Razom for Ukraine Endorses REPO Implementation Act 2025

Published: October 20, 2025

Razom for Ukraine Endorses REPO Implementation Act 2025

Washington, D.C., October 20, 2025 — Razom for Ukraine is proud to endorse the bipartisan REPO Implementation Act (S.2918), which was introduced by Senator Risch (R-ID) and Senator Whitehouse (D-RI). This critical legislation provides a moral, legal, and practical pathway to transfer frozen Russian state assets to Ukraine to assist a nation that continues to stand against Russia’s brutal aggression. As this legislation goes to markup by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, there’s no better time to make Russia pay.

This new legislation builds on the successful REPO for Ukrainians Act, which became law in April 2024. By strengthening President Trump’s authority to repurpose Russia’s frozen assets and encouraging our allies to do the same, the REPO Implementation Act ensures Ukraine has predictable and sustained support without additional costs on American taxpayers.

Russia must pay. Ukraine must rebuild. By repurposing Russia’s assets, President Trump will have the tools he needs to lead through strength. Razom calls on Congress to advance this crucial bill — and on global allies to follow America’s lead.

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Razom (“Together” in Ukrainian) is a U.S. nonprofit providing medical and humanitarian aid to Ukraine and a leading advocate for continued U.S. assistance to Ukraine.

Keeping the pressure on Putin is the only path to peace

Published: October 17, 2025

October 17, 2025

RAZOM FOR UKRAINE: KEEPING THE PRESSURE ON PUTIN IS THE ONLY PATH TO PEACE

Washington, D.C. — As President Trump concludes his meeting with President Zelenskyy and prepares to meet again with Putin, Razom for Ukraine urges the Trump administration to make Russia feel the full weight of American resolve.

“President Trump’s support for Ukraine in recent weeks has led to the best chance yet at peace. But Putin talks peace while his army bombs Ukrainian cities and steals Ukrainian children. This cannot continue,” said Mykola Murskyj, Advocacy Director at Razom for Ukraine.

Secretary of War Hegseth was absolutely right when he said, “You get [peace] when you have real capabilities that adversaries respect.” Congressional leaders and the American people agree. Speaker Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Thune have said that sanctions on Russia are long overdue. New polling found that 73% of Republicans and 72% of Democrats want the U.S. to arm Ukraine and sanction Russia.

Over the past year, Ukraine racked up impressive achievements on the battlefield, regaining previously occupied territory and crippling Russia’s oil production. Meanwhile, Putin continues to make vague promises of negotiation that amount to nothing and only serve to stall for time. Now is the time to capitalize on Ukraine’s successes, not give in to Russian delay tactics.

“Putin doesn’t want peace — he wants permission,” said Murskyj. “Putin doesn’t need another photo op; he needs to end his invasion.” Because Russia wants war, peace can only be achieved by arming Ukraine to the teeth, imposing crippling sanctions on Russia’s economy, and showing American might. Only through strength can President Trump parlay his success in the Middle East into sustained peace in Europe.

For more information or to request an interview, please contact Ostap Yarysh, Media Advisor at Razom, ostap.yarysh@razom.org

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Razom (“Together” in Ukrainian) is a U.S. nonprofit providing medical and humanitarian aid to Ukraine and a leading advocate for continued U.S. assistance to Ukraine.

Razom Applauds Senate Passage of NDAA with Key Provisions for Peace in Ukraine

Published: October 10, 2025

RAZOM APPLAUDS SENATE PASSAGE OF NDAA WITH KEY PROVISIONS FOR PEACE IN UKRAINE

Washington, D.C., October 10, 2025 — Razom for Ukraine applauds the Senate’s passage of the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which will significantly advance President Trump’s efforts to achieve peace in Ukraine and end Russia’s invasion. As the NDAA moves to formal conference, we urge Congress to preserve the many pro-Ukraine and pro-peace provisions included in the Senate version. Razom also applauds Senators Klobuchar (D-MN) and Grassley (R-IA) for S. 2119, the Abducted Ukrainian Children Recovery and Accountability Act — incorporated into the Senate NDAA — to help return tens of thousands of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia and hold perpetrators accountable.

The Senate NDAA equips President Trump with additional tools to push the Kremlin into negotiations to end the war. Razom welcomes the inclusion of provisions that support Ukraine’s defense and the deterrence of future Russian aggression, as well as the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which creates American jobs to revitalize the U.S. defense industrial base while saving lives in Ukraine. We encourage President Trump to issue USAI contracts and get Americans back to work rebuilding the Arsenal of Democracy, especially for desperately needed Patriot air defenses. We particularly applaud Senate Armed Services Chairman Wicker and Ranking Member Reed for their leadership in ensuring the inclusion of these important provisions.

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Healing the Invisible Wounds: How Razom z Toboyu is Changing the Culture of Mental Health in Ukraine

Published: October 9, 2025

On October 10, the world marks World Mental Health Day. For Ukraine, a country enduring its third year of the full-scale invasion, the day resonates in profoundly urgent ways. The violence of Russia’s aggression has left deep scars not only on the land and bodies of Ukrainians, but also on their minds and hearts. The invisible wounds – trauma, anxiety, depression, grief – will outlast the missiles and sirens if not addressed with compassion, professionalism, and persistence.

