Razom Recommends December 2025

Published: November 26, 2025

As we wrap up another extraordinary year, this season reminds us of the power of togetherness – razom. December brings a rich tapestry of Ukrainian cultural offerings that uplift, educate, and remind us why the world continues to stand with Ukraine. We hope these #RazomRecommends highlights will add light and inspiration to your holidays.

2 Dec| San Francisco, CA

‘2000 Meters to Andriivka’: Screening with Director Mstyslav Chernov

Join the Commonwealth World Affairs Club for a special screening of the new documentary 2000 Meters to Andriivka, followed by a conversation with acclaimed Ukrainian filmmaker and war correspondent Mstyslav Chernov. Following his historic account of the civilian toll in Mariupol, Chernov turns his lens toward Ukrainian soldiers—who they are, where they came from, and the impossible decisions they face in the trenches as they fight for every inch of their land.

🔗 Tickets HERE.

3 Dec| 6:30 – 9:30 PM| NYC

‘Facing War’: Film Screening

The Ukrainian Institute of America, in partnership with the Dox Division and Think-Film Impact Production, is pleased to present the award-winning documentary Facing War. The documentary offers a gripping, behind-the-scenes look at Jens Stoltenberg‘s final year as NATO Secretary General. With unprecedented access to the inner sanctums of global power, the film chronicles Stoltenberg’s relentless diplomatic efforts to maintain alliance unity in the face of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.There is no charge for the screening, but advance registration is requested. The screening will be followed by a Q&A and a ticketed wine reception.

🔗Tickets HERE.

5 -6 Dec| 12 – 7 PM| NYC

International Holiday market

Step into the holiday spirit at the Ukrainian Institute of America’s International Holiday Market, a festive celebration of culture, community, and craftsmanship. Experience cherished holiday traditions from across Europe, savor seasonal treats, and shop for distinctive, handcrafted gifts and décor in the elegant setting of our historic Fifth Avenue mansion.

🔗Tickets HERE.

8 Dec| 7 PM| Chicago, IL

Porcelain War Screening + Q&A with filmmakers & reception (in partnership with Razom)

A screening of Porcelain War co-presented by: American Documentary | POV, Polsky Foundation, Razom for Ukraine, Ukrainian Institute for Modern Art, Chicago Grand Gallery, and Kartemquin Films. Post-Screening Q&A panel moderated by AmDoc Board member & former Chicago Times journalist Jane Hirt and will feature Porcelain War filmmakers Olivia Ahneman (producer), Brendan Bellomo (director), Camilla Mazzaferro (producer), and Olya Glantsman (Faculty/Staff Advisor, Ukrainian-American Cultural Association at DePaul University).

🔗Tickets HERE.

10 Dec| 7 PM| NYC

Viktor: Screening & Film Talk

Scandinavia House presents a special screening and film talk of Denmark’s official entry for Best Documentary Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards: the bold war documentary Viktor, followed by a Q&A with director Olivier Sarbil. Fusing rigorous reportage with innovative cinematic subjectivity, this bold documentary from veteran war photographer Olivier Sarbil is a uniquely intimate portrait of a Deaf person’s experience of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

🔗Tickets HERE.

13 Dec| 8 PM| NYC

Yalynka: Holiday Event

As the holidays draw near, the Ukrainian Institute of America warmly invites you to Yalynka, our cherished celebration of the season. We look forward to gathering with friends for an evening of community and warmth. Enjoy a buffet dinner, full premium open bar, the vibrant sounds of Orchestra Hrim, and our lively raffle, all in the uniquely welcoming atmosphere of the Institute’s landmark home. Festive Ukrainian attire is encouraged. Guests are welcome to join for the entire evening or arrive after dinner from 10 PM.

🔗Tickets HERE.

13-14 Dec| California

Ukrainian Christmas Carols

Esteemed choral director Marika Kuzma and her acclaimed Ensemble Cherubim invite you to enjoy the sounds of Ukrainian carols in California – with one concert in Los Angeles and one in Berkeley. Performed in Ukrainian interwoven with several other languages, the stirring program of songs, hymns, carols, and spoken word captures the intimacy of music traditionally sung in Ukrainian homes, churches, and town squares during the holiday season, including Mykola Leontovych’s renowned “Shchedryk” (“Carol of the Bells” and a host of musical treasures from ancient times to the present day.

