Razom together with the famous Ukrainian travel blogger Anton Ptushkin, held a fundraiser in the United States to purchase 10 mobile bath and laundry complexes for the defenders of Ukraine on the front lines.
The fundraiser included two charity meetings with Anton Ptushkin in New York, which drew over 300 attendees, as well as an online auction where people could purchase valuable commemorative items to support the defenders of Ukraine.
Some of the items up for auction included:
A flag with the signatures of three Ukrainian generals — Zaluzhny, Syrsky, and Pavlyuk — which sold for $6,900.
A copy of Time magazine with Valery Zaluzhny on the cover and his autograph, which sold for $5,600.
A baseball bat signed by members of the New York Yankees baseball team, which sold for $3,700.
A bracelet with the “Azovstal” logo and the signature of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, which sold for $2,600.
Chevrons with the image of Patron the Dog, the hero dog who helped detect landmines in Ukraine, which sold for $3,700.
“Before I came to the United States, I tried to raise funds for one bath and laundry complex through my social media in Ukraine,” said Anton Ptushkin. “I was surprised to raise the money we needed in just two hours, and I raised the money for the second complex just within a day. This showed me that Ukrainians are willing to donate to humanitarian items for the military. However, people in Ukraine are also willing to donate to weapons and drones, while American people are more cautious about donating to these things and prefer to donate to humanitarian items. This is why I decided to try to raise money for mobile bath and laundry complexes in the United States. We did our first fundraiser and it was a success, so we decided to continue.”
Ptushkin also said that he chose New York as the starting point for the fundraiser because there is a large Ukrainian diaspora in the city. Jason Birchard, an owner of famous New York restaurant Veselka, generously donated $20,000 from his Stand With Ukraine Fund to the event.
Overall, the fundraiser raised $200,000, which will be used to purchase 10 mobile bath and laundry complexes. The showers are currently being manufactured near Kyiv and will soon be delivered to the front lines.
“It’s great to see that people from all over the world are coming together to support Ukraine,” said Olya Yarichkivska, one of the founders of the Razom foundation and the head of the Razom Heroes program in the United States.
“The money raised from this fundraiser will provide our defenders with much-needed bathing and laundry facilities, which are essential in this hot weather. We will continue to do everything we can to support Ukraine and its defenders.”
The Razom Heroes program is one of the many initiatives of the Razom foundation and the “Together for Ukraine” non-profit that are providing vital assistance to the defenders of Ukraine.
The program has already provided the frontline with over 130,000 tactical first aid kits, 3,000 combat medic backpacks, 100 pickup trucks/evacuation vehicles, 2,000 drones, walkie-talkies, repeaters, generators, starlinks, and other essential items for victory.
We are grateful for your interest in our work here at Razom for Ukraine. Please refer to our frequently asked questions below for information you are seeking about our mission delivery and/or how to get involved. If you don’t see your question answered on this page, please contact us with your inquiry at info@razomforukraine.org. Thank you!
How can one volunteer for Razom?
Razom for Ukraine was built on the dedication of hundreds of volunteers working together toward a common goal. As we grow, we continue to seek volunteers to support our various projects and initiatives. If you’re interested in volunteering, please fill out this form. While we cannot promise immediate placement, we’ll reach out as soon as new volunteer requests emerge from our teams. You can also email volunteering@razomforukraine.org.
In the meantime, you don’t have to wait for us; there are already opportunities to support Ukraine today:
Participate in information events and advocate for Ukraine on social media. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn to stay updated on the latest initiatives, and subscribe to our e-newsletter for news on how you can support Ukraine in your community and beyond.
Initiate a third-party fundraiser on behalf of Razom and feel free to be as creative as possible. People have started personal fundraisers for Razom on social media, hosted charity concerts, poetry readings, and evenings dedicated to supporting Ukraine’s cause.
How can one get help for Ukrainian service members?
Razom provides life-saving support to those doing the valiant work of safeguarding lives in wartime. While our organization may not directly provide the type of help you’re looking for, we encourage you to visit this page for resources and information that may guide you to the appropriate channels for your needs.
How can one get help for medical institutions?
For detailed information on how to properly apply for aid for medical institutions across Ukraine from Razom, please go to the link.
How can one get (personal) humanitarian aid?
Under the current circumstances, the efforts and attention of Razom are focused on supporting first responders and medics, medical facilities, and field hospitals, as well as advocating for Ukrainian victory. We also support Ukrainian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) providing aid in their communities.
If you are a newly arrived refugee from Ukraine to New York (USA), Razom does have an online resource – our Refugee Infohub – to guide you through obtaining services and assistance.
If you are in Ukraine or another part of the U.S., we recommend reaching out to other local organizations that provide personal aid.
How can a nonprofit/organization get grants/help from Razom?
Our grant-making program, Razom’s Relief works to foster a resilient and sustainable recovery that ensures the competitiveness of the Ukrainian economy and opportunities for those living in Ukraine. We do this via strategic investment into Ukrainian community initiatives.
The main areas of focus are:
Investing in development of Ukrainian Civil Society organizations
Providing educational and leadership development opportunities for children and youth, with a focus on STEM.
Ensuring competitiveness within the Ukrainian economy by getting people back to work with the necessary skills
Providing opportunities for veterans and women to join the workforce
Ensuring recovery via projects in water and green energy space
We are working on finalizing our new mandate and will share it soon. In the meantime, you can leave information about your organization here. Or apply for organizational development grant or mentorship here.
Can you share our fundraising page with your audience?
Razom’s mission delivery currently focuses on five program areas: Heroes, Health, Relief, Advocacy and Connect, for which we actively fundraise and which allows us to remain a sustainable nonprofit organization. Because of this we can’t support fundraising for other organizations and are not a platform for other organizations’ fundraising efforts.
How can we partner?
Please send your inquiry to our email: info@razomforukraine.org and our team will get in touch with you at the earliest possible time.
Philanthropic support is critical in fulfilling Razom’s mission and we are very grateful to our generous donors. Razom, Inc. is a U.S. 501(c)(3) organization with EIN # 46-4604398. Donations and gifts are deductible to the full extent allowable under IRS regulations and can be made online at our dedicated page: https://www.razomforukraine.org/donate/.
I am interested in working at Razom – do you have any opportunities?
To learn about career and internship opportunities, please visit our website.