Razom’s Razom z Toboyu (Together with You) initiative exists for exactly this reason. It is a growing network of psychological support centers and online services providing free, high-quality mental health care to Ukrainians affected by the war. More than a project, it is becoming a cultural shift: building a future in which seeking psychological support is not taboo, but normal, valued, and accessible.

This transformative vision has recently received a powerful boost. Direct Relief awarded Razom z Toboyu a $1 million grant to expand access to mental health services across Ukraine.

The Mental Health Landscape in Ukraine

The statistics paint a sobering picture. At the beginning of 2025, only 36% of Ukrainians reported satisfaction with their psychological state, down from 41% in 2022. More than 83% live under high stress, and experts estimate that 40–50% of the population – some 15.7 million people – will need psychological assistance in the coming years.

Symptoms are widespread and pervasive: 58% report anxiety and tension, 50% sleep disorders, and nearly half report exhaustion and low mood. Among the most vulnerable are 1.8 million veterans, 7 million elderly people, and around 4 million children. The stakes are high, as untreated trauma risks translating into intergenerational harm, rising rates of depression, suicide, and social instability.

And yet, amid these challenges, there are signs of hope.

Stigma around therapy is diminishing, as demonstrated by the share of Ukrainians willing to see a psychologist growing from 7% in 2022 to 17% in 2025, while the overall demand for psychological support jumped from 41% to 71%. This is where Razom z Toboyu has stepped in, not only to meet the need but to accelerate this cultural transformation.

Building a Network of Care

Razom z Toboyu was founded on a simple yet profound conviction that healing is possible, and help is close by. With physical centers in six cities and nationwide online access, the program combines local expertise with global best practices. Its 50+ specialists offer individual and group therapy, outreach support, psychoeducational programs, and webinars.

The numbers are impressive: since the launch, the program delivered 25,730 individual

consultations, 2,883 hours of group sessions, and trained 1,373 professionals across Ukraine.

Nearly 90% of clients said their challenges became more manageable, and 100% would recommend the program.

But behind every number is a human story (names changed for anonymity):

Larisa, who lost one son to war and whose other son remains in captivity, found in Razom z Toboyu the strength not only to survive but to create a nonprofit for other grieving women. She now leads art workshops and support groups, becoming a beacon of solidarity.
A veteran with survivor’s guilt after losing his entire unit began to heal through therapy, eventually remarrying and rebuilding his life.
Oksana from Mariupol, who lost her home and future, arrived at the Bucha center unable to stop crying. With steady support, she regained hope, found work, and now uses her craft both as therapy and as income.

These stories embody what Program Director Iryna Gudyma describes as the essence of the initiative: “Resilience is woven into our DNA – we fall, we rise, we rebuild. And all that while carrying unimaginable loss – Ukrainians keep choosing dignity, solidarity, and hope.”

Innovation for a New Culture

Razom z Toboyu is not just delivering therapy; it is pioneering models that can redefine mental health in Ukraine for generations.

One innovation is the digital HealthSuite system, which securely documents consultations, monitors outcomes, and enables large-scale planning. Another is the introduction of VR-assisted therapy and digital EMDR tools to scale trauma-focused care. In the future, a voice-first pilot will allow Ukrainians – including those in rural or isolated areas – to receive coping exercises and risk monitoring via phone.

Equally important is the focus on psychoeducation. Through resilience trainings, webinars, and partnerships with schools and workplaces, Razom z Toboyu normalizes conversations about mental health and equips people to support one another. As Gudyma notes, the program is building systemic resilience so “the next generation can grow without the shadow of untreated trauma.”

A Wise Investment in Ukraine’s Future

This work has not gone unnoticed. A recent award from Direct Relief is a recognition that mental health is as critical to Ukraine’s recovery as physical reconstruction. “How forward-looking they are,” Gudyma reflected, “that they realize the importance of mental health for the future of Ukraine. We are so grateful for their support.”

Indeed, the grant is more than funding; it is a vote of confidence in the vision that healing minds is foundational to rebuilding a nation. In the words of one veteran’s wife, “They gave me a DREAM that makes me strong.”

Why Continued Support Matters

As the war drags on, and even more so when active hostilities subside, the temptation for the world will be to move on – to redirect funding to physical reconstruction projects while mental health quietly falls down the list of priorities. But the lesson from other wars is stark. As a fact, after the Vietnam War, U.S. veterans suffered a very high rate of suicides because invisible wounds went untreated. Ukraine cannot afford such a tragedy.

As Gudyma reminds us: “War never ends at the frontlines – it continues in the hearts and minds of those who carry its invisible wounds.” Healing those wounds is not a short-term emergency measure; it is a generational project.

Ukraine’s ability to rebuild schools, businesses, and communities depends on whether its people can process grief and rediscover meaning. A resilient Ukraine begins with resilient Ukrainians.

