Ukrainian Animation Takes Center Stage at International Animation Conference in Pittsburgh

Published: July 29, 2026   

From June 15–19, Pittsburgh became a gathering place for some of the world’s leading animation scholars, artists, and filmmakers during the 37th Annual Conference of the Society for Animation Studies (SAS). Supported by Razom, Ukrainian animators joined the international conversation to showcase their work, share their experiences of creating during wartime, and introduce global audiences to a vibrant animation industry that continues to thrive despite Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Organized by the Pennsylvania Expanded Animation Alliance (PA-XAA) and the Society for Animation Studies, the conference brought together more than 100 researchers, artists, and industry professionals to explore animation as a medium for storytelling, memory, trauma, and human connection.

Bringing Ukrainian Stories to International Audiences

One of the conference highlights was “Resilient Reels: Ukrainian Animation on Screen and In Conversation,” held on June 16 at Pittsburgh’s Harris Theater.

The evening featured a curated screening of contemporary Ukrainian animated films, followed by a discussion with acclaimed Ukrainian animation directors and animation artists Sashko Danylenko, Daryna Fes, and Sasha Ruban, who joined online from Ukraine.

The conversation explored what it means to create art during war — from documenting national trauma and preserving childhood in times of violence to building an animation industry under extraordinary circumstances.

More importantly, it gave audiences the opportunity to hear directly from Ukrainian artists.

Many attendees remarked that meeting Ukrainian filmmakers in person added an entirely new dimension to the films they had just watched. Others said the discussion helped them better understand both the realities of Russia’s war against Ukraine and the resilience of Ukraine’s creative community.

Art That Continues Beyond the Screen

The conference coincided with The Animate Experience, an exhibition presented by the Pennsylvania Expanded Animation Alliance, The Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, and the Society for Animation Studies at Pittsburgh MuseumLab.

Among the featured artists was Razom Cinema grantee Daryna Fes, whose multimedia works were included in the exhibition. She attended the opening in person, introducing visitors to her work and engaging in conversations about contemporary Ukrainian art.

Visitors continued discussing her VR installation, Spheres, throughout the conference, making it one of the exhibition’s memorable works.

More Than Filmmakers — Cultural Ambassadors

For the Ukrainian delegation, the conference was about much more than presenting films.

“Our small Ukrainian team not only enjoyed the event as visitors but also advocated for Ukraine — you simply cannot be anyone but an ambassador at international events,” said director Sashko Danylenko. “Stand out, spread the word, fight russian narratives and propaganda, fill in the blanks, and most importantly, build empathy.”

Danylenko also noted that scheduling the Ukrainian screening at the beginning of the conference helped spark conversations that continued throughout the week, creating opportunities to connect with scholars, educators, and fellow artists.

For Daryna Fes, the event demonstrated how animation can foster meaningful dialogue.

“Many attendees were curious about the situation in Ukraine, and I believe events like this — screenings of Ukrainian animation, Q&As, and informal conversations — help people better understand what’s happening in Ukraine. Alongside traditional animation, the festival also embraced a more artistic dimension, offering both the platform and the technical setup to show even technically demanding works. “

Why Representation Matters

For the conference organizers, introducing Ukrainian animation to an international academic audience was a long-term investment.

While Ukrainian animation remains underrepresented globally, professors and researchers attending the conference help shape future film and animation curricula. Increasing their familiarity with Ukrainian works means more students around the world may encounter Ukrainian stories in classrooms for years to come.

The event also extended beyond the conference itself. By hosting the screening in a public cinema rather than inside the conference venue, organizers welcomed members of the Pittsburgh community, creating another opportunity to raise awareness about Ukraine through culture.

Building Connections Through Culture

Throughout the week, conversations continued well beyond scheduled panels.

Audience members praised the diversity of Ukrainian animation, discussed their favorite films with the filmmakers, and asked thoughtful questions about working during wartime. Others expressed appreciation for hearing multiple perspectives from artists living through the same historical moment.

One particularly memorable interaction came after the screening, when an audience member approached Sashko Danylenko to share that he had long admired his work and could hardly believe they were finally meeting in person.

These are the connections that cultural exchange makes possible — especially in spaces like SAS creates.

“Academic community is important in this regard, because instructors who teach courses on film and animation, make choices which works they include in their syllabi, and their familiarization with Ukrainian animation can potentially result in Ukrainian animated films being seen by their students in the future.” — noted the conference organizers.

By supporting Ukrainian artists at international events like the Society for Animation Studies conference, Razom helps ensure that Ukrainian voices are not only heard — they become part of the global cultural conversation.

Because culture is more than art. It is memory, identity, and a powerful way to build understanding across borders.

From World Wars to Wartime Today: How Ukrainian Scouting Is Protecting the Spirit of Youth in Odesa

Published: June 25, 2026   

On a warm, sunny May afternoon, a scenic lakeside in Odesa dotted with tents hummed with the sound of children’s laughter and play. Standing on the banks downstream from their campsite, a row of young Vikings saluted their group oath in unwavering solidarity, “Brothers, the time has come for us to rise, to take up and carry the ideals of Plast. Glory to Ukraine!” 

The bright patches of their uniforms, each hard-won through successfully completing a meticulous task or test, caught in the sunlight as the children held their imaginary Viking shields by their side. 

Yes, today they would be Vikings. 

Not orphans or children without a home. Not refugees forced to flee their city. Not children of frontline parents, not children of war. Just Vikings in a beautiful, carefree world of make-believe. And underneath that, just children.

This return to the innocent and creating a space for free development is exactly what Plast, Ukraine’s international scout organization, strives to create. For over a century, Plast has helped young people build character, hone leadership skills and establish a strong community through outdoor adventures, service and teamwork. In today’s Ukraine, where many children have grown up under the shadow of war, these lessons take on new meaning, creating a new reality with more possibilities. 