🔗Tickets HERE.

19 Dec| 7 PM| NYC

A Christmas Concert

A special holiday concert featuring acclaimed Ukrainian artists Valeriia Vovk and Fima Chupakhin. Their collaboration brings together Valeriia’s expressive, crystal-clear vocals and Fima’s nuanced, imaginative musicianship, creating a program that ranges from quietly introspective to boldly virtuosic. Drawing on the depth of Ukrainian musical tradition while adding their own contemporary sensibilities, they offer a concert that feels both fresh and deeply rooted. The concert will be followed by a reception. Advance registration is requested.

🔗 Tickets HERE.

Ukrainian Resilience Takes the Global Stage at Harvard: How “RAZOM z Toboyu” Is Building a New Model of Mental Health Support

Published: November 24, 2025

At a time when the world is searching for answers about how societies survive — and grow — through war, Ukraine is offering not theory, but evidence. This November, the team behind “RAZOM z Toboyu” (“Razom With You”) presented Ukraine’s emerging model of psychological resilience at Harvard University’s Heal Ukraine 2025 Conference, joining more than a hundred experts from the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Ukraine.

It was more than a presentation. It was Ukraine’s voice — steady, thoughtful, and grounded in lived experience — showing the world what it means to care for a nation living through trauma and still choosing to build a better future.

Thanks to Razom’s supporters, this program has grown into one of the largest, most practical mental-health networks operating inside Ukraine today. And at Harvard, it became clear: Ukraine is not only enduring. Ukraine is innovating.

A Ukrainian Model of Resilience — Born in War, Built for the Future

For three years, the “RAZOM z Toboyu” team has been developing an integrated model of psychological support rooted in the real experiences of communities, families, and the specialists who serve them.

At Harvard, speakers Iryna Gudyma, Tetiana Kril, Larysa Zahray, and Nataliia Chorna introduced a comprehensive system built on four interconnected layers of resilience:

Individual resilience — strengthening awareness, emotional regulation, inner resources, and spiritual grounding.

Family resilience — rebuilding trust, communication, and support networks within households carrying the weight of war.

Professional resilience — supporting teachers, psychologists, medics, social workers, and volunteers so they can continue helping others without burning out.
Social resilience (post-traumatic growth) — transforming collective trauma into collective strength, where communities become engines of healing.

“Ukraine is a symbol of resilience. Ukrainian specialists are creating a modern, accessible, and scalable mental-health system. This experience matters not only for us — but for the world,” said Iryna Gudyma, RAZOM z Toboyu program director.

Evidence-Based Care That Reaches Thousands

Behind this model are tangible results — made possible by donors who believe in Ukraine’s long-term recovery.

As of October 2025:

28,570+ individual counseling sessions
1,157 group sessions
442 resilience trainings
Over 2,000 specialists trained across 155 organizations
Six psychological support centers operating in Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Bucha, Khmelnytskyi, Dnipro, and Kharkiv
All services provided free of charge for people impacted by war

These are not statistics — they are thousands of lives stabilized, supported, and strengthened.

The team also unveiled a six-session individual support model that helps clients quickly experience measurable improvement. Using standardized assessment tools, psychologists track symptoms of anxiety, depression, and trauma. After six sessions:

Depression levels (PHQ-9) drop by 17.5%
Anxiety (HADS) decreases by 18%
79% of clients develop personal self-regulation and recovery plans

A digital platform, Health Suite, enables automated monitoring of progress and program effectiveness — a rare achievement for mental-health interventions during wartime.

“We help people who continue living in war. Our task is not only to stabilize, but to cultivate skills that allow clients to restore balance on their own,” said Tetiana Kril, RAZOM z Toboyu MHPSS lead.

Strengthening Those Who Support Others

One of the program’s most profound impacts has been among Ukraine’s “human-to-human” professionals — psychologists, teachers, medics, social workers, and volunteers who form the country’s emotional and social backbone.

In 2025 alone:

2,100+ specialists completed training
Participants’ knowledge levels rose by 22.9% on average
Workshops on communication with service members and preventing professional burnout saw gains above 25%

“Training for the ‘human-to-human’ system must be continuous. We create a space where people can reflect, recover, and continue helping others without burning out,” emphasized Larysa Zahray, RAZOM z Toboyu senior psychologist.