Together With You

Razom means “together.” And Razom z Toboyu means that no Ukrainian has to face their trauma alone. This World Mental Health Day, as we reflect on the global call for mental health equity, Razom z Toboyu offers a powerful example of how community, innovation, and international solidarity can transform lives and societies.

The path to a free, thriving, democratic Ukraine runs not only through victory on the battlefield but also through healing in clinics, group sessions, and quiet conversations where pain is met with compassion and stigma gives way to acceptance.

Supporting this work is not just charity. It is an investment in stability and human dignity. It is how Ukraine will win the peace, and establish lasting justice and security for itself and for the global community.

Connecting the Dots: Razom Advocacy Expands Outreach—Now in Spanish

Published: October 6, 2025

At Razom, every program shares a common purpose: building a secure, prosperous, and democratic Ukraine. From delivering aid and medical training to supporting veterans and artists, each effort contributes to that goal in a different way. Advocacy is one of the ways we make that impact felt beyond Ukraine’s borders – by helping people everywhere understand why Ukraine matters.

Today, that work is expanding into new spaces. Our team is reaching Spanish-language audiences across the United States – because support for Ukraine should transcend language and geography. The team works hand-in-hand with experts, lawmakers, and local leaders to keep Ukraine’s story alive in the places where decisions are made.

Sometimes that means taking the conversation straight to the top. In 2024, Razom helped explain to House Speaker Mike Johnson why additional U.S. aid to Ukraine was not just necessary, but moral. Ukrainian religious leaders – Evangelical Baptists who had suffered persecution under Russian occupation – traveled to Washington to meet him face-to-face. As a Southern Baptist himself, Johnson listened. Around the same time, Razom placed six billboards across Louisiana, including one directly in front of his Cypress Baptist Church. They carried a verse from the Book of Esther that Johnson often quotes: “You were chosen for such a time as this.”

From Policy to Progress

In 2025, those efforts paid off in tangible results. Razom helped write and promote Senate Resolution 236, which demands that Russia return abducted Ukrainian children before any peace negotiations. The bipartisan resolution – introduced by Senators Grassley and Klobuchar – was picked up by Reuters, The Hill, and Newsmax.

Razom also backed a House letter that secured $8 million for the U.S. State Department to document and preserve evidence of the Russian war crimes. The Russian Frozen Assets Initiative, led by Yuliya Ziskina, resulted in real action abroad: a proposed Canadian law to seize $22 billion in frozen Russian assets, and a European Parliament resolution echoing Razom’s own policy language.

On Capitol Hill, the team organized a briefing with the American Enterprise Institute, bringing together GOP staffers to discuss the cost of abandoning Ukraine. They hosted five Ukrainian delegations, earned coverage in NBC, The Washington Post, and The Guardian, and trained more than 80 advocates and community leaders to speak confidently to journalists through media workshops led by Kateryna Lisunova.

Every week, activists from across the United States join Razom’s Advocacy coordination calls – sometimes hearing directly from guests like General Philip Breedlove or historian Serhii Plokhy. Together, they’re building more than policy momentum – they’re building a movement.

Local Roots, National Reach

While the Washington team keeps busy on Capitol Hill, Razom’s Public Engagement team works across the country, focusing on states that shape America’s political and moral compass. Right now, the priority states are Florida, North Carolina, Michigan, Louisiana, and Pennsylvania.

Florida matters because it is home to many key figures in the current administration. North Carolina serves as a defense and research hub, where military partnerships can help both countries build strength. Louisiana, Speaker Johnson’s home state serves as a hub for conferences and events with extensive media coverage, helping shape national opinion. In the state, the city of Shreveport stands out as a major commercial and industrial center, offering opportunities for economic cooperation. Michigan ties directly to U.S. defense manufacturing, while Pennsylvania – a longtime swing state – helps set the tone for national elections.

Florida is where the political agenda is being shaped today. Nearly a third of Floridians identify as Hispanic or Latino, and in Miami-Dade County, two-thirds of residents speak Spanish at home. To connect with that audience, Razom realized it had to speak their language – literally.

Spanish-language outreach isn’t just local-it has a global impact. Russian propaganda, particularly through RT en Español, has long spread distorted narratives across Latin America. Fortunately, most of the Public Engagement team are fluent in Spanish, including Daniel Balson, Director of Public Engagement and media advisors Kateryna Lisunova and Ostap Yarysh.

Kateryna, a former international journalist who studied Spanish at Kyiv’s Dragomanov University, leads this effort. She began her career as a Spanish-language editor for the multilingual channel Jewish News One (JN1) in its Kyiv headquarters. With over 13 years of experience in international and multimedia journalism, including work with VOA and the BBC, her fluency in Spanish and journalistic instincts make her a natural communicator for Spanish-speaking audiences.

In an August interview with Spanish-language outlet Univision North Carolina, ahead of President Trump’s meeting with Putin, she shared her analysis:

“These negotiations are only necessary for Putin to buy some time, try to win more battles on the ground, and cause more damage in Ukraine—because in reality, he will never win this war,” Kateryna said. Regarding the potential territorial swap, she added, “It’s not just about land—it’s about people who have been tortured, raped, and whose children have been kidnapped.”