Plast, like all of Ukraine, was built through repression, difficulty and seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Founded in 1912 in western Ukraine, the organization survived two world wars as well as occupation by Poland, Germany and Russia, all of whom forbade or restricted the existence of Plast. 

1. Plast camp in the village of Solochyn (Zakarpattia Oblast), 1934. Archive of the “Local History” project. 2. Plast group in the village of Bryukhovychi, Lviv District, Lviv Province, 1920s. Personal archive of Daria Korchak. 3. Plast girls, 1930s. “Local History” Project Archive. 4. A Plast camp for boys in Staryava near Khyrov, held from June 28 to July 24, 1939. Personal archive of Lukia Lukomska

In theory, Plast, like all of Ukraine, wasn’t supposed to make it. War after war, regime after regime, everything that plagued the land that Plast was built on, tried to snuff out the flame of Ukrainian culture and progress which it strived to illuminate. All of it worked to make Plast and Ukraine a faint memory.

And now, the full-scale invasion of Russia brings past horrific history into full swing again as war forces Plast into another round of defense and struggle for its own existence and name. But Plast has shown throughout its history that, like Ukraine, it cannot be thrown down that easily.

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, over 25,000 internally displaced children have moved to Odesa. Combined with a shortage of youth programs and stable community spaces, many children in the area have limited opportunities for personal development, leadership training and social connection, a problem that Razom joined Plast this year to help address. 

However, the challenges facing children in Odesa extend beyond displacement. Air raid sirens remain a regular part of life, and youth activities can still be interrupted by security threats. Plast youth leader Polina described a recent case when a Shahed drone flew over the camp, forcing everyone to flee into bomb shelters. 

“It was so scary… But afterward, we had to get back and just continue- in a country without war, you don’t have to think about this,” said Polina. 

Many such thoughts and anxieties surround Ukrainian youth in their day-to-day lives. Their unique situation makes things like Plast all the more important for their continued development. 

“There is nothing ‘ordinary’ about being a young person in Ukraine today,” said Nastia Rab, chief advancement officer for Razom. “Even a summer camp takes place against the backdrop of a full-scale war. Yet that makes these experiences even more important. They give young people community, purpose, leadership skills and a sense of hope for the future.” 

Despite these obstacles, this spring, Plast’s Odesa branch hosted its fifth major youth event of the year, Spring Festival, bringing together children from across the region, and across Ukraine, for a weekend of camping, games, challenges and friendships. Razom’s team joined in to experience the festival firsthand and to speak with participants and leaders about what Plast meant to them- and why they believe it’s important in shaping Ukraine’s future. 

Razom partnered with Plast Odesa last year to provide a full year of support for such youth advancement activities. By providing materials such as tents, ropes, crafts and training resources, Razom helped manifest the goals and ideas that Plast had for the kids in their community. 

 Students participated in a rotation of workshops, stations and games where they learned different scouting and nature skills, such as knot tying, proper travel packing, setting up tents and map reading, materials for which were directly provided by Razom.

Their achievements are reflected in the patches they earn, and every patch tells a story. Most children have already gained multiple patches in several Plast programs throughout the year, including one for providing emergency first aid. 

In addition to learning practical skills, participants and leaders emphasized the importance of Plast providing a unique environment for a thriving Ukrainian culture and community. Plast is Ukrainian-speaking, meaning all the events and activities are hosted in Ukrainian. For some students who don’t speak Ukrainian at home or encounter Russian in their everyday contexts, this provides a space where Ukrainian language and culture are the norm rather than the exception. 

“A child should be immersed in Ukrainian-language culture and experiences, without Russian constantly entering that space,” said Korotaeva. 

For some participants, Plast is an experience of re-immersion into Ukrainian culture and a unique space where they can share that with others.

“They want a community. They want more friends who share their values, more Ukrainian values, people who speak Ukrainian. Maybe at school or near home they don’t have that,” said Polina. 

Plast not only invests in children participants, but also in training up group leaders and student counselors. As a training ground for young adults, Plast prepares older youth to step into adulthood with a leadership mindset and skillset.

“This also gives me some benefits, I gain experience being a leader, -something I don’t often get the chance to do,” said another Plast leader. 

Most importantly, Plast provides participants with relationships and friendships that they can keep with them for the rest of their lives. It’s not just a camp where kids are dropped off and then picked up at the end of the day, it’s a forever-community, said Korotaeva. 

“For me, Plast has become an inseparable part of life,” said a young participant.  

Plast is all about investing in this resilient future. However, Razom’s connection to Plast is actually much deeper rooted in the past. Many from Razom’s staff were once Plast scouts or counselors as youth, and owe much of their love and work for Ukraine to their experience in the organization. 

Dora Chomiak, third from left at a Plast history and public speaking competition

Dora Chomiak, shaking the left hand of a Plast counselor

Dora Chomiak, Razom’s CEO, started her journey with Plast as a child, attending camps in the Washington D.C. branch. Later, she became a Plast leader herself where she learned how to plan and run a camp for over a dozen students only a few years younger than her. 

“I rely on all those experiences throughout my career,” said Chomiak. “Collaborate. Roll with it. Walk on the sunny side of the street when you can. Respect nature.”

Rab immigrated from Ukraine to the U.S. as a child and found an invaluable Ukrainian community in Plast that allowed her to stay connected to her roots. 

“Plast helped shape who I became. Knowing that today’s scouts are finding the same friendships, values and sense of responsibility that I found years ago makes me especially proud of this partnership,” said Rab. 

Uliana Bilash, Razom’s director of people and culture is a generational Plast attendee in her family. Her parents met at a Plast camp and passed on the experience to her, which eventually brought her to Plast camps across the U.S., Canada, Spain, Belgium, Germany and Ukraine both as a camper and counselor. 

 In 2022, when Plast summer camps in Ukraine had to close due to the invasion, Bilash volunteered at a Plast camp in Spain where many Ukrainian children refugees fled. It was another chance for her to pour into the next generation. Now that Plast is back in Ukraine, she works to ensure that kids still have the same experiences she had as a Plast scout. 