Her Harvard presentation also highlighted how the war is transforming psychological education in Ukraine: universities are redesigning curricula around trauma-informed care, crisis response, and emotional regulation, preparing a new generation of specialists who understand the reality their country faces.

Healing Families, Breaking the Cycle of Trauma

War impacts every household touched by service, displacement, injury, or loss. That is why the “RAZOM z Toboyu” team dedicates a major part of its work to family rehabilitation, especially for families of veterans and active-duty service members.

Nataliia Chorna presented evidence that structured family therapy:

Rebuilds trust
Reduces secondary trauma
Strengthens communication
Creates durable patterns of mutual support

Her work also addresses transgenerational trauma — how wartime experiences can echo into the future through family beliefs, memories, and behaviors.

“Rehabilitation is not only about overcoming trauma. It is about creating new systems of mutual support. Family is the key resource capable of transforming pain into strength,” noted Nataliia Chorna, RAZOM z Toboyu supervisor.

Ukraine’s Experience as a Guide for the World

For many at Harvard, the Ukrainian team’s presentations were not simply reports of progress — they were a glimpse into the future of trauma-informed recovery in conflict-affected regions.

“Today, Ukraine demonstrates how a nation living through war can not only survive, but build a modern mental-health system rooted in evidence, ethics, and accessibility — and show post-traumatic growth even in the hardest times,” said Iryna Gudyma.

The Heal Ukraine 2025 Conference included leading organizations such as Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute, Scholars at Risk, Heal Ukraine Group, Razom for Ukraine, MedGlobal, Doctors United for Ukraine, Nova Ukraine, and others. But it was the Ukrainian specialists who brought something irreplaceable: lived expertise.

Their message resonated deeply: Resilience is not an abstraction. It is daily work — work made possible when families, communities, and supporters stand together.

Why This Matters — And What Comes Next

In the face of daily air-raid sirens, displacement, and unimaginable loss, Ukraine continues to invest in dignity, recovery, and hope. Donor support has allowed Razom to nurture a program that is now shaping global discussions on mental health during war.

Ukraine is teaching the world how to heal while fighting for survival — and how to turn shared trauma into shared strength.

Together, we’re building a future where every Ukrainian can heal, rebuild, and rise stronger.

Razom Stronger 3.0: Knowledge, Partnerships, and a Generation Shaping the Future

На днях у Києві відбулася третя щорічна конференція грантерів Razom for Ukraine — «Razom Сильніші 3.0». Подія зібрала понад 200 представників громадських та благодійних організацій, які працюють із громадами, ветеранами, молоддю, освітою та відбудовою.

Published: November 14, 2025

Recently, the third annual Razom for Ukraine Grantee Conference – “Razom Stronger 3.0” – took place in Kyiv. The event brought together more than 200 representatives of civil society and charitable organizations working with communities, veterans, youth, education, and reconstruction.

This year’s central theme was learning—not academic learning, but living, experience-based learning born from mistakes, new ideas, and networking. Among the speakers and participants were well-known public figures, educators, and veterans whose organizations Razom also supports through its grant programs. This once again highlights Razom’s systemic approach: we not only organize events that strengthen communities but also empower those who drive change on the ground every day.

The two-day program featured over twenty sessions, ranging from panel discussions with donors and businesses to workshops on team emotional resilience. One of the most anticipated lectures was delivered by Valerii Pekar—entrepreneur, educator, and public intellectual—who spoke about “Scenarios for the Future” and the civic agenda for Ukraine after the war. His statement that “Ukrainians must not only rebuild, but also rethink” became a recurring theme throughout the conference.

Another powerful highlight was the panel “Warrior. Leader. Community,” featuring Andrii Zelinskyi, military chaplain, chair of the supervisory board of the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation, and educator, alongside Maksym Butkevych, human rights advocate and veteran. They spoke about the cost of experience, post-frontline transformation, and the responsibility of civil society in helping people return to life.

Participants noted that this year’s focus shifted from exchanging grant practices to building a shared vision. “The conference created an incredible atmosphere of networking, new connections, and learning. We’re already planning projects with new partners,” one participant shared. This synergy is precisely what defines Razom Stronger 3.0.