Do you accept clothing donations, etc?
At this time we don’t accept in-kind donations in other forms than medical equipment and supplies or non-military aid to Ukrainian first responders and front line personnel.
We advise you to check with your local church or community center whether they can distribute some items directly.
Do you offer United for Ukraine (U4U) Sponsorship?
Razom does not provide sponsorship and should not be referenced as a sponsoring organization on the USCIS visa form. However, Ukrainians can connect with a sponsor using the following website: https://ukraine.welcome.us/connect.
ПОШИРЕНІ ЗАПИТАННЯ
Ми щиро вдячні за Ваш інтерес до нашої роботи в Razom for Ukraine. Будь ласка, ознайомтеся з відповідями на часті запитання нижче, щоб дізнатися більше про нашу місію та способи долучення. Якщо Ви не знайдете відповіді на своє запитання, будь ласка, звертайтеся до нас за електронною адресою info@razomforukraine.org. Дякуємо!
Як можна стати волонтером Razom?
Razom for Ukraine була заснована завдяки відданості сотень волонтерів, які працювали разом заради спільної мети. Ми продовжуємо шукати волонтерів для підтримки наших різних проєктів та ініціатив. Якщо ви зацікавлені у волонтерстві, будь ласка, заповніть цю форму. Хоча ми не можемо гарантувати миттєве залучення, ми зв’яжемося з вами, як тільки виникне потреба в нових волонтерах. Ви також можете написати на volunteering@razomforukraine.org.
Тим часом ви можете підтримати Україну вже сьогодні:
Брати участь в інформаційних заходах та підтримувати Україну в соціальних мережах. Слідкуйте за нами у Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn та підпишіться на нашу електронну розсилку, щоб отримувати новини про те, як ви можете допомогти Україні.
Приєднуйтесь до нашої мережі адвокації та звертайтеся до своїх обраних представників.
Відвідуйте мітинги та акції протесту у своєму місті; звертайтеся до наших партнерів Svitanok або Klych для більш детальної інформації.
Підтримуйте відповідні петиції та/або бойкотуйте компанії, що продовжують працювати в росії.
Відвідуйте заходи, які підтримує Razom.
Подайте заявку на стажування в Razom.
Організуйте сторонній фандрейзер на користь Razom. Люди вже започаткували особисті збори коштів у соціальних мережах, проводили благодійні концерти, поетичні читання та вечори на підтримку України.
Як можна допомогти українським військовим?
Razom надає життєво необхідну підтримку тим, хто здійснює героїчну роботу зі збереження життів під час війни. Хоча наша організація може не надавати саме ту допомогу, яку ви шукаєте, ми рекомендуємо відвідати цю сторінку для отримання ресурсів та інформації.
Як можна отримати допомогу для медичних установ?
Для детальної інформації про те, як правильно подати заявку на допомогу для медичних установ по всій Україні від Razom, будь ласка, перейдіть за цим посиланням.
Як можна отримати (особисту) гуманітарну допомогу?
На даний момент Razom зосереджує свої зусилля на підтримці медиків, медичних закладів та мобільних шпиталів, а також на адвокації перемоги України. Ми також підтримуємо українські неурядові організації (НУО), що надають допомогу в своїх громадах.
Якщо ви нещодавно прибули як біженець з України до Нью-Йорка (США), Razom має онлайн ресурс — Refugee Infohub, щоб допомогти вам з отриманням послуг та допомоги.
Як неприбуткова організація може отримати гранти/допомогу від Razom?
Наша грантова програма Razom’s Relief спрямована на стійке відновлення України через стратегічні інвестиції в ініціативи українських громад.
Основні напрями:
Інвестування у розвиток громадянського суспільства в Україні.
Освіта та лідерство для дітей та молоді, з акцентом на STEM.
Підтримка конкурентоспроможності економіки України.
Підтримка ветеранів та жінок у працевлаштуванні.
Проєкти у сфері водопостачання та зеленої енергетики.
Як можна партнерувати з Razom?
Будь ласка, надсилайте ваші запити на info@razomforukraine.org, і наша команда зв’яжеться з вами якомога швидше.
In acknowledgement of all the hard work volunteers, supporters, partners, and donors have put into Razom’s Emergency Response for almost five straight months now, we’ve put together an Impact Report. We’re making history together, #Razom, and we wouldn’t be able to do it any other way. So take a look, read it, share it, and help us continue this great work for Ukraine.
Our team visited a stabilization point near the front line — less than 20 kilometers from active combat zones. This is where wounded soldiers are brought after evacuation, and where medics work in a reality where only minutes often stand between life and death. We spoke with a surgeon, an anesthesiologist, and the medical team working there every day about what a stabilization point really looks like from the inside, why time remains the greatest challenge of this war, how telemedicine is saving lives under fire, and what the phrase “the golden hour” truly means on the modern battlefield.
Time That Does Not Exist: Evacuation and the Limits of Medicine
A stabilization point in war is not a hospital in the usual sense, nor simply an intermediate link between the battlefield and a hospital. It is a place where medicine functions under conditions in which time has already been lost — or nearly lost — and decisions must be made faster than normal human psychology allows. It is here that a wounded soldier who has been evacuated from the battlefield first reaches a team capable not only of stopping critical bleeding or relieving pain, but of stabilizing the patient enough to survive the next stage — transport, surgery, hospitalization, rehabilitation.
Anesthesiologist Dmytro, who works at a stabilization point, speaks about his work without romanticizing it. There is no pathos in his words, although the reality he describes is stronger than any pathos. What troubles him most is not the complexity of injuries or the exhaustion of the team, but the fact that sometimes wounded soldiers cannot be evacuated from the battlefield in time. “The thing that upsets me the most is the inability to evacuate a wounded person from the battlefield in time,” he explains. “We know the person is wounded, we are ready, we have the conditions necessary to provide care, but sometimes evacuation from the battlefield either takes a very long time or does not happen at all.”
Military medicine often speaks about the “golden hour” — the critical period after injury during which the chance of survival is highest. But in this war, especially on certain sections of the front line, that formula does not always work. The doctor describes it almost bitterly: “As they say — the golden hour. For us, it’s a golden week.” There were cases when wounded soldiers remained in positions for too long, while medics could support them only remotely: dropping antibiotics by drone, consulting on what medications to administer, how to dilute them, what to do until evacuation became possible.