“Now, we are lucky that Plast camps continue in Ukraine, but we often lack the resources needed to run them,” said Bilash. “By supporting Plast camps, we can help Ukraine’s children learn skills that can grow them into leaders of a prosperous and democratic Ukraine.” 

Ukrainian Plast participants recreate their version of the Mariupol Theater at a Plast camp in Spain 2022.

Razom’s public engagement coordinator for its advocacy branch, Daryna Lesniak, also a Plast alumnus, started her own Plast group in Shanghai as a way to express her own Ukrainian story wherever she went. 

“With Plast you always carry a piece of Ukraine with you,” said Lesniak. 

Plast’s rich history and work has brought much of Razom’s team to their place right now. However, Plast’s reach also goes beyond the regular parts of Ukrainian society. Not only have Plast members taken great part in fighting in the world wars, were strong participants in Ukraine’s Revolution of Dignity in 2014, but many now serve on the front lines, in defense against Russia’s aggression. 

Having members of Plast serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine creates a conflicting reality. Enormous amounts of time, energy and resources are poured into supporting current and former Plast members in the army, which hold paramount importance. However, that also creates challenges in funding and sustaining the core youth programs that keep Plast active for the next generation, said Rab. 

The future of Plast in Odesa is one of prospective growth. The current program is at full capacity with over 100 children on the waiting list. There are only so many resources available to cover so many students; there is not enough capacity for demand, said Korotaeva. 

“We receive inquiries from parents almost every day,” said Korotaeva. “I keep writing and saying everywhere that our dream is for anyone who wants to join to be able to do so. Any child, especially here in Odesa.” 

Looking ahead, Plast in Odesa hopes to expand their equipment inventory, train more leaders and eventually open up their own office to reach more communities in the area, and Plast’s organizers emphasized the important role of donors and outside support to make this a reality. 

“Through these grants, over the last seven months, we’ve grown tremendously and made our events bigger and better. Without that support, we wouldn’t have been able to do it,” said Korotaeva.

“One of the things that makes me very happy on bad days is knowing that people in other countries are supporting us.” 

Every year, Plast functions as a community of knowledge, skill-building, close relationships and Ukrainian values.

Whether a refugee in Spain, an immigrant in the U.S., or a young Viking on the banks of an Odesa lake, every Plast member inherently becomes part of its vast history, part of an experience they will never forget. 

“For many people, Plast is one big adventure,” said participant, Ihor.

“It’s something you’re meant to enjoy.” 

Plast in Odesa is just one of the vital projects we’ve been able to support this year thanks to the generosity of our community.

But our work doesn’t stop here.

War is trying to steal their childhood, but you can help us give it back.

By becoming a part of this crucial mission, your gift to our Kids Campaign helps Ukrainian children reclaim their joy, resilience, and hope—giving them safe spaces to learn, grow, and just be kids.

Support Kids
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The Chornobyl Legacy: Honoring the 40th Anniversary of the Disaster

Published: April 26, 2026   

Today marks the 40th anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster, a milestone recognized by the United Nations as International Chornobyl Disaster Remembrance Day. On April 26, 1986, the explosion at Reactor No. 4 in Soviet-controlled Ukraine became the world’s worst nuclear accident, unleashing a torrent of radiation that forever altered millions of lives and reshaped global consciousness.

Four decades later, history does not remain in the past. The Razom team has curated a selection of essential cultural works that have helped the world process this trauma. Through the lens of cinema, art, and literature, these creators ensure that Chornobyl is never forgotten. They remind us that while the Zone may be silent, its story is still being written.

Performing Arts

Archaeological Opera: Chornobyldorf

Created in 2020 by composers Roman Grygoriv and Illia Razumeiko, Chornobyldorf stands as arguably the most internationally acclaimed contemporary Ukrainian performing arts work on the subject of nuclear catastrophe.

Framed as an “archaeological opera,” it depicts the descendants of humanity navigating a post-apocalyptic world. Wandering among the ruins of nuclear power plants, abandoned churches, and decaying galleries, these survivors attempt to piece together the fragments of a lost civilization through surreal performance rituals.

Watch

The Chornobyl Songs Project

Released via Smithsonian Folkways, the project – titled Living Culture from a Lost World – is a monumental effort to recreate centuries-old Polissian village traditions. The collection features harvest songs, wedding melodies, and ancient church carols, all reconstructed from field recordings made just before the 1986 disaster forced these ancient communities to abandon their ancestral lands.

By breathing new life into these “captured” sounds, Ensemble Hilka ensures that the cultural identity of the Polissia region survives, even as the villages themselves remain empty.

Listen on Spotify
Listen on Apple Music

Literature

In “Chornobyl: The History of a Nuclear Catastrophe,”Plokhy draws on recently declassified sources to chronicle the 1986 explosion. He “mercilessly chronicles the absurdities of the Soviet system” (Wall Street Journal), tracing the disaster to the flaws of authoritarian rule and a regime that prioritized economic goals over human safety. It remains a vivid, empathetic tribute to the firefighters and scientists who extinguished the nuclear inferno.

Plokhy continues this narrative in his latest book, “Chernobyl Roulette.” He recounts the harrowing 35-day Russian occupation of the plant during the 2022 full-scale invasion. This “real-life thriller” follows the Ukrainian staff held hostage who worked grueling, weeks-long shifts to prevent a new catastrophe. From the veteran foreman Valentyn Heiko to the workers who maintained safety under the shadow of Russian tanks, Plokhy sounds an urgent alarm about the unprecedented dangers facing nuclear sites in wartime.

Stalking the Atomic City: Life Among the Decadent and the Depraved of Chornobyl by Markiyan Kamysh
Translated by Hanna Leliv & Reilly Costigan-Humes

Since the 1986 disaster, Chornobyl has remained a forbidden wasteland that exerts a magnetic pull on “stalkers” – illegal adventurers who treat the barbed wire as a pilgrimage. Markiyan Kamysh offers a “gonzo” guide to this dystopian reality, introducing readers to the thieves, police, and romantic utopists who inhabit the Zone despite its toxic legacy.

