Нерубайське — звичайнісіньке передмістя Одеси, в якому до 24 лютого 2022 року життя текло розмірено й передбачувано. Родини, діти, літні люди — кожен мав свої турботи, плани, маршрути. Дорослі поспішали на роботу, молодь збиралася в кав’ярнях, пенсіонери гуляли вздовж вулиць. Здавалося, нічого не віщувало якихось кардинальних змін. Та одного лютневого ранку все змінилося на “до” і “після”.

Війна змінила долі багатьох підприємців, змусивши їх залишити рідні міста, пристосовуватися до нових умов та починати все з нуля. Але навіть у такий складний час вони якимось чином знаходять сили та мотивацію для відновлення своєї справи. Розповідаємо сьогодні історію власника кав’ярні «Люблю каву», який попри окупацію Херсона, обстріли та відключення світла не лише зберіг свою кав’ярню, але й відкрив нову в іншому місті.

Telling the stories of Ukrainians who were victims of Russian aggression, honouring the civilians and military who gave their lives for our freedom — all this is of great value today, when Ukraine has been defending its independence from the Russian army for more than 10 years. These are people with their own history, with different dreams and goals, and we need to know about them. That is why it is so important that the project that preserves the memory of our heroes and tells their stories, the Memorial Platform:Victims of Russia, was recognised as the best social project of 2024 in the annual award organised by the Ukrayinska Pravda media outlet. 
We were delighted to have the opportunity to speak with Yulia Lozynska, the editor-in-chief of the platform.

We are always very happy to communicate with talented and ambitious Ukrainian youth who, despite all the difficulties and challenges of today, continue to create, do cool things, work on various projects, establish their own NGOs, student publications and report on the lives and experiences of Ukrainians during full-scale war. I had the opportunity to talk to Oleksandra Gotsuliak. Oleksandra is an activist and a member of the language NGO RVN (Making You Nervous), which works to de-Russify Odesa. She works as a scriptwriter in the video team, where she is involved in creating materials that help rethink the linguistic and cultural environment of the city. She is also editor-in-chief of the student publication DeFacto.

Today I had the opportunity to talk to one of Ukraine’s young ambitious people, Sofiia Yevchenko. Despite her young age, she has already completed internships in various institutions and organisations, is actively involved in the development of the European Youth Ambassadors (YEAs) initiative in Ukraine, is a member of the Academy of Youth Diplomacy “United Youth”, the Women’s League and the Coordination Platform of Ukrainians Abroad, and has completed internships at the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine. Sofiia is currently interning at the IFES Ukraine office. 

For over a year now, Ms. Inna has been a volunteer with Kyiv Defenders and works with the team, which loves what they are doing. What is an inspiration for volunteering, and why is it important? As part of the project «War Diary: Stories of Ukrainian Resistance», we tell the life story of a person who, between motherhood, work, and personal life, finds time to help society.

Sophie, who was forced to move to Portugal due to Russian aggression, has turned her daily life into a platform for supporting Ukrainian soldiers. In the second part of her interview for Truthful Reporting, she shares her volunteer journey and efforts to promote Ukrainian culture, from her initial events to successful fundraisers. Her meticulous planning and effective communication have helped raise over 18 million hryvnias (430k+ USD) in aid for Ukraine. Sophie shares her experiences, instructions for effective fundraising, and future plans, urging active support and cooperation to aid Ukraine.

In Portugal resides 21-year-old Sophie, a Ukrainian volunteer who was forced to leave Kyiv due to the full-scale Russian invasion. Today, she is actively developing the Ukrainian community in Portugal, garnering resources to support the Ukrainian army. Together with her friends, Sophie has already raised over 18 million hryvnias (430k+ USD) to aid Ukraine and considers this just the beginning. In this article, we will learn about Sophie’s adaptation in Portugal, her life in the diaspora, as well as the development of Ukrainian business, creativity, and volunteering through the eyes of a young activist.