This is where one of the key realities of modern frontline medicine becomes visible: the problem is not always the absence of specialists, medications, or skills. Very often, the problem is that between the wounded soldier and the doctor lies the battlefield itself — drones, artillery, destroyed roads, weather, the absence of safe evacuation routes, and constant danger for evacuation teams. That is why a stabilization point works not only with the wounded body, but also with the consequences of delays that medicine itself cannot control.
Under these conditions, telemedicine stops being a modern buzzword from presentations and becomes a practical survival tool. Doctors consult combat medics and soldiers remotely, sometimes effectively directing care in real time. “We called and explained what to do: how to bandage, where to apply pressure, where to pack the wound,” recalls surgeon Yevhen. In one case, according to him, remote guidance made it possible to remove tourniquets, control bleeding, and save a limb. This does not replace evacuation and does not eliminate the need for surgery, but sometimes such remote support gives a person a chance to survive until help arrives.
Working at the Edge: Stabilization, Decisions, and Responsibility
When the wounded finally arrive at the stabilization point, the team must act quickly, but not mechanically. Stabilization is not a chaotic set of actions, nor an automatic process of “stitching someone up and sending them onward.” It is a complex process in which every step depends on the patient’s condition: whether the person is in shock, hypothermic, suffering from massive blood loss, whether blood pressure is stable, whether the body can tolerate intervention. “A soldier arrives soaked, cold, without pain management. He has to be undressed, laid down, dried off, warmed up, provided with anesthesiology support, stabilized in terms of blood pressure and other indicators. Only then can the surgical team work safely,” explains surgeon Yevhen.
That is why the amount of time spent at a stabilization point cannot fit into a single chart. If the patient is relatively stable, treatment may take 15–20 minutes. If the condition is severe, doctors may work for two or three hours. To civilians, that may sound like a long time, but for frontline medicine it is sometimes the only opportunity not to lose the patient before reaching the hospital. “Medicine is not always two plus two,” says the surgeon. “Everything depends on the patient’s condition, the extent of the injury, the amount of care required, and the stabilization measures needed.”
A particularly difficult topic is amputations and severe limb injuries. According to the doctor, stabilization points are not places for “planned” amputations in the hospital sense. If a limb is nonviable, the team does not attempt to make a final decision in conditions where not all capabilities are available. Their task is to stabilize the patient, avoid worsening the condition, preserve whatever may matter for future surgical work and prosthetics, and transfer the patient to the next level of care. “The hospital shapes the residual limb in a way that is more adapted for prosthetics,” explains Yevhen. “If we see that the limb is nonviable, we do not remove the tourniquet, we perform surgical debridement, stabilize the patient, and prepare them for transport.”
This is important to understand: a stabilization point is not a place of “final treatment.” It is a place where a wounded person must be moved from a state of catastrophe into a condition in which transport becomes possible. The patient’s story is not completed there — they are given a chance for it to continue. In this sense, the anesthesiologist’s role is one of the central ones: not simply “administering anesthesia,” but guiding the patient through the most dangerous interval — between uncontrolled post-traumatic condition and the possibility of surgical intervention.
War constantly destroys any sterile image of medicine. Patients may arrive on ATVs, improvised stretchers, covered in mud, soaked, freezing, after prolonged periods in frontline positions. The doctor recalls cases when a wounded soldier essentially “flew into” the stabilization point in a condition where only the eyes were visible, while everything else — mud, clothing, blood, exhaustion — blended together. The team cuts away clothing, pulls the person out, evaluates the condition, and starts working. This is the daily reality in which stabilization points exist: not under ideal protocols, but under the conditions of war, where every case brings a different scenario.
Impact and Systemic Change: From Experience to Standards
Despite this, medics speak not only about survival, but also about development. One of the recurring requests in these conversations is for more opportunities for training, professional exchange, conferences, workshops, and courses. This is not a “bonus” or abstract self-education. For people who work every day with the harshest consequences of war, development means better decisions, fewer mistakes, faster responses, and a greater chance of survival for patients. The conversation directly mentions the need for funding conferences, courses, visiting workshops, and exchanges with specialists.
Already in Ukraine, several educational initiatives are being launched or discussed: the ASET course, the future implementation of ATLS, work related to infection control, and educational initiatives connected to Razom Health. It is separately emphasized that infections in hospitals have become such a serious problem that they require an entire direction of work on their own. This is another indication that frontline medicine does not end at stabilization. A wounded person moves through a long chain, and the quality of every stage affects the outcome: from first aid at the position to evacuation, stabilization points, hospitals, infection control, rehabilitation, and return to life.
In this context, the Razom Heroes program plays a key role, working not with isolated cases but with the system as a whole. This includes the training of combat medics and instructors, equipping units, developing educational programs, and creating conditions in which frontline experience does not remain at the level of isolated stories, but is transformed into standards. It is through programs like these that a connection is formed between the reality of stabilization points and long-term systemic change: implementation of training courses, development of telemedicine, support for instructor programs, systematization of knowledge, and transfer of that knowledge to other units.
A stabilization point is a place where medicine looks least like a beautiful story and most like a struggle against time. Not everyone can always be saved there. It is not always possible to do what the doctor knows and is capable of doing, because sometimes the patient simply cannot arrive in time. Here, the “golden hour” can turn into days of waiting, while telemedicine becomes a temporary bridge between the battlefield and the physician. But it is here that the most important thing becomes visible: Ukrainian military medicine is not simply reacting to war — it is learning, adapting, creating new practices, and trying to turn the experience of every injury into knowledge that will help save the next patient.
And perhaps the most accurate way to describe the work of a stabilization point is not through heroic language, but in very practical terms: it is a place where people are given a chance to reach the next opportunity. To the hospital. To surgery. To a prosthetic. To rehabilitation. To life after injury.
That is why the main question for this system is not only how many medics work at stabilization points or what equipment they have. The main question is how to ensure that wounded soldiers reach them sooner, how to give doctors more time, how to make telemedicine systematic, how to make training continuous, and how to ensure that frontline experience is not lost in isolated stories, but transformed into standards.
Because in war, medicine often begins not when the patient reaches the operating table. It begins much earlier — at the moment when someone manages to bring them out alive.