Connecting Communities

From Palm Beach to Orlando and Miami, Kateryna spent weeks connecting with local activists, influencers, and journalists to bring Ukraine’s story closer to home.

In Orlando, she met with Revived Soldiers Ukraine, a nonprofit providing rehabilitation for wounded soldiers, and helped share their work with local media. She also connected with Marc McMurrin, CEO of the Ginsburg Family Foundation, who after the 2022 invasion had led the first U.S.tour of Ukraine’s National Ballet in over 30 years. That tour inspired the documentary “The Sky Was on Fire,” which earned McMurrin and director Jonathan Maricle a Suncoast Emmy Award. After meeting Kateryna this September, they began collaborating on new events and exhibits to highlight abducted Ukrainian children and expand outreach across Florida.

In Palm Beach, she worked with community leaders, including members of UA Florida, conducting media training for Ukrainian activists and building relationships at Bethesda-by-the-Sea Church – the same church where Donald and Melania Trump were married and their son baptized.

In Miami, Kateryna appeared on major Spanish-language programs, including “En Conexión Radio” with César Miguel Rondón (3M followers), “Esto es América” with José Pernalete (1M followers), and interviews with Napoleón Bravo (1M followers). She spoke about the cultural and linguistic roots of Ukrainian identity and explained that the embroidered vyshyvanka she wore is more than fashion – it’s a symbol of a living national heritage in modern Ukraine.

She also met with Sergio Bustos, vice president of WLRN Public Radio & Television, a PBS and NPR affiliate known for its award-winning coverage. These conversations sparked new ideas for future Spanish-language collaborations and cultural initiatives, aimed at reaching local political leaders in Florida.

A Network of Hope

Many people Kateryna met didn’t realize how much work was already being done to support Ukraine in Florida. Her trip became something more than outreach – it was a way to connect the dots. Local voices that once worked in isolation found each other, new projects were born, and the message grew stronger.

Supporting Ukraine, after all, is an easy decision. You just need the facts – and sometimes, to hear them in your own language.

Razom’s Advocacy team is proof that real change doesn’t come from shouting the loudest, but from speaking clearly, persistently, and from the heart. Now that you know about our efforts, we invite you to help connect more dots and expand our network in these key target states.

Every voice matters. If you’re in Florida and want to stand with Ukraine, join our network on the Quorum app to stay connected to Razom’s advocacy work and local events. Together, we can make sure Ukraine’s story continues to be heard. Register below.

A Language of Resilience and Freedom: Why Students Across America Choose Ukrainian

Published: September 30, 2025

Language is never just words. It carries memory, identity, and resilience. For Ukrainians, every phrase holds centuries of struggle against erasure and the power of survival. That is why Russian imperial projects, past and present, have always attacked the Ukrainian language first.

Today, students across the United States are embracing Ukrainian – not only to study grammar and vocabulary, but to step into a community, to stand with a nation fighting for its future, and to learn the language of freedom.

Yet, many people with a personal or professional interest in Ukraine may still hesitate to commit to taking Ukrainian language classes or may not realize they can advocate for their institutions to offer them. Razom’s Ukraine on Campus initiative spoke with some Ukrainian language instructors and students across the United States and left these conversations with more reasons than ever to study the language and to push for its place in academic curricula.

One of the interviewees, Dr. Nataliya Shpylova Saeed, a preceptor in Slavic Languages and Literature at Harvard, shared that students in her class come from various backgrounds and academic or career interests. They know that Ukrainian will help them excel in fields ranging from policy and war crimes investigation to history and regional studies, to name a few. “Learning language”, as Nataliya remarked, “gives a student access to the Ukrainian context.”

Nonetheless, one student’s motivations stood out to her the most. “I have students who started with Russian and, after 2022, chose not to invest in it because that’s their political statement [of solidarity with Ukraine]… And these students have no personal or family connection with Ukraine”. Taking Ukrainian is an act of resistance to the centuries-long attempts of russification, oppression of literature figures, artists, and discrimination against native speakers of the Ukrainian language.

It is a way to announce that Ukraine, its culture, and its people have the right to exist and to remain sovereign. Similarly, William Debnam, a former Ukraine on Campus stipend recipient and a fourth-year PhD candidate at Columbia University now, began learning Ukrainian by chance during his bachelor’s degree at Cambridge.

His curiosity, however, quickly grew into a strong and enduring interest leading to him being an elementary Ukrainian instructor. William believes that taking Ukrainian class puts you “in a select but growing group”. He even calls it a community, where “everyone is trying to support your growth and help each other”. William shared that, while Ukraine is often little-known abroad, this region has long been at the center of world history; this struggle of a stateless nation has made its literature and cinema very distinct and interesting. Studying Ukrainian, he says, opens many niches and opportunities and “gives a very interesting perspective on the world that you don’t get by studying more hegemonic cultures”. For those starting out, William recommends in-person classes and well-structured resources, such as Beginner’s Ukrainian, a textbook by Yuri Shevchuk, a Columbia professor.