Over two days, the event became an intensive laboratory for leaders, featuring practical sessions on fundraising, communications, cooperation with businesses, and team development. Participants suggested creating regional chat groups, an open contact database, and more time for informal discussions. “After meeting here, we can now launch joint projects,” one attendee summarized.

Ultimately, Razom Stronger 3.0 demonstrated that Ukraine’s civil society sector is entering a new stage of growth—a space where not only organizations but also people evolve, proving each day that rebuilding is not merely a process but a state of a society that refuses to break.

ImpactUA Internships: From Three Weeks to a Lifetime of Commitment

Published: November 12, 2025

Every year on November 17, the world marks International Students’ Day, honoring the power of student voices to shape societies and spark change. It is a day that reminds us that young people are often at the forefront of movements for freedom, democracy, and justice.

At Razom, we believe that students are not just learners – they are leaders, connectors, and future changemakers. That is why, on this International Students’ Day, we highlight the stories of three remarkable young people – Olha, Conor, and Aidan – who took part in the first-ever ImpactUA program that Razom partnered on with Brave Generation. Their experiences in Ukraine demonstrate how students can become lifelong advocates, allies, and builders of the future.

Olha: Building Pathways for Veterans

For Olha Burdeina, a Ukrainian student at Brown University, ImpactUA was more than an internship – it was a step toward realizing her vision of creating reintegration opportunities for veterans. Paired with the Unbroken Rehabilitation Center in Lviv, Olha found herself not only supporting administrative tasks but also engaging directly with veterans.

Her most powerful memories come from facilitating stop-motion animation workshops designed for veterans. She recalls how difficult it was at first to connect with participants:

“Working with veterans is not easy, especially if you are with them only for three days. Sometimes they don’t feel like opening up. Sometimes you just need to sit in silence. But then they start to share, and those conversations change you.”

One veteran in particular left a mark on her: Michael, an American who lost his arm while fighting for Ukraine. Olha served as his interpreter during the workshops and later helped organize a special evening – opera tickets and dinner – so that Michael and his fellow servicemen could simply feel like ordinary people again.

“I just wanted them to feel like they are people. They are not defined by their trauma. They can connect, laugh, and be part of something bigger.”

But Olha’s story doesn’t end with ImpactUA. Over the summer, she launched Reborn, a veteran reintegration initiative in her home region of Chernivtsi, with support from the Projects for Peace Foundation. The program offers English language training and community engagement for returning soldiers.

Looking ahead, Olha dreams of a Ukraine where veterans are fully reintegrated into society, recognized not only for their sacrifice but also for their potential.

“I want to see a Ukraine where veterans have the skills, the opportunities, and the community support to live full lives after the war. That is the country I want to help build.”

Conor: Teaching Ethics for a Technological Future

For Conor, a student pursuing a dual degree in artificial intelligence and data science between CentraleSupélec (Université Paris-Saclay) and ESSEC Business School, the experience in Ukraine reshaped not only how he views the country, but also how he intends to apply his academic expertise.

During his internship, Conor worked with Unbroken, engaging with staff and veterans and seeing firsthand how technology intersects with healing. But what truly struck him was the resilience and openness of the Ukrainian people.

“I don’t want to give clichés like ‘resilient,’ but it’s true. What impressed me most was the ambition and forward-thinking attitude of Ukraine’s young people. Ukraine is a country run by people who are determined to create a future against all odds.”

Inspired by this spirit, Conor has already made plans to return. Later this year, he will travel back to Ukraine to lead workshops for students on AI ethics, ensuring that Ukrainian youth are not only rebuilding their country but also preparing to lead in the rapidly evolving technological world.

When asked about the Ukraine he envisions, Conor reflected on the balance between rebuilding and innovating:

“The Ukraine I want to see is one that doesn’t just recover from war, but that sets an example for the world – showing how ethics and innovation can go hand in hand. It’s a future where young Ukrainians are shaping technology responsibly, and where their creativity drives global conversations.”

Aidan: Journalism with Purpose

For Aidan Stretch, a recent Yale graduate, ImpactUA was the doorway to a new chapter of life. With a background in history and journalism, Aidan had long been interested in Eastern Europe. But it was the program that gave him his first immersion in Ukraine, introducing him to organizations like Cities4Cities and connecting him with networks that continue to support his work.