Volodymyr Krutevych, a 21-year-old volunteer from Ternopil region, has made dozens of visits to the most dangerous areas of the front, where he delivers aid to Ukrainian defenders. The volunteer also takes care of civilian citizens in de-occupied territories and places close to the line of contact. From the first days of russian invasion, the young man has been capturing the moments he sees on camera: destroyed settlements, remnants of military equipment, explosion craters, emotions of war victims. His footage leaves no one indifferent. We talked with Volodymyr Krutevych about people who don’t leave their homes even despite mortal danger, the role of photography, and resisting harmful narratives spread by the enemy.

Volodymyr Krutevych originally from the town of Kremenets in the Ternopil region and he is 21 years old now. He has been volunteering since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. The young man has made over 50 trips to the front line and has also visited most of the de-occupied territories in more than two years of war.
Despite numerous risks and dangers, he delivers the most essential items to military and civilians: food, medicine, clothes, equipment, etc. Volodymyr believes that we must withstand the enemy’s offensive and constantly help our defenders and Ukrainians in need.
The hero of our story brings back emotional photos that capture what he saw from each mission. We spoke with Volodymyr Krutevych about the “backstage” of volunteering, war photography, and the impact of the war on his morale in the home front.

Olya is an exceptionally talented, multifaceted individual who shares her story of Ukrainian resistance to russian aggression. She actively volunteers by raising funds for the military, and writes poems that reflect her deep love for Ukraine. Olha’s creative pseudonym «krylata ryba» symbolizes her dreamy and creative nature, which strives to create beauty even in the most difficult times. Poetry is her personal therapy, helping her cope with pain and emotions, and restoring her inspiration to live and fight.

Look, spoil tip! I said that after encountering each one on my way. They laughed because they were taking me home. The story of the first flight to her home region during the war, of joining a volunteer organisation and of pockets full of coal.

Kristina But learned firsthand what loss is and how difficult it is to find good and affordable support. Her pain and the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine called Kristina to create a centre where support and psychological help exist in open access for everyone. Platform «Бути» is Kristina’s response to loss.

Anastasia Goncharova encountered the full-scale invasion in Cyprus, where she had been working for several years. Without hesitation, she agreed to coordinate the company’s efforts to help the Ukrainian military, and later opened her first collection, which was successful. Since then, she hasn’t stopped, raising around eight million hryvnias, using funny memes, publishing touching posts and spending three hours a day sending personal pleas to support the next collection. Although she had the opportunity to stay, she returned to Ukraine in 2023. She does not think she is doing anything special. She believes that everyone with a Ukrainian passport should help save the lives of the defenders.

Ksenia Kharaman began her artistic career in Donetsk, a city that has left an indelible mark on her heart. However, turbulent events and hostilities forced her to leave her home. This is the story of the Ukrainian artist who became a volunteer and coordinator of the «Restoration of the Donetsk Region Stele» project.

While everyone else was traveling from the border towns to the center of Ukraine, Kristina But returned home to Melitopol on the first day after encountering the full-scale invasion in Zaporizhzhia. There, she found her purpose in resisting the occupation and participating in pro-Ukrainian protests.

Ever since she was a child, Olha Oliynyk has loved helping people, as her father taught her by example. In early 2022, he volunteered to go to the front. After he went on a mission near Bakhmut in August of that year, he lost contact with the company, and today the family does not know what happened to him. Olha often talks to her father in her dreams, which makes her believe he is alive. While the search continues, she helps other soldiers. This is her gratitude for defending the country and a way to calm her soul. 

Valeria Samoshyna is a promising TV journalist who is actively improving in this field. As a member of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine, she makes a significant contribution to the development of the country’s media space. Valeria Samoshyna is also a lecturer at the Faculty of Journalism and Ukrainian Studies at the Volodymyr Dahl Eastern Ukrainian National University. She shares her experience with future journalists, and also shapes a new approach to media education.
Today, as part of the War Diary: Stories of Ukrainian Resistance project, we learn more about her journalistic journey, the challenges she faced and her vision of the role of journalism during the war.