Professor Oleksandra Wallo started her work at the University of Kansas 10 years ago. She emphasized the importance of high-quality instruction and finding a personal approach towards each student. At the University of Kansas, there’s a focus on Ukrainian programming and engagement with student groups and cultural activities. Many students become inspired by Ukraine’s versatile and authentic traditions. She explains that the students, who do decide to take Ukrainian, always find ways to put their knowledge to use in the future, whether they become translators, write dissertations about Ukraine and the region, or work at the organizations that support and help Ukraine. It makes her proud to see this knowledge being put to use immediately.

“This is the most rewarding thing that a professor can see. I’m glad that I can help them grow in their knowledge and I can provide the tools, the skills that will help them meet their goals, professional goals, and kind of these broader human goals, right? In understanding what it is to be standing up for justice in this world right now and how every one of us can have a part in that.”

While the above-mentioned Ukrainian language courses have been established at some universities for years or decades now, new offerings continue to grow. This year, the University of North Carolina launched an online course led by Dr. Serhii Tereshchenko. Another remarkable program created after the full-scale invasion is Dr. Olha Tytarenko’s course at Yale University. Dr. Tytarenko approaches her work with dedication and a strong mission in mind, reminding colleagues and university departments that introducing or expanding Ukrainian today “is both a matter of intellectual integrity and moral clarity.” She emphasized, “Slavic studies cannot remain dominated by the narratives of the colonizer. Supporting Ukrainian programming highlights the diversity and richness of Slavic cultures while countering a history of enforced marginalization. Enrollment numbers alone cannot measure the value of this work. At this moment, investing in Ukrainian is investing in the language of democracy, in cultural survival, and in the future of Slavic studies as a field.”

A Ukrainian language course today is more than an academic elective. It is an act of resistance against erasure, a statement of solidarity with Ukraine, and a way of joining a growing movement that places justice, democracy, and cultural survival at its heart.

We could not agree more that, “Investing in Ukrainian is investing in the language of democracy, in cultural survival, and in the future.”

When students choose Ukrainian, they choose to stand with freedom. The question is – will your campus give them that choice? Let us know about it – or reach out for help finding resources and advocating for the interdisciplinary study of Ukraine at your university or college. At Razom’s Ukraine on Campus initiative, we are dedicated to working together to bring more Ukrainian language and studies to campuses across the US.

Expanding the Movement Beyond the Classroom

The growing presence of Ukrainian language courses in U.S. universities is just the beginning. Strengthening this field also means building networks of students, scholars, and educators who carry the study of Ukraine into broader academic and cultural spaces. Conferences and convenings are one way this momentum takes root and flourishes. This year, students and instructors will have multiple opportunities to share their work, connect with peers, and deepen their engagement with Ukrainian studies:

ASEEES Convention 2025 – November 20-23, Washington, DC
ALTA Convention 2025 – November 5-8, Tucson, AZ
AATSEEL Conference 2026 – February 19–22 (2026), New Orleans, LA

To make participation more accessible, Ukraine on Campus will offer a number of travel stipends for students and presenters attending the these conferences. Click on the respective conference to access the application.

Choose Your Journey Through Razom’s “Against the Grain” Ukrainian Cultural Festival

Published: September 29, 2025

This October, Razom for Ukraine’s “Against the Grain” festival pulses with visual art, performance, literature and film that chart Ukraine’s current moment: its beauty, its losses, its rebel voice. Across genres there are recurring themes – memory and witness; nature and environment; identity, hybridity, and resisting imposed narratives. The events of the festival aren’t just entertainment: they are acts of solidarity, windows into what Ukraine is enduring and creating. Whatever your inclination, you’ll find something to make your heart and mind move.

Below are three curated “journeys” through the festival – by interest or mood. Each journey gathers together a few events that echo one another so experiencing them in sequence (or pairing them) gives more resonance. But always remember: connection to Ukraine is what roots all of this.

Journey 1: Nature, Landscape & Environment

For those who feel alive in landscapes, who see water, soil, flora, and wild creatures as central to our sense of home – and feel outrage as to what is at stake when war, corruption, or neglect intrude—this trail invites reflection and wonder.

The Editorial Office (Cinema, October 7) – Directed by Roman Bondarchuk, the film begins with Yura, a young biologist at a Natural History Museum, out in the southern steppe looking for an endangered groundhog. Instead, he witnesses forest arson. From there, the film branches into truth, media distortion, corruption, fake news, and the struggle to expose injustice – all while nature is being burned, ignored, or co-opted.
I Dream of Seeing the Steppe Again by Darya Tsymbalyuk (Visual Art, Oct 25) – Drawing on archival flora of the steppe, this participatory workshop asks us not only to remember what was, but to imagine what might be restored.
Darya Tsymbalyuk: Ecocide in Ukraine (Literature, Oct 26) — In Ecocide in Ukraine: The Environmental Cost of Russia’s War, Tsymbalyuk traces the destruction of rivers, steppes, forests, and biodiversity under the shadow of war, weaving scientific insight, personal memory, and poetic observation. Her book discussion asks: when land is a battlefield, how do we speak for what is vanishing?
What the Water Told Me by Oleksandra Zborovska (Visual Art, Oct 26–30) – A work arising from the destruction of the Kakhovka dam, using cyanotypes and river water itself to map grief, memory, loss, and the elemental force of water.
Maria Reva: Endling, Ukraine, and the End of Fiction (Literature, Oct 29) – In her novel Endling, Reva deploys the metaphor of “the last of a species” to consider war, extinction, memory, and survival in the Ukrainian landscape, reminding us that human fate is intertwined with threatened ecologies. Her reading and conversation will draw those threads into sharper relief, asking: what is left when both people and land face erasure?