Aidan now lives in Kyiv, working as a freelance journalist and contributing to outlets like The Free Press and The Kyiv Independent. He’s committed to staying for at least three years. He credits ImpactUA with giving him the soft skills, networks, and cultural insights to begin this journey:

“The network itself was incredibly important. And just beginning to understand how to have conversations with Ukrainians – how to skip the small talk and get to the real stories – was essential. Those are lessons I use every single day now.”

For Aidan, Ukraine is not just a subject of reporting; it’s a cause. He sees journalism as a way to bring real Ukrainian voices into international conversations that too often exclude them.

“The worst things in history happen when decisions are made in rooms without the people who are actually affected. Programs like this ensure that their voices are heard – through us, through our work, through the stories we tell.”

When asked about the Ukraine he envisions, Aidan was clear-eyed but hopeful:

“Ukraine will be a Western democracy and a part of the EU – that’s inevitable. But my hope is that alongside reconstruction, people pay attention to what comes next: building inclusive institutions, dealing with migration, strengthening civil society. Ukraine’s fight is not only to survive, but to thrive.”

A Common Thread: From Observers to Advocates

Though their paths differ, Olha, Conor, and Aidan share a common transformation. They arrived as students eager to learn. They left as advocates determined to act. For Olha, it’s through building her own NGO for veterans. For Conor, it’s through returning to teach ethical AI in Ukraine. For Aidan, it’s through embedding himself in Kyiv to tell Ukraine’s story to the world.

Their journeys prove that Impact UA is not just a summer internship. It is a seedbed for lifelong advocacy. What makes these stories even more powerful is that none of the students spoke only about their own careers. Each reflected on the Ukraine they hope to see – and their answers reveal a deep sense of responsibility.

For Olha, it is a Ukraine where veterans are not left behind but are empowered to contribute to society. For Conor, it is a Ukraine that doesn’t just rebuild but innovates—one that leads global conversations about ethics and technology. For Aidan, it is a Ukraine firmly integrated into the democratic West, resilient enough to face future challenges while building inclusive institutions.

Impact that Endures

The war in Ukraine is not only fought on battlefields – it is fought in classrooms, boardrooms, media outlets, and global conversations. The students who participate in ImpactUA return to those arenas equipped not only with knowledge, but with lived experience. They know what it feels like to descend into a bomb shelter during an air raid. They know the sound of laughter in a café where life continues in spite of war. They know the faces of veterans who refuse to be defined by trauma. And they carry these truths with them wherever they go.

As Olha put it:

“Ukraine gained real advocates in the United States and beyond. These are people who will always be connected to Ukraine. They’ll be our ambassadors.”

From Ukraine to Campuses Worldwide

ImpactUA shows how powerful student engagement can be in shaping the future of Ukraine. But the journey does not end with three weeks on the ground. For many students, it sparks a lifelong commitment.

That is why Razom also leads Ukraine on Campus – a movement connecting students and educators across the U.S. who are raising awareness, investing in the interdisciplinary study of Ukraine, organizing cultural events, and advocating for Ukraine in their universities and communities. (Learn more at ukraineoncampus.org). If you are inspired by Olha, Conor, and Aidan’s stories, there are many ways to get involved. Whether you are a student starting a Ukrainian club, a professor seeking to host Ukrainian scholars, or simply someone who believes in amplifying Ukrainian voices, Ukraine on Campus provides a pathway to act. While not every student has the chance to experience Ukraine firsthand like Olha, Conor, and Aidan, Ukraine on Campus has set up toolkits to help bring Ukrainian stories to campuses here in the States: right now, you can apply for a university film screening toolkit of 2000 Meters to Andriivka, where, in his follow-up to Oscar®-winner 20 Days in Mariupol, Pulitzer-winning AP journalist Mstyslav Chernov again immerses us, cinematically and emotionally, in the war in Ukraine.

International Students’ Day is a reminder that student voices matter. ImpactUA has proven that short-term immersion can create long-term allies. For donors, it is an investment in leadership that multiplies over decades. For students around the world, it is an invitation: come, learn, and stand with Ukraine – not as an observer, but as a creator of its future.

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.