This is Kateryna Kazimirova, Razom Literature Program Lead, and I want to take you with me to Kyiv, where last week of May, under skies that couldn’t decide between sirens and the heavy bloom of peonies, one of the most important literary events in the world took place.
But first, let me tell you why I’m the one writing this letter.
Growing up in Donetsk, I was fortunate to be surrounded by books, the people who wrote them, and brilliant teachers who introduced me to both. I went to study literary theory, later taught it, built a life inside Ukrainian literature, and took for granted that this world mattered beyond its own borders. Then, in 2014, Russia occupied my home and succeeded not only in seizing territory, but in imposing its fiction – about Donbas, about Ukraine, about who belonged where. I watched it happen with two kinds of grief: the obvious one, along with a quieter realization that Ukraine’s writers, the people I considered heroes, were unknown outside my world.
Why did so few people know the writers who had shaped me? How could a nation with such a rich literary tradition remain so invisible abroad? Most importantly, in light of all that happened, how are we going to change that?
For the last decade, already in Kyiv, I had been trying to do my part by running a literary journal, and creating innovative tools to promote Ukrainian culture like Chapter Ukraine. Now I have joined Razom to expand our shared mission of helping the world discover Ukrainian literature. This year, I came back to Arsenal on behalf of Razom to participate in the festival and organize a panel on one of the questions I think about most: what actually stands between Ukrainian books and anglophone readers?
An Arsenal of a Different Kind
When I call it the best literary festival in the world, this is not only my sentiment. In 2019, Book Arsenal was recognized as the world’s best literary festival of the year at the International Publishing Industry Excellence Awards organized by the London Book Fair. It has been running annually since 2012, skipping only twice: during the pandemic outbreak and the year of the full-scale invasion. It came back in 2023, grew to 35,000 visitors in 2024, and, like Ukraine, is stronger every year since.
Why “Arsenal”? The building where the festival takes place was originally built in 1783 by imperial decree as a weapons depot – a fortress-like structure with walls six feet thick, covering nearly twenty-five acres in the heart of Kyiv. But the ground it stands on is older than that: the site was a 16th-century convent, whose most prominent patron was the mother of Hetman Ivan Mazepa – the Ukrainian leader who defied Peter I and became a lasting symbol of resistance to Russian rule. The empire demolished the convent and built an arsenal in its place. Ukrainians eventually took the arsenal back and filled it with books instead.
My own Arsenal story started in 2015, when I fled Donetsk to Kyiv and found, once again, what I had lost: a community of booklovers and cultural professionals that felt like home. In the years when I wasn’t working in culture full-time, I would take a week off work just for the festival, spending days discovering new books, listening to authors, panel discussions, and then finding friends in the garden as the evening came, reading poetry to each other and talking for hours.
This one week of the year, everyone comes, no matter where the last twelve months have scattered us. We synchronize our clocks, make plans, and simply be together. But the magnetism runs deeper. Arsenal is one of those rare places where you feel fully alive – concentrated, meaningful, part of something larger than yourself. Where the line between past and present dissolves, and you can feel the full weight of a cultural tradition that has been carried across generations and is still being carried, right now, by the people standing next to you. You listen to one of the sharpest minds alive give a talk that rearranges something in your thinking, then meet them in the coffee queue twenty minutes later and talk like old friends. Where else does that happen?
And underneath all of it is the simple act of being here. Of having made it through another year. Once you have been part of the world of Arsenal, something in you keeps returning to it, the way you return to a place that has known you at your best.
Bear Your Freedom
Each year Arsenal has a theme. This year it was Bear Your Freedom, curated by Maksym Butkevych – journalist, human rights activist, former POW, who spent 913 days in Russian captivity before being released in October 2024. Razom supports his initiative Principle of Hope, which develops materials supporting the psychological recovery of returning prisoners, and separate guidance helping soldiers understand how to preserve their lives in captivity.
His central argument: freedom and responsibility are inseparable – “siamese twins” and the greater danger is not that freedom is taken from us, but that we surrender it willingly, trading it for comfort or the illusion of stability. For Butkevych, freedom is never only about oneself, but about those beside us, the ability to build the future together and defend it together: “Perhaps this is Ukraine’s new mission today: not only to fight for freedom, but to help the world rediscover its value.”
One more topic within this theme was the fragility of heroism. Writers and soldiers Artem Chapeye and Artur Dron put it plainly: a hero is not someone without fear or exhaustion, but someone who keeps moving despite both. As Dron said, society creates “bronze” heroes out of convenience, so everyone else can watch from the sidelines and feel absolved. The real call is to see the person behind the symbol, recognize their needs, and act – because bearing freedom together means no one should carry it alone.
On the day of our panel, I arrived early, before the festival opened to the public. Walking through one of the pavilions, I came across the room full of military chaplains – still, present, sacred. Later that day, one of them presented a new book titled Care for the Spirit. And then, watching the main stage fill for readings by soldier-writers, and the lines snaking through the courtyard for their book signing, I realized that combatant literature is no longer a niche: it is the mainstream. It is simply the most honest account of the life Ukrainians are living now.
The Highest Form of Communication
Arsenal’s Writers’ Program, curated by writer and soldier Andriy Lyubka, opened with a deceptively simple question: What do we actually know about our neighbors? We share borders with Slovakia, Romania, Hungary, and can barely name five of their writers. When knowledge is scarce, stereotypes fill the gap. For a country that cannot afford adversaries on two fronts, genuine neighborliness is a question of survival.
Among the writers on the Arsenal main stage was Polish Nobel laureate Olga Tokarczuk, who argued that Central European identity is defined not by stable borders but by their absence – by fluidity, fragmentation, a world that keeps shifting underfoot. It is precisely this instability, she said, that produces writers who cannot rely on realism alone, and it is this shared inheritance that connects Ukraine to its neighbors more deeply than any political agreement.
Tokarczuk had something important to say about the power of literature itself: humans are narrative creatures who understand the world through stories, not facts. Literature is the highest form of communication: it reaches where information cannot, using metaphor and symbol to convey truths. In times of war and propaganda, literature is the clean breath; it forces a reckoning with complexity, protects identity the way a magnetic field protects against external force. She reminded the audience that Poland survived 123 years without a state, through language and culture alone.