This journey invites you to slow down, to place yourself in wild places (or in memory of them), and to see how nature and art are entwined – and how what happens to the land happens to people.

Journey 2: Memory, Trauma & Witnessing

If you’re drawn to work that holds up mirrors to loss, that archives what others try to erase, that makes private grief public – this is your route through the festival.

Viktor (Cinema, October 8) — A 2024 documentary by Olivier Sarbil, Viktor follows a deaf war photographer in Kharkiv as he uses his camera as a weapon of witness, capturing the invasion through his silent gaze. The film’s stark black-and-white imagery and subjective sound design make silence into a presence — reminding us that even in the absence of voice, memory persists.
Cassandra by Lesia Ukrainka (Performing arts, Oct 10–19) – Through the lens of myth and prophecy, voices that are silenced or disbelieved become powerful; Cassandra’s curse becomes all the more resonant given modern disinformation, war atrocities, unheeded warnings.
Memory Patterns by Anna Seniuk (Visual Arts, October 14-18) – Fragile fragments of memory inscribed in paper, in photographs, in tears and light; what remains when the archive is partial, when some witnesses are gone.
Short Film Programs from KISFF & Linoleum (Cinema, October 14, October 21) – Many films in these selections confront displacement, identity, rupture. The short-form gives urgency.
2000 Meters to Andriivka (Cinema, October 23) – Directed by Mstyslav Chernov, this harrowing documentary follows a Ukrainian platoon as they push through a heavily fortified forest toward liberated Andriivka, tracing each meter with bodycam footage, reflection, and grief. In sequences that register exhaustion, camaraderie, and loss, the film becomes a trench-level chronicle of war’s relentlessness and a portrait of memory in motion.
Voices of Occupation: Stories of Cultural Survival (Literature, Oct 24) – This event brings together writers from Ukraine’s occupied eastern and southern regions, including Olia Hercules, Volodymyr Rafeyenko, and Natalia Shpylova-Saeed, to explore the lived experience of occupation, memory under duress, and cultural survival. Their conversation presses on what it means to live amidst erasure and how stories insist on existence even in places marked by exclusion and control.
Our Life Behind Barbed Wire (Performing Arts, November 1) – Evoking the experiences of World War II–era forced laborers, and tying past horrors to displacement and current war, this piece uses song, storytelling, image, and ritual to bear witness.

In every piece you’ll find the fracture of experience made visible: a memory that aches to be reclaimed, a silence that demands breaking. These works remind us that trauma is not simply something to be narrated, but something for which new forms must be invented—so that witnesses, past and present, are not lost to time.

Journey 3: Identity, Hybridity, & Boundary-Breaking

If you’re energized by hybrid art, by work that refuses neat genre boxes, by cross-cultural experiments and daring forms, then this is your route.

DIA/spora by Igor Martiniouk (Visual Arts, October 2-12) – Diasporic identity, reimagined tradition, art that dialogues across distance and loss.
Apocollapse! by Dean Temple (Performing Arts, October 13) – A stage reading of a new play that weaves performance, music, text, politics: collapse not just physical, but moral, informational.
U are the Universe (Cinema, October 13) – A work that experiments with structure, and uses documentary stylings with fiction, that fold in surreal or symbolic detail.
A Romantic from Kharkiv: Music of Sergei Bortkiewicz (Performing Arts, October 17-18) – Also joining this arc of hybridity is a live piano recital by Anna and Dmitri Shelest celebrating the works of Sergei Bortkiewicz. Listeners will be invited into a nuanced story of musical identity: a Ukrainian-born Romantic composer whose lush, melancholic style drew from both Eastern and Western traditions.
Lines We Cross: Translating Ukraine (Literature, October 22) — In this conversation, Ukrainian novelist/poet Oksana Lutsyshyna and American author Sam Wachman explore how migration, queerness, language, and translation shape new identities across borders. Their dialogue provokes questions: when words cross languages, what shifts—and what remains irreducible?
Light on the Waves (Visual Arts, October 30 – November 2) – For its video and media art forms; place, displacement, borderlands shown through moving images.

These pieces insist that identity is never static, especially in times of rupture – it is always entangled, overlapping, translated. In pushing beyond borders of genre, tradition, and narrative, they show that hybridity itself becomes a site of creative possibility and a form of resistance.