Featuring photographs that may be the last images of the site’s desolate beauty before the 2022 Russian occupation, Kamysh’s brash and bold prose captures Chornobyl’s timeless, alien elegance.

Buy and read

Chornobyl, Life, and Other Disasters: A Graphic Memoir
By Yevgenia Nayberg

In this salient and slyly funny graphic memoir, Yevgenia “Genya” Nayberg recounts her childhood in 1980s Ukraine. As Genya dreams of attending a prestigious art school, she navigates the absurdities of Soviet control, the paranoia of the Cold War, and systemic antisemitism. Her world shifts forever on April 26, 1986, when a neighbor is called to a town she’s never heard of: Chornobyl. It is a deeply personal story of artistic perseverance and a rare glimpse into the life of the Soviet intelligentsia during a national catastrophe.

Buy and read

The Post-Chornobyl Library
By Tamara Hundorova
Translated by Hanna Leliv & Reilly Costigan-Humes

Tamara Hundorova explores how the Chornobyl disaster not only marked the end of the Soviet Union but also birthed a new era of Ukrainian literature. Using the “Post-Chornobyl Library” as a metaphor, Hundorova analyzes how the 1990s generation used postmodernism, irony, and “apocalyptic carnival” to process nuclear trauma. This scholarly work tracks the decolonization of Ukrainian culture as writers broke totalitarian taboos, filled historical gaps, and liberated themselves from a fractured past to enter a new, globalized landscape.

Buy and read

Cinema

Chornobyl: Chronicle of Difficult Weeks, 1988
Volodymyr Shevchenko

On April 26, 1986, reactor four at the Chornobyl nuclear power station exploded, releasing a massive radioactive cloud over Northern Ukraine and Belarus. The danger was kept secret from the public. Only two film crews, including one from the Ukrainian studio of chronicle and documentary films (Ukrkinokhronika) led by director Volodymyr Shevchenko, managed to get access. They arrived on May 14, 1986, and spent the next hundred days documenting the efforts of firefighters, engineers, military personnel, and dosimetrists dealing with the aftermath of the explosion.

Streaming

Ten Years of Alienation, 1997
Serhii Bukovskyi 

Originally filmed as a series of daily dispatches for the 10th anniversary of the disaster, this documentary explores the physical and emotional state of the Zone. Bukovskyi captures the life of the “settlers” – those who refused to leave their homes despite the radiation – showcasing a deep-rooted Ukrainian connection to one’s birthplace.

Heavy Water: A Film for Chornobyl, 2007
David Bickerstaff & Phil Grabsky

Based on Mario Petrucci’s award-winning poetry, this moving film bypasses technical details to focus on the human cost. Unflinching archival footage of the ghost-town Pripyat is woven with location shots from inside the destroyed reactor, giving voice to the liquidators and families who dealt with the disaster at ground level.

Trailer

The Gateway, 2017
Volodymyr Tykhyi 

Blending horror with magical realism, this film follows a family living illegally in the Exclusion Zone. Led by the mystic grandma Prisya, who claims to befriend mythological creatures, a supernatural warning of an impending catastrophe disrupts the family’s quiet, dystopian life.

Trailer

Special Operation, 2026
Oleksiy Radynskyi 

An “almost disembodied” examination of military logic, this film uses CCTV footage from the 2022 Russian occupation of the Chornobyl plant. By documenting the reckless military base established at the radioactive site, Radynskyi presents each shot as forensic evidence of a modern war crime and nuclear terror.

Trailer

 

Photography & Visual Arts

Ukrainian photojournalist Igor Kostin created the photo story “Chornobyl” in the wake of the accident at the power plant on April 26, 1986. Over the course of a year, he documented the aftermath of the disaster, enduring radiation exposure that was five times above the permissible limit. His work received recognition at the World Press Photo competition in 1987.

Ukrainian photojournalist Viktor Marushchenko was among the first to break through bureaucratic barriers to document the Chornobyl tragedy. Over the decade, he persistently returned to the exclusion zone, recording life there despite the unimaginable circumstances. In 2001, his extensive Chornobyl archive was included in the central exhibit of the 49th Venice Biennale, curated by Harald Szeemann.

Maria Prymachenko was a Ukrainian folk artist known for her naïve art. A self-taught painter from the village of Bolotnia, near Chornobyl, she began her career with embroidery and gained international recognition later on. Friends recalled that Maria had nightmares about the impending disaster before the fourth reactor explosion. The tragedy deeply influenced her art, particularly in her magical beasts. Furthermore, her family suffered personally as her nephew, Valerii Khodymchyk, a station worker, was killed during the accident, and she dedicated several paintings to his memory.

Untitled project from Chornobyl, Maksym Dondyuk

Since 2016, Maksym Dondiuk has been working on “Untitled Project from Chernobyl,” a photographic research project that combines his images with archival materials found in the Chornobyl restricted areas. This series explores memory, territory, atomic energy, and nature. Initially reflecting on the emptiness of abandoned land, Dondiuk’s work evolved into a deeper investigation of the past, revealing fragments of life in the Chornobyl area before the nuclear disaster, including old films, photographs, postcards, and letters exposed to nature and radiation.

Painting and monumental art

The Chornobyl disaster significantly influenced a generation of Ukrainian painters from the late 1980s to the 2000s, leading to the emergence of dystopian art reflecting nuclear pollution. Notable artists include Heorhii Senchenko, Yurii Nikitin, Oleksandr Roitburd, and Khrystyna Katrakis, who used various techniques from iconography to postmodern collage. 

One remarkable piece is Aleliaksandr Kishchanka’s tapestry “Chornobyl,” gifted to the United Nations to commemorate international cooperation after the explosion. The exclusion zone has also become a canvas for street artists, with abandoned buildings in Prypiat attracting both anonymous graffiti and renowned muralists. 