Fieldwork in Ukrainian Sex
Among 240 events that Arsenal hosted across four days were poetry readings that moved to bomb shelters mid-session, a Theatre of Veterans, workshops, music, slam poetry, mile-long signing queues, and in the evenings wild dancing under folk and electronic beats. But one of the most attended was a conversation marking the 30th anniversary of Oksana Zabuzhko’s Fieldwork in Ukrainian Sex with Maria Genkin, Razom’s Board Co-Chair, among the speakers.
The book follows a Ukrainian woman writer navigating love, identity, and the weight of post-Soviet womanhood. Publishers at the time genuinely doubted that a Ukrainian-language novel could sell. But it became the first national bestseller of its kind, went through at least seventeen editions, 25 languages, and opened the doors for an entire generation of writers.
Thirty years later, teenage girls return to it as a psychotherapeutic text. Elif Batuman cited it as the book that made her reconsider Russian literature’s colonial hold. Zabuzhko said she no longer owns it – it has become something collective. And in the context of the war, the conversation kept returning to one idea: when a culture is known, and its books are read, a nation becomes harder to kill.
Three Percent Ceiling: Razom’s Way to Break It
Despite the impact of books like Zabuzhko’s across borders, did you know that only 3% of books published in the American market are translated from other languages, all other languages combined? The anglophone market is the hardest literary market in the world to break into. And yet it is the one that matters most for global visibility.
That is why at Book Arsenal, Razom brought together on the main stage a panel of people who know this market from the inside. Emma Shercliffe – a UK literary agent who has sold more Ukrainian titles to British and American publishers than almost anyone – opened by dispelling a persistent myth: people are not tired of the Ukrainian theme. One of her Ukrainian authors is currently her best-selling title. The appetite is real, extending well beyond war narratives into fiction, history, culture. Emma was unambiguous about the quality: the level of intellectual thought in Ukrainian literature, she said, is deeply stimulating, and Ukraine’s top authors hold their own against any international writers. Visibility is no longer the main problem. What remains: the near-absence of agents, the need to be strategic about which publishers you sell rights to, and a grant system that remains practically inaccessible to the larger publishers who could do the most with a book.
Maria Genkin added a pattern she keeps seeing: selling rights to the wrong American publishers – a major new novel going to an academic press that will never invest in promotion. The book comes out, nobody notices, and everyone concludes Ukrainian literature doesn’t sell. Her point was direct: do not sell global rights to a single publisher. Some of those publishers aren’t even eligible for major literary awards, which means no long or shortlisting, no reviews, no bookstore purchases, no second life for the book. Razom’s role is to act as a mediator, helping authors and publishers navigate this complicated market.
Andriy Kurkov, Ukraine’s most internationally bestselling author, drew the distinction that the UK and US markets operate by entirely different rules. The American market is its own thing – more closed, slower to warm up. Kurkov knew this firsthand: his first attempt in 2001 failed not because of the books, but because the publisher did nothing. If a publisher isn’t investing in promotion, books don’t reach shelves. If books don’t reach shelves, nobody finds them. The logic is circular and self-defeating, and it has nothing to do with the quality of the writing. His second attempt in 2018 worked: “The goal is always to arrive and stay. And if you’ve got in and stayed, that’s already a great victory.”
I concluded with what I see as the core problem: the absence of a self-sustaining infrastructure where every part of the system does its job. The real question is delivery: how does a great Ukrainian book actually get onto bookstore and library shelves, and stay there? Here is what Razom is doing about it. We invest in translators as a profession through mentorships, the new Razom Translation Award, and partnerships with leading literary translation institutions in the US and UK. We offer translation grants that are accessible to larger publishers precisely because we don’t require a book to be completed and published within a single year – the constraint that makes most grant programs unworkable for major presses. To date, we have supported eight books; several high-profile titles are coming from major presses in 2027 that would not exist without Razom’s involvement. We also support promotion and, this year, editing – unique among grant programs. And through Chapter Ukraine, we build communities of readers in libraries, universities, and grassroots organizations who advocate for Ukrainian books from the ground up.
Every literary tradition that reached the world stage arrived with a new artistry and language for it – one that captured a reality the world hadn’t yet found words for. The stream eventually broke through its geographical borders and became universal. Ukrainian literature has already formed that language: raw honesty, fragile heroism, self-reliance, a direct way of looking at what most literature looks away from. The current is moving. Is the American reader ready to meet it?
P.S. As I am finishing this letter, the news came in: Russia struck the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra – the 11th-century cathedral that is a UNESCO World Heritage site – setting its roof on fire while monks and rescue workers formed human chains to save the icons. As firefighters were still battling the blaze, a second strike hit Mystetskyi Arsenal, the building where Book Arsenal takes place. The Dovzhenko National Film Studio was also hit, destroying Ukraine’s largest and oldest costume collection, 100,000 garments, gone. Once again, Russian aggression deliberately strikes Ukraine’s cultural heritage.
Razom for Ukraine: Patriot Production License for Ukraine Will Save Lives and Help End the War
Washington, D.C., July 8, 2026 — Today, President Trump announced that the United States will authorize licensed production of Patriot interceptors in Ukraine—a landmark decision that will save lives, strengthen U.S. interests, and help bring Russia’s war to an end.
“President Trump stands on the right side of history. He stands with the winners. And this is a win-win for both Ukraine and the United States,” said Melinda Haring, Senior Advisor at Razom for Ukraine. “Licensed production will allow Ukraine to better defend its people without drawing down existing U.S. stockpiles.”
“Russia is losing on the battlefield and sustaining increasingly humiliating deep strikes against the oil infrastructure that fuels its war machine. Putin’s remaining tool is terror: ballistic missile strikes on Ukrainian cities designed to kill civilians and break the country’s will.”
While producing Patriots would give Ukraine a strong shield for tomorrow, it also needs ammunition for tonight. A sustained, uninterrupted flow of interceptors through existing programs is crucial to fulfill an urgent need for air defense to protect civilians in Ukraine as Russia attacks their homes on a daily basis.
“Ukrainians are winners. They have repeatedly demonstrated their ingenuity and ability to rapidly master advanced technologies under wartime conditions. We urge President Trump and his administration to immediately implement the licensing agreement, and maintain the flow of existing Patriot interceptors to Ukraine while domestic production ramps up,” said Melinda Haring.