Overarching Threads

What ties all three of these journeys – whether you follow water and soil, memory and loss, or boundary-crossing art – is not mere proximity or shared origin, but a deeper, restless insistence. Time and again these works answer war’s erasures with resistance; they tell truths that refuse to be silenced – about land, about the scars of history, about justice. They assert identity and belonging, even under siege: sometimes layered, sometimes hybrid, sometimes contradictory, but always claimed with urgency. And above all, they remind us that art is not passive. Here, the artist becomes witness, archivist, memory-keeper, protestor: not merely reflecting reality, but recording, preserving, and refusing disappearance. To attend Against the Grain is to join in that collective act of resistance – not as a distant observer, but as someone willing to be moved, unsettled, and inspired to bear witness in one’s own way.

Why You Should Attend

Because this festival is more than culture: it is solidarity. Because seeing art like this matters – not only for Ukrainians but for everyone who cares about truth, beauty and justice. Because connection isn’t symbolic: we bear witness, we learn, we are changed. Whatever your interest, pick a journey (or mix across) – and dive into the world of Ukrainian artists who go Against the Grain.

Two Doctors, One Mission: Bringing Hope Through Healing

Published: September 25, 2025

When Dr. Ilya Petrenko first crossed paths with Dr. Raymond Cho in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, neither could have imagined how that meeting would blossom into a transformative journey across continents. What began as a chance encounter during a medical mission has now grown into an observership in Columbus, Ohio – an exchange that underscores the power of professional solidarity and the resilience of Ukraine’s medical community.

A Meeting in Ukraine

Dr. Cho, an oculoplastic surgeon at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, first traveled to Ukraine in the spring of 2023 as part of the Face to Future missions. “I’ve been to Ukraine three times already, and I’ll be going back again in October [of 2025],” he shared. On one of those trips, he met Dr. Petrenko, an ophthalmic surgeon from Kyiv City Ophthalmology Hospital “Eye Microsurgery”. Their conversations planted the seeds of a mentorship that would soon span oceans.

“I had a great desire to learn more and attend this type of observership,” Dr. Petrenko recalled. Through one of the organizers, Natalia Komashko, he became involved in the medical missions, where he worked alongside Dr. Cho. After several collaborations in Ukraine, Dr. Cho extended an invitation to come to Ohio to see how his work unfolds in an American hospital setting.

Crossing Borders for Knowledge

The journey was not without hurdles. Securing university approval and navigating the visa process took more than six months. But perseverance prevailed, and in the summer of 2025, Dr. Petrenko arrived in Columbus for a three-week observership.

“It is an observership, so he’s not able to participate in surgeries,” Dr. Cho explained. “But he goes everywhere I go – to the clinic, to the operating room, to lectures. We even eat most of our meals together. He’s with me all day.”

For Dr. Petrenko, the experience has been tremendously useful. He observed orbital fracture and decompression surgeries, as well as complex procedures involving the tear ducts.

“What really impressed me was how many materials are available to American doctors,” he said. “For example, there is this device called the Jones tube. If it doesn’t fit, they simply open another one. They don’t reuse it. In Ukraine, we have fewer technical and material opportunities available to us.”

Beyond the technical exposure, Dr. Petrenko was struck by the discipline and organization of the American medical system. “Everyone starts their work so early – at 7:30 in the morning, everything is already in motion. The operating room works like clockwork. The level of professionalism and coordination is inspiring,” he noted.

For Dr. Cho, the value of the observership is also personal. With more than 26 years in military medicine, he feels a deep connection to Ukraine’s wounded defenders. “Ukraine is in a fight for its existence. It has been invaded by a foreign power without provocation. Ukraine as a sovereign state needs to be given the opportunity to survive. In the two years that I have been involved, I have come to love the people of Ukraine”. He added that introducing Dr. Petrenko to his colleagues in Ohio raises awareness and helps people understand Ukraine on a very human level.

Connecting with Community

While in Ohio, Dr. Petrenko also found support from the local Ukrainian diaspora. He celebrated Ukraine’s Independence Day with community members, who welcomed him as family. In conversations with patients during consultations, he was moved to hear how many Americans expressed solidarity. While he is unable to share the specifics because of the confidentiality agreement with the institution, he is still able to convey the general attitude: “Every tenth patient would say something about supporting Ukraine,” he remembered. “It made me feel that people here are with us.”

Looking Ahead

Back in Kyiv, Dr. Petrenko frequently treats wounded soldiers and civilians. He sees his observership as an investment in his ability to serve them with greater skill and confidence. “I have had opportunities to leave Ukraine and work elsewhere, but I have no intention of doing so,” he said firmly. “My country is my home. This is where my wife and children are. Ukraine is the best place for me.”

Reflecting on their collaboration, both doctors voiced gratitude to Razom’s Co-Pilot Project for making the exchange possible. “Thank you, Razom, for the support,” Dr. Cho said. Dr. Petrenko echoed: “Thank you for this opportunity, for organizing everything, and for supporting us.”

From Ivano-Frankivsk to Ohio, the journey of Drs. Cho and Petrenko is more than a professional exchange -it is a bridge of hope. It is a reminder that even in the darkest times, partnerships can flourish, knowledge can be shared, and lives can be changed.