Notable works include Guido van Helten’s mural inspired by Ihor Kostin’s photograph of a liquidator and Pantonio’s mural of blue rabbits.

The female gaze in Ukrainian cinema and literature

Published: March 13, 2026   

Culture is the mirror of a nation’s soul, and throughout history, Ukrainian women have played a central role in shaping it. Over the years, particularly in recent times, they have used literature and film to navigate trauma, document diverse experiences, and shed light on their incredible resilience and unwavering strength.

The female gaze in Ukrainian cinema and literature always serves as a powerful force. The works in our curated selection address significant issues, including the tension between tradition and modernity, historical trauma, and personal development. They shed light on women’s experiences and challenge our views on masculinity, relationships, and cultural heritage.

By exploring this list, we invite you to gain a deeper understanding of the richness of Ukrainian culture, along with themes of identity and memory.

LITERATURE

Cassandra by Lesya Ukrainka
translated by Nina Murray

A dramatic poem by Ukraine’s most prominent woman writer, reimagining the myth of the Trojan prophetess Cassandra – a woman condemned to speak the truth and never be believed. The work becomes a powerful reflection on prophecy, power, and moral courage – themes that resonate strongly with modern Ukraine.

Buy and read

 

Olena Stiazhkina, a contemporary Ukrainian writer and historian from Donetsk, explores questions of national identity, war, and occupation in her work. Forced to leave her hometown after Russia’s occupation in 2014, she writes from lived experience in both fiction and nonfiction.

In Ukraine, War, Love: A Donetsk Diary (2020), translated by Anne O. Fisher, Stiazhkina offers a deeply personal account of the early days of Russia’s invasion and a deeply intimate portrait of her city and its people. 

Her novel Cecil the Lion Had to Die (2024), translated by Dominique Hoffmann, traces Ukraine’s modern history through the lives of several families in Donetsk, reflecting the country’s path to independence and Russia’s later attempt to take it away.

Both books offer powerful insights into the history and experience of Ukraine’s eastern region.

 

Dasein: In Defence of Presence by Yaryna Chornohuz
translated by Amelia Glaser

A testimony from the front lines of Russia’s full-scale invasion written by a woman who is at once a corporal in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a volunteer paramedic, a Marine, and one of Ukraine’s most celebrated poets.

Buy and read

My Women by Yuliia Iliukha
translated by Hanna Leliv

An urgent and poignant collection of stories of women confronted by the countless brutalities of war. It locates the voices and devastating experiences of those who have been silenced, those who have lost loved ones, those who have fought and persevered, and those who have broken down.

Buy and read

Women and War Letters from Ukraine to the Free World edited by Aurélie Bros

How would you communicate the realities of living in a warzone to someone who has never had this experience? Thirty Ukrainian women, ages 10 to 72, answered this question in letters that emanate power, depth, pain, strength, and resilience.

Buy and read

Sweet Darusya: A Tale of Two Villages by Maria Matios
translated by Michael Naydan and Olha Tytarenko

In a remote Hutsul village in the Carpathians, Darusya – considered a mute “holy fool” by her neighbors – lives with excruciating head pain and a mysterious inner life. Across three interconnected timelines, Matios traces her story from WWII through the Soviet era to the early 2000s, exploring trauma, love, survival, and the everyday magic of rural life.

Buy and read

Looking at Women Looking at War by Victoria Amelina

A diary, a war crimes account, and a tribute to women on the frontlines, the book has been called an instant classic and a searing portrait of resistance and humanity.

Buy and read

Cinema

Traces, 2026
Alisa Kovalenko & Marysia Nikitiuk

From 2014 to 2023, six Ukrainian women, survivors of sexual violence and torture, share their experiences. Traces reveals their resilience and solidarity, transforming their testimonies into an act of remembrance and justice.

Watch the trailer
Streaming: soon

Cuba and Alaska, 2025
Yegor Troyanovsky

Two female medics in Ukraine’s army, whose lives are captured via phone and body cam footage, navigate the chaos of war with bravery, humour and friendship.

Watch the trailer
Streaming: Takflix

Butterfly Vision, 2022
Maksym Nakonechnyi

Returning home from the front line after being held captive for two months, soldier Lilia (29 y.o.) discovers that she is pregnant after being raped by her warden. Will she manage to survive this trauma and save the child in a society that is not ready to accept either of them?

Watch the trailer
Streaming: Takflix

Nice Ladies, 2024
Mariia Ponomarova

With the recent escalation of Russia’s war on Ukraine, the seemingly unbreakable bond of a vibrant cheerleading team of 50+ year old women called “Nice Ladies” is challenged. They face impossible choices between motherland and grandmotherhood, between staying and leaving.

Watch the trailer
Streaming: Takflix

Forever Forever, 2023
Anna Buryachkova

Kyiv, late 1990s. Tonia transfers schools to escape violence, only to find herself drawn into a restless group of teenagers testing the limits of love, friendship, and cruelty. Between first desires and reckless games, she falls for the charismatic Zhurik while longing for Sania, caught in a swirl of emotions where innocence and danger intertwine. No one escapes unscathed.

Watch the trailer
Streaming: Arte.tv

The Earth is Blue as an Orange, 2020
Iryna Tsilyk

Single mother Anna and her four children live in the front-line war zone of Donbas, Ukraine. While the outside world is made up of bombings and chaos, the family is managing to keep their home as a safe haven, full of life and full of light. Every member of the family has a passion for cinema, motivating them to shoot a film inspired by their own life during a time of war.

Watch the trailer
Streaming: Takflix

Ivan and Marta, 2022
Serhiy Bukovskyi

Ivan Dziuba was a literary critic, publicist, and a “symbol of Ukrainian sixtiers.” Lina Kostenko recalls him as a person who always had the courage to speak the truth. As the initiator of the famous protest against the mass arrests of Ukrainian intellectuals during the premiere of Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors by Serhiy Parajanov, alongside Vasyl Stus and Vyacheslav Chornovil, and as the author of the landmark book Internationalism or Russification?, he inevitably drew close attention from the KGB.