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Razom for Ukraine is a U.S. nonprofit providing medical and humanitarian aid to Ukraine and a leading advocate for continued U.S. assistance to Ukraine. For more information or to request an interview, please contact: Ostap Yarysh, Media Advisor at Razom for Ukraine ostap.yarysh@razom.org
Razom for Ukraine, a leading U.S.-based nonprofit organization focusing on Ukraine, has officially launched Infection Prevention project TDAC(Trauma Decontamination and Antimicrobial Resistance Containment) — a first-of-its-kind initiative in Ukraine focused on reducing the spread of drug-resistant bacteria that can no longer be treated with standard antibiotics (multidrug-resistant organisms, or MDROs). The goal is to improve outcomes for wounded patients and reduce severe, life-threatening infection complications.
The project is implemented in partnership with the Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and the Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, with advocacy from frontline clinicians involved in pre-hospital care. It targets a critical gap in the route from the frontline to the hospital — preventing bacteria from spreading during handoffs between care teams before a patient ever reaches a hospital ward.
Why this matters for Ukraine and beyond
Wounded patients rarely go directly to a hospital. Along the way, they pass through multiple points of care — and each transfer can increase exposure to drug-resistant bacteria. These infections can severely complicate recovery and become life-threatening.
The scale of this risk is compounded by the length of Ukraine’s evacuation chains. Infection risk rises significantly at the end of a prolonged trauma evacuation pathway, with considerable regional variation, according to research by Hailie Uren published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases (2025). The longer a wounded patient remains in transit, the greater the opportunity for infection to take hold.
This is no longer solely a Ukrainian health challenge. As wounded patients are evacuated to hospitals across Europe for specialized care, drug-resistant bacteria travel with them — placing pressure on health systems far beyond the frontline. European hospitals are already encountering these infections among war-wounded patients, making early intervention an urgent international priority.
“Antimicrobial resistance could cost as many lives as cancer by 2050, according to the UK Government’s Review. Resistant bacteria do not stop at the Ukrainian border. It is an early warning for every health system worldwide. That is why launching the Infection Prevention Project is so important,” said Dan Solchanyk, Razom Health Program Director .
How it works
Ukrainian scientists and clinicians, led by Hailie Uren, are working alongside clinical partners to investigate where and how drug-resistant bacteria enter the evacuation chain. Based on this work, Ukraine will introduce standardized practices focused on early decontamination and stopping bacteria from spreading between handoffs.
The project unfolds in three stages. The team is currently screening war-wounded patients across the evacuation chain — from casualty collection points through forward surgical units (Role 2) and hospitals (Role 3) — mapping where bacterial contamination occurs. Later in 2026, those findings will guide the creation of dedicated decontamination units to stop bacteria from entering clinical environments. By 2027, the full programme will be rolled out based on the evidence gathered.
“With a high proportion of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) not responsive to last-line antibiotics among war-wounded patients, early intervention through this project is critical to preventing infection before patients reach a hospital,” said Hailie Uren, Project Lead and Principal Investigator from Razom and UPHC.
The approach is grounded in U.S. military medicine and informed by expert consultation, adapted to prolonged evacuation chains and wartime conditions in Ukraine.
Stopping infections early reduces the need to prescribe antibiotics without knowing which bacteria are present (broad-spectrum empirical use) — helping slow the development of antimicrobial resistance and protecting the wider health system.
For more information, please contact anna.hryniv@razomforukraine.org
In May 2026, Ivano-Frankivsk hosted the seventh international medical mission “Face the Future,” organized by Razom for Ukraine. Surgeons from Canada, the United States, and Ukraine carried out 68 surgical procedures on 24 patients with severe facial injuries.
At the center of every mission is a person — and a very personal dream. For Andrii from Ivano-Frankivsk, it was simply being able to breathe again. For Roman from Khotyn, it was restoring his facial structure after captivity. For Mykhailo from Stryi it was removing a scar and correcting a nose fractured in an FPV drone strike.
Different stories, but one shared path to recovery. All three were among 24 patients treated in Ivano-Frankivsk during the seventh“Face the Future” mission organized by Razom for Ukraine.
(Photo: Tatyana Bessmertnaya)
Dozens of surgeries in just a few days
From May 3 to 8, the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Clinical Hospital became a center of intensive surgical work. Teams from Canada, the United States, and Ukraine performed 68 surgical procedures on patients with severe facial trauma — both military and civilian.
“This time, 13 specialists from North America joined Ukrainian colleagues. The team included six surgeons and seven nurses from Canada and the United States, five of whom have Ukrainian roots,” said Peter Adamson, President and Founder, Face the Future Foundation.
(Photo: Tatyana Bessmertnaya)
Razom as a core partner of the mission
Beyond the operating room, Razom plays a key role in making the mission possible. The organization handles logistics, coordination, and part of the medical supplies, allowing doctors to focus entirely on patient care.
“Razom is a bridge between North America and Ukraine. We take care of all on-site coordination — logistics, organization, and communication with the hospital. This allows doctors to focus on patients and reduces the burden on the hospital,” said Iryna Matsiuk, Razom Coordinator in Ukraine.
This was also confirmed by Natalia Komashko, the Ukrainian lead of the mission and an otolaryngologist:
“I am especially proud of our Ukrainian team, whose work begins long before the international teams arrive and continues long after they leave. We are sincerely grateful to Razom for Ukraine – not only for helping bring expert teams to Ukraine, but also for providing essential medical supplies that significantly strengthen our hospital’s capacity to deliver care”
Partnership that restores quality of life
These missions are made possible through close cooperation between doctors, bioengineers, and volunteers working toward one shared goal — restoring function and quality of life for patients in even the most complex cases.
The program is implemented by Razom for Ukraine, Face the Future Foundation, Still Strong, and the Charitable Foundation “Patients of Ukraine,” in partnership with the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Clinical Hospital and with support from Materialise.
“I am deeply grateful to everyone involved. They are doing important work and providing real support, and I am thankful that such help and missions exist,” said patient Mykhailo Vovchyna.
How international missions transform Ukrainian surgery
While the types of injuries remain largely similar from mission to mission, the capacity of Ukrainian medical teams continues to grow significantly. This was emphasized by Anthony Brissett, a U.S. surgeon and medical director of the Face the Future mission, who has taken part in the program four times.
“Doctors and nurses are becoming better prepared and expanding their skills. This is reflected in the complex procedures we performed this week, including cases involving leading international experts in nasal reconstruction. This is the level of care Ukrainians deserve,” he said.