How Veteran Taras Buhaienko Finds Purpose in Adaptive Archery

Published: September 24, 2025

Taras Buhaienko, 46, from Ivano-Frankivsk, is not a man who sugarcoats things. Even though his legs hurt constantly, his spirit remains unshaken. A seasoned soldier, a proud father, and now a certified archery instructor, Buhaienko has transformed unimaginable hardship into purpose — thanks, in part, to an adaptive sports program.

Buhaienko’s path to rehabilitation began long before he picked up a bow. He first joined the fight against the Russian invasion in 2014, driven by a deep sense of duty. “I couldn’t just sit back. I went to defend my homeland,” he said.

His first deployment resulted in an injury that earned him a third-degree disability. Still, when Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, he volunteered again, and this time, the toll was even greater.

In March 2023, near the village of Lyman, Buhaienko sustained a life-threatening injury. “A [kamikaze] drone flew right toward my chest. Somehow, I managed to knock it down with my right hand — which turned black for months — and it exploded under my feet instead of hitting my head,” he recalls.

The blast damaged both legs, affecting the pancreas and his kidneys. “I thought they’d amputate,” he admitted. “I lost toes, including a big one, which I never knew was so essential for balance.”

Buhaienko spent seven agonizing hours on the battlefield before evacuation. Hypothermia likely saved his life, slowing his body functions just enough. From the war zone, he was transferred to hospitals in Sloviansk, Kyiv, Lviv, and eventually, Ivano-Frankivsk. There, in a local hospital, his long rehabilitation began.

“Pool therapy changed everything,” he said. “I couldn’t squat before. Now I can, thanks to the right exercises and excellent trainers.”

But it wasn’t just physical recovery he needed. Like many veterans, Buhaienko struggled with the emotional aftermath of war. That is when he discovered the Petros program.

The Petros, organized by the Re:Textile Group in Ivano-Frankivsk and supported by Razom, assists wounded veterans through two core areas: therapeutic and educational workshops during recovery and adaptive sports, including Olympic-style archery. The program helps participants regain confidence, find community, and explore new opportunities during and after their rehabilitation.

Buhaienko stumbled upon an announcement for archery instructor training and decided to apply. “I just needed something to do. Sitting at home was driving me mad,” he said.

The training was led by Kateryna Dubrovina, a silver medalist in archery at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. “She taught us both the theory and the practice,” Buhaienko said. “We trained a lot, and thanks to her guidance, we really learned to shoot properly.”

At the final event, the Petros Cup, Buhaienko unexpectedly won first place in his category.

“Archery is deeply personal,” he said. “The bow is adjusted for me. It’s a sport where you can’t hide. It gets a grip on you.”

Buhaienko is now working to open his own archery club for veterans and wounded soldiers near Ivano-Frankivsk. “We’re planning to base it close to a rehabilitation center or hospital,” he said. He already has support from local officials and hopes to secure funding and equipment soon. “If I get one bow, one stand, and a few arrows, I’ll be thrilled,” he said. “That’s enough to start.”

“We, veterans, need to feel needed,” Buhaienko said. “Programs like these give us a sense that we’re not forgotten, that we’re not defeated. Archery gives us confidence, community, and a new role. When you’re an instructor, there’s added responsibility. You’re helping someone just like you.”

Looking to the future, Buhaienko dreams of a strong and independent Ukraine. “We have everything we need,” he said. “I want our country to be a pillar of security in Europe, and our veterans to be respected as the foundation of that strength.”

With your support, Razom is able to support the heroes as they adapt to civilian life after they gave it all, protecting their families and standing for democratic values.

Razom commends President Trump’s support for Ukraine victory

Published: September 23, 2025

RAZOM COMMENDS PRESIDENT TRUMP’S SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE VICTORY

WASHINGTON, D.C., September 23, 2025 — Razom for Ukraine commends President Trump for his leadership at the United Nations and his remarks affirming support for Ukraine’s victory over Russia’s faltering invasion.

“I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form… Why not? Russia has been fighting aimlessly for three and a half years,” wrote President Trump in a post on Truth Social. “Putin and Russia are in BIG Economic trouble, and this is the time for Ukraine to act.”

“President Trump showed today that he knows Ukrainians are winners,” said Director of Advocacy for Razom for Ukraine Mykola Murskyj. “Military planners at the Pentagon are studying Ukraine’s miraculous victory in the Battle of the Black Sea, forcing Russia’s fleet to retreat from Crimea for the first time in over a century.”

“I hope we see President Trump double down by signing a U.S.-Ukraine drone partnership deal—Ukraine is literally writing the handbook on how to win a war with drones, and the United States can’t afford to miss out.”

“This is the kind of leadership that wins Nobel Peace Prizes. President Trump sent a clear signal to Vladimir Putin that any more raids into NATO airspace will result in Russian aircraft getting shot out of the sky, and he gave voice to the majority of Americans who want to see Ukraine win and Russia lose. Putin only respects strength, and that’s exactly what we saw from President Trump today.”

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For media inquiries please reach out to Julian Hayda (julian.hayda@razom.org or 773-505-4806). Razom (“Together” in Ukrainian) is a U.S. nonprofit providing medical and humanitarian aid to Ukraine and a leading advocate for continued U.S. assistance to Ukraine.