Through all the anxieties and repressions associated with his dissident activities, his wife Marta stood by his side. Together they spent 62 years. Ivan and Marta is a tender story of their relationship and Ivan’s active civic stance, told by his wife, who was his steadfast support and the love of his life until the very end.

Watch the trailer
Streaming: Takflix

Unavailable, 2018
Nikon Romanchenko

Lyuba works at a pastry shop. Her son is in the war zone and out of communication. The mother goes in search of her son in a territory unknown to her.

Watch the trailer
Streaming: Takflix

Intercepted, 2024
Oksana Karpovych

Juxtaposed with images of the destruction caused by the invasion and the day-to-day life of the Ukrainian people who resist and rebuild, the voices of the Russian soldiers – ranging from being filled with heroic illusions to complete disappointment and loss of reason, from looting to committing more horrible war crimes, from propaganda to doubt and disillusionment – expose the whole scope of the dehumanizing power of war and imperialist nature of the Russian aggression.

Watch the trailer
Streaming: Takflix

Blindfold, 2020
Taras Dron

Julia, a young MMA fighter, lost her fiancé in the war. She quits the sport and starts a new relationship to free herself from the role of the war hero’s widow, which is imposed on her by the environment.

Watch the trailer
Streaming: Takflix, dafilms

Diary of a Bride of Christ, 2022
Marta Smerechynska

For the young girls who choose to become the brides of Christ, their lives are full of His love. The nuns see its manifestation in everything – the removal of their hair and the renunciation of their names. 12 new Ukrainian future nuns take the cross in a remote village in Transcarpathia, near the border between Ukraine and Romania.

A large-scale celebration of the 20th anniversary of the serving of the Argentinean congregation in Ukraine. Hundreds of nuns from all over the world are at a meeting in Rome. And days of absolute silence and intimate personal stories from the nuns about the emergence of their vocation. What is it like to be a bride of Christ?

Watch the trailer
Streaming: Takflix

A Portrait Against the Background of Mountains, 2019
Maksym Rudenko

Deep in the mountains, a photographer, Paraska Plytka-Horytsvit, photographed people and the place where she lived for many years. After her death, a box with thousands of her negatives was found. This finding marks the start of the mysterious journey in search of the present and the past, as reflected in the photo negatives discovered by chance.

Watch the trailer
Streaming: dafilms

My Dear Theo, 2025
Alisa Kovalenko

Ukrainian volunteer soldier, filmmaker, and mother Alisa Kovalenko creates a testament to the power of love in the time of war – by balancing frontline routines, the horrors of the battlefield, and tender poetic letters to her little son, Théo.

Watch the trailer
Streaming: coming soon

Plai. A Mountain Path, 2021
Eva Dzhyshyashvili

This is the story of people who have saved more than they lost under the pressure of our ambivalent present, which has mixed up all the laws of earth and heaven. Their strength and weakness is their love: for their land, for their neighbours. They are both dissident and obedient at the same time, like the mountains.

They rebel against the injustices of life and bravely take all the blows of fate. To the human eye, the Malkovych family is lost among beautiful and harsh nature, but in fact, they are in a place where harmony and love, passed down through generations, have ruled since the beginning of time.

Watch the trailer
Streaming: Takflix

2025 Impact Report: Building What Sustains Ukraine​

Published: March 9, 2026   

In 2025, Ukraine did more than endure. Under relentless attacks on infrastructure, hospitals, and civilian life, Ukrainians continued to function, adapt, and build for the future. And because of your support, Razom strengthened the systems that make that possible — not just emergency relief, but durable capacity: the local leadership, infrastructure, and institutional strength that allow Ukraine to function under prolonged attack. Here is what that looked like.

Strengthening the Survival Chain

 

When seconds determine survival, systems matter. In 2025, Razom reinforced Ukraine’s full chain of survival — from frontline stabilization to hospital recovery. We trained tactical medics, delivered 56 Mobile Stabilization Points to bring care closer to the front line, strengthened EMS capacity across multiple regions, and delivered over $15 million in lifesaving medical supplies through 147 in-country distribution trips.

We also scaled our advanced trauma training and surgical exchange programs through the Co-Pilot Project, bringing international collaboration to elevate Ukraine’s surgical capabilities.

That is what your support creates: conditions where lives can be saved

Powering Local Leadership for Ukraine’s Future

 

Resilience is not imported. It is built locally. When international funding disruptions placed enormous strain on Ukraine’s civil society, Razom invested in strengthening Ukrainian organizations themselves. Through Razom Sylnishi (“Stronger Together”), NGOs received training, mentorship, and institutional grants to stabilize operations and build for long-term growth.

We supported 15 workforce and reskilling projects across more than 10 regions, helping over 3,300 Ukrainians rebuild livelihoods. Veterans found new pathways to leadership through adaptive sports and professional programs. Medical and military leaders completed tailored Mini-MBA programs designed specifically to equip them for crisis leadership.

Ella Petrenko, founder of the Bilozerka Center for Regional Development in Kherson Oblast, described the shift: “Doing good work is not enough — you have to do it efficiently and sustainably. These grants are about more than money. They give us time to reflect, to grow, and to build organizations that will be here for the long run.”

Through intentional investment in local leaders, recovery becomes durable — and your support allows us to infuse targeted capacity building where it will make the most difference, creating ripple effects in numerous communities.

Inspiring the World with Ukraine

 

Ukraine’s story is not only one of war — it is one of creativity, expertise, and leadership. In 2025, Razom’s Ukrainian Cultural Festival transformed October in New York into a month-long celebration of Ukrainian cinema, theater, literature, and visual arts. Ninety percent of attendees were non-Ukrainian — expanding Ukraine’s cultural presence far beyond the diaspora and into mainstream artistic spaces.