The mission is part of a broader long-term effort that goes beyond individual operations. It is not only about treating patients with the most severe injuries, but also about strengthening surgical capacity in Ukraine. Ukrainian doctors, anesthesiologists, and nurses work side by side with international teams, gaining experience and taking on increasingly complex cases. According to Razom Health Co-Pilot Project Lead Yuliia Shama:
“Over the past 3 years, Razom’s medical missions have helped provide life-changing surgeries to more than a thousand patients with complex injuries. Through the Co-Pilot Project, we are strengthening Ukraine’s long-term surgical capacity by training specialized surgeons, expanding international partnerships, and advancing modern reconstructive care so that critical expertise remains and grows in Ukraine.”
Training and knowledge exchange
Alongside the procedures, more than 200 nursing leaders from across Ukraine gathered for the VII International Nursing Symposium. Half of the presentations were delivered by international speakers, and half by Ukrainian nursing professionals. The symposium was supported by Razom for Ukraine, marking an important step in strengthening nursing education and professional development in Ukraine. The hospital also received simulation trainers for hands-on training, provided by Razom.
In addition, the VII Symposium on Reconstructive Surgery of the Head and Neck was held in Ivano-Frankivsk as part of the Face the Future Ukraine mission. A key highlight was the visit of Frederick J. Menick, one of the world’s leading experts in nasal reconstruction. He delivered lectures and hands-on sessions, sharing advanced approaches to complex reconstruction and clinical decision-making in surgery.
The humanitarian program “Face the Future Ukraine” was founded by Face the Future Foundation, Razom for Ukraine, and Still Strong to provide free reconstructive surgeries to Ukrainian patients and train Ukrainian surgeons. It is implemented in partnership with the Regional Clinical Hospital of the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Council, Healing The Children North East, Materialise, the CF “Patients of Ukraine”
In Ukraine, war does not only come through the front line. It shows in the stairwells blackened by fire, children carried to shelters at night, medics saving neighbors even when their own emergency stations are damaged, artists returning to homes that no longer exist.
Photo: Libkos 02/07/2026
On the night of July 2, Kyiv once again woke up to explosions. People rushed into metro stations, basements, and hallways. They hid their children, called loved ones, and waited for news from neighborhoods where buildings were burning and rescuers were already at work.
It was one of the largest combined attacks on the capital: missiles and drones struck the city in waves. Nearly 20 people were killed and dozens were injured. Among those hurt were children, residents of apartment buildings, and emergency medical workers. Homes, cars, medical infrastructure, historic buildings, and places connected to Ukrainian culture were damaged.
Photo: Libkos 02/07/2026
In Kyiv’s Shevchenkivskyi district, the apartment of cultural manager Iryna Plekhova, director of the Lira cinema, and filmmaker and screenwriter Oleh Chornyi burned down. Their building is historic, long connected to workers of the Oleksandr Dovzhenko Film Studio and their families. Two sections of the building burned completely. During the evacuation, Iryna and Oleh helped two elderly neighbors get out.
The home of filmmaker Iryna Tsilyk was damaged for the sixth time. The courtyard of Vadym Miskyi, program director at Detector Media, was also hit. These were not only damaged walls. They were places where people lived, created, preserved memories, and built Ukraine’s cultural life.
On this same day, the attack destroyed the central storage facility of the BookChef publishing house that held nearly 800 thousand books.
Civilian emergency medicine also came under attack. In Kyiv, an emergency medical station was damaged. Ambulance workers — medics and drivers — were injured, and ambulances were damaged. The people who are first to rush toward danger to save others became victims of the attack themselves.
Kyiv was not alone. Communities in the Zaporizhzhia region endured hundreds of strikes in a single day, including FPV drone attacks. In Kharkiv and the surrounding region, civilians were killed, including a 15-year-old boy, and dozens of people were injured. In the Dnipro region, drones damaged homes, cars, gas stations, and other civilian infrastructure.
On nights like this, the work of those who arrive first becomes especially visible: the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, police, medics, volunteer teams, and rapid response groups.
That night, Matviy Suslov, Razom’s Tactical Medicine Project Manager, worked in Kyiv alongside these response teams. They helped move people rescued from the rubble to safer areas and provided first aid to civilians.
“The shelling was so dense and massive that we had to move in small leaps, hide in underpasses, or quickly leave dangerous areas by car,” Matviy said. Near Lukianivka, after one of the explosions, the car doors jammed. “We were lucky the door issue was resolved quickly”.
Matvii Suslov
Kyiv Police Photo: Libkos 02/07/2026
What stayed with him most was a couple who approached and asked what had happened to their home. Their building was burning. In their eyes, he saw confusion, grief, and the disbelief of people trying to understand how life could change in a single moment.
Matvii also emphasized the work of the State Emergency Service and the police at the strike sites. For the Razom team, it was another reminder of why it is so important to strengthen the institutions that are first to stand beside people after an attack: through prehospital care training, essential medical supplies, and the ability to respond in the first critical minutes.
In moments like these, this work is not abstract. It is about real skills, real people, and real lives — Ukrainians and visitors to the country — that can be saved when help arrives in time.
Russia continues to strike civilians, children, medics, cultural workers, and families in their own homes. Ukraine continues to endure because people keep showing up for one another, even after the darkest nights.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 1, 2026 Razom for Ukraine Launches Inaugural I’mmortal / Безсмертні Fellowship Five Transatlantic Arts-in-Health Partnerships to Gather at Wesleyan University This Fall
New York, NY – Today Razom for Ukraine announced the inaugural cohort of theI’mmortal / Безсмертні Fellowship, Razom’s first Arts-in-Health program, developed in partnership with Wesleyan University’s Center for the Arts. Drawing from 35 applications submitted by NGOs, cultural collectives, artists, clinicians, and institutional partners across Ukraine and the United States, a selection committee of field experts chose five cross-border partnerships to co-develop projects using creative practice to transform mental health, physical rehabilitation, and community reintegration. Each partnership receives an implementation grant of up to $10,000 and full residency support for a week-long in-person gathering at Wesleyan University, November 2–7, 2026, culminating in a public Capstone Showcase on November 7th in Middletown, Connecticut.