Alina Shvets has been part of the charitable foundation «Riy» for over two years.
The heroine not only creates content, but also actively volunteers and supports the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Her story is fascinating and inspiring, and her contribution to the development of charity is a great example for many.
Alina combines multiple roles: volunteer, SMM specialist, content creator, and still finds time for family, hobbies, and social activities. As part of the project «War Diary: Stories of the Ukrainian Resistance» we will learn more about her journey with the «Riy», her work on creating inspiring and motivating content, as well as her hobbies and life principles.

Leadership skills helped Anastasia Lemba gather more than 20 like-minded people, and together they manufactured and delivered some 3,500 power banks to the frontline in less than a year. The desire to contribute to Ukraine’s victory encourages new ideas and their implementation, and now the foundation’s members are collecting FPV drones. 

During her stay in occupied Kherson, photographer Maria Pulia took pictures of her hometown to record it for history while it was still intact. Taking risks, she photographed a pro-Ukrainian rally while Russian occupiers stood opposite with weapons drawn, and created her own photo project on the unity of Kherson with the whole of Ukraine while enemy military vehicles drove past her windows. Six months later, she decided to leave, and when she read the news of the city’s liberation in early November 2022, she burst into tears on the metro. 

Maria Pulia, a native of Kherson who now lives in Kyiv, has changed her profession and started taking pictures of people three years ago. This skill once helped her to accept her body, and now she helps others to do the same through her photographs. She started her work before the full-scale invasion and continues to do so now, so she has seen a change in the requests for her work.

Yana Bielska often divides her time between two cities: Kyiv, where she has been living for 10 years, and Konotop, in the Sumy region, where she was born and where her parents live. Together they design embroidered clothing to ensure that the Ukrainian tradition of wearing embroidered clothing lives on. Yana dedicates everything she creates to the memory of her husband, Dmytro Shapoval, who volunteered for the army and died for Ukraine in the summer of 2022.

For many, joint fundraisings became a common reality. Today, they are spreading all over social media at an almost unimaginable speed. By opening a joint fundraising page, everyone can make an effort to help our soldiers. Zbirolovy is a voluntary organisation that coordinates joint fundraisers. Today, as part of the “War Diary: Stories of the Ukrainian Resistance” project, Danyil Tiurikov talks about truthful reporting about joint fundraisings, Zbirolovy and his way to this point.

«How are you?» This is the question we ask our loved ones from the very first days of the war. This phrase became the key to founding micro-media Yaktytam, co-founded by Kostiantyn Andriiv. In our conversation, Kostiantyn talks about the values of love and respect for his hometown, the importance of creating a civil society, and the role of micro-media in the reconstruction of Zaporizhzhya. Our hero emphasizes the importance of supporting the LGBT community in Ukraine, because everyone should have the right to respect and equal opportunities, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

When we hear the word «war», we think about thousands of dead people, animals, and destroyed cities and villages. When we see the consequences of this war in photos or videos, we feel a huge range of emotions: from pain to horror, from tears to screams. These pictures are difficult to erase from memory. Taras creates these images so that we are not forgotten, so that the war is not forgotten.

Mrs Evelina talks about how life prompted her to establish a charity foundation and tells us some of the insights on how the work is organised. She also shares some of the touching stories of people she helps.

As part of the project «War Diary: Stories of Ukrainian Resistance», truthful reporting collects and shares stories about Ukrainian proactive youth, who having different backgrounds, education and lifestyles, changes the world. Today, Evelina Slyvynska shares her story of being forced to leave her home because of the war, not once, but twice and her journey to become a volunteer.

Our hero shares his vision of Ukraine with love and emphasizes the importance of the unity of the Ukrainian people and state. He talks about  his acquaintance with Roman Ratushnyi, fighting for Protasiv Yar, and shares his dreams about developing culture in Ukraine.

Roman Alimaskin is an exceptional person who embodies a true dedication to his culture and his country. Since childhood, he has cherished his love for literature, which has turned into wonderful poetry evenings in all parts of Ukraine. Roman has gone through his own difficult path of derussification. Since 2014, he has become a devoted promoter of Ukrainian culture and a fighter for equal rights for all. He decided to live in his native language and popularize it. Roman calls on all of us to fight for our country here and now. Today we will learn more about the unique cultural project Marmur, its vision and principles.