One Ukrainian Cultural Festival attendee captured the shift:

Through Ukraine on Campus, Razom supported students and scholars across major universities, creating space for Ukrainian research, literature, and lived experience to enter academic conversations on their own terms. Ukrainian medics led record-breaking workshops at international medical conferences. Journalists traveled to Ukraine to report firsthand, replacing abstraction with experience.

In 2025, Razom also launched ImpactUA, an immersive, in-country internship program that brought U.S.-based and Ukrainian students studying abroad to work alongside Ukrainian NGOs. For many, the experience transformed into long-term commitment — with several choosing to relocate, launch initiatives, or return to Ukraine in professional capacities.

Throughout 2025, Razom ensured that Ukraine’s lived reality was present where global policy decisions are made. Working closely with more than 70 congressional offices across 41 committees, Razom helped advance pro-Ukraine priorities in U.S. legislation, including $400 million for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. In Europe, Razom elevated the strategic use of frozen Russian sovereign assets as a viable pathway to finance Ukraine’s reconstruction — co-organizing high-level discussions with partners such as the Atlantic Council and the Center for American Studies at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome.

That showcases the deeper impact of Razom’s work in bringing Ukraine’s inspiration to audiences worldwide:

 Ensuring Ukraine is understood not only through crisis, but
through contribution

Innovation Under Pressure

War accelerates innovation — and Razom helped Ukrainian professionals scale the interventions and inventions that prove to be most useful. From Ukrainian-engineered communication systems now achieving state certification, to nationwide Point-of-Care Ultrasound training influencing Ministry of Health standards, 2025 showed that some of Ukraine’s most consequential solutions are emerging directly from wartime necessity.

As Ukrainian ultrasound pioneer Dr. Oksana Popova explains:

Through Razom z Toboyu (Together with You), more than 11,000 individual counseling sessions were delivered in 2025 alone, expanding access to modern, evidence-based psychological care.

Tourniquet protocols were standardized nationally through the first-ever Tourniquet Forum.

Through Razom Cinema, we reimagined how Ukrainian films are distributed and experienced globally. We partnered for the first time with Metrograph in New York to present Soul & Soil: Ukrainian Poetic Cinema, a curated series of landmark Ukrainian films.

This is innovation that strengthens Ukraine today, enhances Ukraine’s capacity to rebuild, and informs global best practices for tomorrow. Razom is proud to act as a catalyst for developing Ukrainian-led innovation and invest in solutions produced by people who excel under the toughest conditions, often with no margin for error.

Investing in Ukraine’s Next Generation

Ukraine’s future is being built in classrooms, volunteer camps, robotics labs, and youth leadership programs. Razom supported 25+ STEM classrooms reaching 9,500 students, national education festivals engaging 2,500 teachers, and international Olympiad teams earning medals on global stages. Through entrepreneurship programs like Create HERE!, 783 young people developed business plans, with projects already implemented in frontline communities. 

Razom also invests in global exposure that strengthens Ukraine from the inside out. In 2025, Ukrainian theater professionals completed internships at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, gaining hands-on experience in large-scale production, fundraising, and institutional management.

At the same time, Ukraine’s Youth Delegates to the United Nations carried the lived realities of wartime Ukraine directly into global decision-making spaces, delivering more than 20 speeches and forming a cross-continental youth network spanning 20+ countries. 

One participant reflected: “We are not just coordinating projects — we are coordinating hope.”

Investing in youth is not symbolic — it is a structural decision that ensures sustainability of workforce and talent as well as sustained involvement of youth in Ukraine’s recovery.

Building Forward — Together

The work documented in the 2025 Impact Report reflects more than response. It reflects long-term systems building. As CEO Dora Chomiak writes:

That is what Razom is building — a Ukraine that can defend itself, sustain its people, and shape its own democratic future. Your support makes this possible. If you believe in a secure, livable, and connected Ukraine — one led by its own people — we invite you to continue building with us.

Stand with Razom.
Invest in Ukraine’s long-term resilience

read the full report
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A Ukrainian masterpiece on the walls of Carnegie Hall

Published: December 30, 2025   

The original musical notes of the legendary Ukrainian song ‘Carol of the Bells’ are now displayed on the wall of Carnegie Hall!

This month, a new piece was officially opened in Carnegie Hall’s prestigious Composers Gallery: a high-quality facsimile of the original notes for ‘Shchedryk’, the iconic Ukrainian song known worldwide as ‘Carol of the Bells’. 

Its original manuscript is preserved at the Institute of Manuscripts of the V. Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine. The facsimile at Carnegie Hall offers an opportunity to recognize the Ukrainian origins of one of the world’s most renowned musical works.

Printed by Razom and delivered to Carnegie Hall’s archives, these notes are now on display, quickly becoming a favorite stop for guided tours of the historic venue.

It is significant that the cultural artifact is clearly identified as being composed by a Ukrainian artist, a fact that, until recently, was mainly unknown outside of the tight-knit Ukrainian diaspora. Now, they sit alongside notes by legends like Pete Seeger and just a step away from Beethoven.

Shchedryk first premiered at Carnegie Hall in 1922, when Ukrainians were fighting for freedom. Today, a century later, it has become a hallmark of the holiday season in the United States and stands as a testament to Ukrainian culture and resilience.

The 100th-anniversary concert, Notes from Ukraine, organized by Razom together with the Ukrainian Institute and the Ukrainian Contemporary Music Festival (UCMF) on December 4, 2022, brought this history full circle.

Dozens of volunteers helped make the concert possible, and its success has become a model for Carnegie Hall staff: ‘Make it like the Carol of the Bells concert’ is now a phrase used when planning other events.

A century after its premiere on this very stage, these notes celebrate not just a song, but a story of resilience, identity, and the enduring spirit of Ukraine.

