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