stepped in to provide support, with Olha eventually joining as a specialist in aiding affected families. Meanwhile, her eldest son aspires to become a psychotherapist, aiming to assist those scarred by the horrors of war.

Journalists seeking to speak with Olha can arrange interviews in the Kyiv region.

For reference: After enduring 86 days of fierce defense, Mariupol fell under russian occupation on May 20, 2022. Human Rights Watch reports a staggering civilian death toll of at least 8,000 due to russian shelling, with thousands more suffering life-altering injuries, including amputations, blindness, deafness, and memory loss, often stemming from traumatic brain injuries caused by explosions. By mid-May 2022, approximately 400,000 residents had fled Mariupol, significantly reducing the pre-war population of 540,000.

In the wake of this devastation, the Children of Heroes organization steps in to aid children who have lost one or both parents in the war. The foundation offers financial assistance, psychological and legal support, and advocates for the education and development of these children as they transition into adulthood.

• casualties
• children
• dead
• occupation
• russian crimes
• women
• Kyiv
• Mariupol

Since the fall of 2019, Nataliia Haietska has been the head of the “Mariupol Zero Waste” initiative group, which includes “Eco Gurt” (eco team) environmental NGO. She has also been an activist in Mariupol. Her activity began with large waste sorting centers in Mariupol. Her team also introduced waste sorting in about 100 housing co-ops of the city. In 2020, the team engaged in environmental education for adults, children and students. They held the first eco-festival in Mariupol and launched a project to implement waste sorting and composting in Mariupol hospitality establishments and parts of Pryazovia area. Their plans were to cover the entire hospitality industry of the region.

Nataliia was caught by russia’s full-scale invasion in Mariupol. She could not leave in the first days because of sick parents. The woman had to survive under the siege for three weeks – under shelling and bombing. Upon receiving help, together with her parents, she was evacuated to Zaporizhia. Then they got to Lviv by evacuation train.

Despite the war, Nataliia together with her colleagues from Kherson in 2022 implemented an international project on making the hospitality sector of Ukraine greener. In 2023 it was scaled up to the current project “Restoration and Modernization of Hospitality Establishments Based on Zero Waste & Climate Friendly Principles for the Sustainable Development of Ukrainian Communities.” 

Nataliia is available for interviews in Lviv offline or online by appointment.

• casualties
• ecology
• occupation
• women
• Lviv
• Mariupol