This historic moment is now documented in the book Shchedryk. We look forward to seeing its publication in English, so it will allow the story to connect with and touch the hearts of an audience around the world.

The Composers Gallery ensures that the Ukrainian story behind Carol of the Bells will be remembered, celebrated, and shared for generations to come.

The initiative became possible in tight collaboration with the Embassy of Ukraine in the United States, the Institute of Manuscripts of the V. I. Vernadskyi National Library of Ukraine, the Vernadskyi National Library of Ukraine, and the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the United Nations.

This is one example of how Ukrainian culture is being reclaimed and properly recognized worldwide. Join us in ensuring Ukraine’s story is told truthfully!

Razom Congratulates Ukrainian Films in the Running for the 98th Academy Awards

Published: December 17, 2025   

On December 16, 2025, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the official shortlists for the 98th Academy Awards, marking one of the major milestones in the 2026 Oscar season. Razom Cinema celebrates the achievements of all filmmakers whose works were part of this season, with particular recognition for films that amplify Ukrainian voices and stories connected to Ukraine.

This year’s shortlists reflect a wide range of timely, socially resonant, and artistically accomplished works, underscoring the continued global relevance of cinema rooted in lived experience and cultural truth. Over the years, Razom Cinema has supported films that center Ukrainian perspectives and bring stories from Ukraine to international audiences.

As the 2026 Oscar race moves forward, we want to congratulate all filmmakers whose work has been recognized by the Academy, acknowledging not only the honor of being shortlisted, but the dedication, creative excellence, and impact that led to this moment.

Final Oscar nominations will be announced in January 2026, with the Academy Awards ceremony scheduled for March 2026. Our team collected the list of this year’s contenders to give you a deeper insight into the top films from and about Ukraine that made it to the Academy nomination, take a look below!

Animated shorts: I Died in Irpin (dir. Anastasiia Falileieva)

Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, 2024

At the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Falileieva and her boyfriend leave Kyiv to visit his parents in Irpin. The city becomes a battleground, but the danger is not only outside the house.

‘On February 24th in the morning, my boyfriend and I decided to go from Kyiv to Irpin to see his parents. It is hard for me to recall the chronology of those days. My mind blocks and minimises all the memories, erases them, but the only thing I know for sure is that every day, everything rapidly becomes worse.’

Animated shorts: Bound (dir. Masha Ellsworth)
USA, Ukraine, Germany, 2024

 

Against a backdrop of pastoral beauty, Ivanko and Galya must navigate a maze of miscommunications and pride, leaving them to question whether their love can truly blossom.

 

‘Bound’ was screened as a part of the Ukrainian Cultural Festival cinema program in October 2025 in NYC.

 

For more information: masha-makes-movies.com/bound

Documentary feature: 2000 Meters to Andriivka (dir. Mstyslav Chernov) 
Ukraine, United States, 2025

Amid the failing counteroffensive, a journalist follows a Ukrainian platoon on their mission to traverse one mile of heavily fortified forest and liberate a strategic village from Russian occupation. But the farther they advance through their destroyed homeland, the more they realize that this war may never end.

‘2000 Meters to Andrrivka’ was screened as a part of the Ukrainian Cultural Festival cinema program in October 2025 in NYC. Razom Cinema partners with Mstyslav Chernov and the PBS producing team supporting their ongoing distribution for educational purposes through our Ukraine on Campus program. 

Streaming: Youtube or PBS website starting Nov. 25th
Follow for more updates: 2000meterstoandriivka.com

Documentary feature: Sanatorium (Dir. Gar O’Rourke)
Ireland, Ukraine, France, 2025

Despite a war close by, mud treatments and electro-therapies continue at Kuyalnik Sanatorium near Odesa in southern Ukraine, where a small group searches for love, healing & happiness.

Streaming: BBC Storyville & MUBI
For more information: garorourke.com/portfolio/sanatorium

Documentary feature: Viktor (dir. Olivier Sabril)

Viktor, a young Deaf man in Kharkiv, watches warily during the early days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A fan of samurai films and raised on stories of war, he dreams of becoming a warrior but is repeatedly denied when he tries to enlist. Eager to find purpose, Viktor embarks on a quest to find his place in the midst of a war he cannot hear.
“Viktor” was screened as a part of the Ukrainian Cultural Festival cinema program in October 2025 in NYC.

For more information: viktorfilm.com

Documentary feature: Checkpoint Zoo (dir. Josh Zeman)
United States, United Kingdom, Ukraine, 2024

When Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, the world watched in horror as cities came under relentless fire. But few knew of the quiet heroism unfolding just outside Kharkiv, where the Feldman Ecopark Zoo sat between advancing Russian forces and the Ukrainian defenders.

More than 5,000 animals were trapped in the crossfire – helpless, frightened, and in desperate need of rescue. Against impossible odds, a small team of zookeepers and volunteers risked their lives day after day to save these creatures.

This is not just a story about animals. It is about humanity, resilience, and the Ukrainian spirit of defying destruction with compassion and courage.

Razom Cinema was able to host a special screening of Checkpoint Zoo at the Ukrainian Action Summit in DC before the theatrical release in the U.S. – connecting advocates to the story so that they can bring it to their communities and support the film in the theaters.

For more information: checkpointzoo.com 

Narrative short: Rock, Paper, Scissors (dir. Franz Böhm)

 

Ivan and his father, operating a small hospital at the frontline, are tested when a platoon of Russian soldiers approach their building, forcing them to make a difficult decision in order to protect their patients and their own lives.

 

The film features Ukrainian actor Oleksandr Rudyndkyi and won the 2025 BAFTA for Best British Short Film.

 

For more information:

rockpaperscissorsfilm.com

whoshere.co.uk

Make sure to follow our newsletter and social media for announcements on how to catch these films and more! In the meantime, we urge you to connect with your local theaters, art institutions, and other locations where you could potentially host a screening of one of these films (or reach out if you’re looking for more). Watch the films, bring your friends, and take it to social media to make noise around them!