After Russia’s full-scale invasion scattered her choir across Europe, a pianist in Kharkiv rebuilt a community where singing together offers a brief distance from the war surrounding the city. Published in the Kyiv Post May 28, 2026. Pianist and choir founder Anna Minakova during a concert performance in Kharkiv. March 27, 2026. After spending the first phase of the war in Poland, pianist and choir founder Anna Minakova chose to return to her hometown of Kharkiv, where she be

A woman who once planned her future abroad returned to Ukraine and joined the army. Today, as an evacuation medic, “Bandana” helps keep wounded soldiers alive. Published in the Kyiv Post May 27, 2026. Marina, known by the call sign “Bandana,” serves as an evacuation medic with the Black Cossacks near the grey zone east of Kharkiv, April 2026. Marina once imagined a very different future for herself. After years spent studying and working toward a medical career in Poland, she

Roxana Pavlenko’s efforts began when she took the keys to a restaurant on Feb. 24, 2022. At Soul of Kharkiv, a working kitchen that is now part of the city’s infrastructure, she leads a network feeding thousands across the city and beyond, sending food to shelters, damaged districts, to transit points, evacuation hubs, kindergartens and schools, providing not only nourishment, but something that still resembles home. Published in the Kyiv Post May 26, 2026. Roxana Pavlenko at

In Kharkiv, a woman has been filling the gaps at a military hospital for more than 12 years, creating a sense of home for the wounded and reminding them what they are fighting for. Published in the Kyiv Post May 25, 2026. Yarina Chagovets stands outside the military hospital in Kharkiv, where she has been volunteering since the Maidan protests in 2014, April 2026. Since the Maidan protests in 2014, Yarina Chagovets, once trained for the stage, has been part of a network insid

Ukrainian women such as Nataliya Fesyuk take on a central role in wartime, keeping society running in the background – a portrait of one who steps in to help, listens, stands with others, and carries what the war leaves behind. Published in the Kyiv Post May 24, 2026. Nataliya Fesyuk at the headquarters of the Free Ukraine Fund in Kharkiv, surrounded by medical kits and humanitarian supplies prepared for delivery. April 2026 In Kharkiv, where Russian drones strike residential

A Ukrainian soldier whose life once centered around photography and environmental work reflects on war, responsibility, gender and the growing distance between military and civilian life. Published in the Kyiv Post May 23, 2026. Mavka photographed in Kharkiv. Before joining the military, she worked as a photographer and was involved in environmental and animal welfare initiatives near her hometown. April 2026. Russia’s full-scale invasion upended the life Mavka once knew. Det

A Journey to the Kharkiv Front An inside look at Ukraine’s Khartia Brigade near Kharkiv, where soldiers face a war shaped by drones, pressure and an uncertain future. Published in the Kyiv Post April 19, 2026. This is the second part of my special feature covering the experience of Ukrainian soldiers with the Khartia brigade on the Kharkiv front. See the first part here. Soldiers of the Khartia Brigade during an exercise at a training ground outside Kharkiv, April 2026. Titan

Where Khartia Holds the Line An inside look at Ukraine’s Khartia Brigade near Kharkiv, where soldiers face a war shaped by drones, pressure and an uncertain future. Published in the Kyiv Post April 18, 2026 This is the first part of my special feature covering the experience of Ukrainian soldiers with the Khartia brigade on the Kharkiv front. The second part is available here. “Serpen” and “Khor”, soldiers of the Khartia Brigade, in a house used for rotations outside Kharkiv,

Inside Ukraine’s Drone War In an exclusive interview in Kharkiv, a commander of Ukraine’s Typhoon special unit explains drone operations, electronic warfare, and how Ukraine adapts on the front line. Published in the Kyiv Post March 29, 2026 (Photo via Taifun Special Forces UAV Unit’s Website) Drones are no longer just shaping the war in Ukraine – they are defining it. What began as an improvised response to a lack of manpower has evolved into a technological arms race, shapi

Fuminori Tsuchiko’s Fight Against Hunger in Kharkiv https://www.instagram.com/fuminori_tsuchiko/ Read the Feature in English A Samurai in...

Oleksandr Protsenko, a young barista from Kharkiv, between parents in occupied Donetsk and a brother in combat. Read the Feature in...

Volunteering, protest, and unyielding solidarity in Kharkiv Interview with Philippe Bouvard, history teacher from Lyon who weaves nets for the front in Kharkiv. Read Report & Interview in English Ukraine – every hand at work Volunteering, protest, and unyielding solidarity in Kharkiv Interview with Philippe Bouvard, a history teacher from Lyon who weaves nets for the front in Kharkiv. For more than three years, the people of Ukraine—especially those living along the frontline

Natalya Grypas on commitment, resilience, and the linguistic complexity of everyday life in city of wooden windows "Kharkiv" Read the Feature in English "I can't save a soldier - but I can save a cat" Natalya Grypas on commitment, resilience, and the linguistic complexity of everyday life in city of wooden windows Kharkiv It’s summer in Ukraine’s second-largest city. When it rains, it pours — but even heavy downpours bring little relief. The heat lingers or gives way to an ev

How Serhii Pryskornyk and his running squad defy war with every step https://heylink.me/preskornikk/ Read the Feature in English „Kharkiv doesn’t stand still — Kharkiv runs.“ How Serhii Pryskornyk and his running squad defy war with every step Movement is good. It gets the blood flowing, releases endorphins — even in places where war rages. Even in Kharkiv, the large city in eastern Ukraine near the front line, I keep seeing joggers. People running through parks, circling the

A young artist between Kharkiv and Mariupol A portrait of Maria Dziuba, who embodies resilience and resistance through her drawings. https://www.instagram.com/dziuba.marria/ Read the Portrait in English "A few Peppers and a bit of Peace." - A young artist between Kharkiv and Mariupol A portrait of Maria Dziuba, who embodies resilience and resistance through her drawings. Spring awakens in eastern Ukraine. The ever-returning cycle of nature knows no borders — not eve

In eastern Ukraine, near the Russian border, Kharkiv remains a city of resistance despite bombings and destruction. Mykyta Virchenko...