The fellowship is built on a foundational recognition: Ukraine is currently a vital frontier for innovations in trauma recovery. The I’mmortal program matches artists and healers with institutional partners, including hospitals, universities, veterans’ centers, and NGOs, to develop collaborative projects that neither partner could conceive or execute alone. The long-term goal is that projects piloted in 2026 will move into full implementation in Ukraine in 2027.
“Art has always been how people make meaning and take care of communities in the hardest moments,” said Theodora Chomiak, CEO of Razom for Ukraine. “The I’mmortal Fellowship exists to put that idea into practice, across borders, and at the highest level of attention.”
“Where science maps the trauma, the arts map our humanity, providing the truth and wisdom needed to heal,” said Katja Kolcio, Chair of the Dance Department and Professor of Environmental Studies at Wesleyan University. “By bringing these extraordinary Ukrainian and American partners to Wesleyan, we are moving creative practice from the margins of healthcare straight to the center, proving that cultural expression is a critical, rigorous pillar of health, community resilience, and our collective capacity to build a better world.”
THE 2026 COHORT
GATHERING AROUND THE FIRE: ARTS, HEALING, AND RESILIENCE
Jessica Hecht / Alexandra Zaslav / The Campfire Project (New York, NY) x Mariana Ivanovych / Marcin Piotrowski / Folkowisko Ukraine (Nahachiv, Lviv region)
Therapeutic arts programming for children and youth in Western Ukraine, bringing together local and displaced populations to process war trauma, build resilience, and strengthen community through daily creative practice in dance, visual art, theater, and music, delivered through a trauma-informed, culturally adaptive framework. A parallel practitioner training strand, drawing on resources from the WHO and Jameel Arts and Health Lab, equips local educators and aid workers with tools they can sustain independently.
ARTSCAPES OF CARE: COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS & TOOLKIT
Nathalie Robelot-Timtchenko / Oleksandra Kliushnova / Joanna Wroblewska / First Aid of the Soul (Kyiv / Washington, D.C.) x Kerry Kincy (Middletown, CT) x Dr. Midori Samson (Lawrence, KS)
Trauma-informed, arts-based workshops for artists, community healers, educators, and mental health practitioners in the Lviv region, integrating soundscapes and deep listening, movement, visual storytelling, and embodied creative practice. The project will produce a replicable toolkit for Ukrainian organizations to continue and adapt the work independently.
RHYTHM AS REGULATION
Yekaterina Chizayeva (New Orleans, LA) x Kateryna Taranova (Kyiv/Lviv/Slavsko)
A transnational methodology exchange investigating how rhythm, through music, dance, voice, and body-based practice, can support nervous system regulation, reduce anxiety symptoms, and aid recovery from sensory disorientation caused by war-related sonic exposure. Two intensive methodology labs, one in Slavsko, Ukraine and one in New Orleans, bring together U.S. and Ukrainian artists to develop and prototype shared, cross-cultural protocols.
“ME – THE OTHER”: INCLUSIVE THEATRE & NARRATIVE RESTORATION INITIATIVE
Deb Gottesman / The Theatre Lab – Life Stories Institute (Washington, D.C.) x Yuliia Vintoniv / Ukrainian Catholic University (Lviv)
An inclusive theatre initiative bringing together people with congenital and acquired disabilities, including those with war-related injuries, alongside students and community members to create original dramatic work from lived experience. The Theatre Lab’s over twenty years of autobiographical theatre practice meets Yuliia Vintoniv’s expertise in disability-inclusive education at Ukrainian Catholic University, with a pilot university course launching in 2027.
MOVING, IMAGINING, AND UNBROKEN
Román Baca / Exit12 Dance Company (New York, NY) x Alina Spas / Dr. Brendan Bo O’Connor / Imagination Lab (Albany, NY) x Dr. Yuliia Rozmyrska / Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University (Lutsk)
A co-authored dance and movement program designed specifically for Ukrainian combat veterans, wounded and non-wounded alike, that integrates Exit12’s proven trauma-informed methodology with surrealism-based visual arts practice. The program is not an export of an American model but a genuine co-authorship, adapted entirely for Ukraine’s cultural moment and the realities of its combatants. Pilot workshops will be conducted in the New York area before full implementation in Ukraine in 2027.
ABOUT RAZOM FOR UKRAINE
Razom for Ukraine (which means “together” in Ukrainian) is a U.S.-based nonprofit founded in 2014 that works to build a secure, prosperous, and democratic Ukraine. The organization operates across program areas including humanitarian aid, health, advocacy, and cultural initiatives, addressing both immediate needs and long-term recovery. Through Razom Connect, Razom positions culture as a vital part of its mission alongside humanitarian aid and advocacy, demonstrating that cultural visibility is essential to global understanding and solidarity.
ABOUT WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY’S CENTER FOR THE ARTS
Wesleyan University’s Center for the Arts integrates world-class venues with a dedicated team of curators, producers, and technicians to advance creative practice as foundational to a liberal arts education. By bringing global artists into a dynamic relationship with the campus, the Center for the Arts supports critical research, interdisciplinary collaboration, and experimentation. At Wesleyan, the arts serve as an essential form of inquiry, teaching, and public engagement, cultivating bold thinkers who value embodied experience and community connection.
As part of the Children & the Future Under Fire month, Razom is highlighting initiatives that support children, teenagers, and young people in Ukraine — not only as those in need of protection, but as active participants in the recovery and development of their communities.
One such initiative focuses on empowering active youth in 25 communities across 14 regions of Ukraine, including communities that have been deeply affected by the war. The project is implemented by the National Network for Local Philanthropy Development “Philanthropists” with the support of Razom and Fondation de France.
At the heart of the project is the International Youth Banks model. For more than two decades, this approach has been used in countries around the world, giving young people the opportunity not only to learn, but also to make decisions, mobilize resources, and support change in their own communities.
Similar youth philanthropy models also exist in the United States. For example, Northfield YouthBank and youth-led grantmaking programs at community foundations give young people the opportunity not only to propose ideas, but also to make decisions about funding projects in their communities.
What Is Youth Initiative Bank?
Youth Initiative Bank is an international model that has been implemented for more than 20 years in 37 countries with the support of Youth Bank International. In Ukraine, the model is implemented by the National Network for Local Philanthropy Development with financial support from Razom for Ukraine and Fondation de France.
A Youth Initiative Bank is a team of young people who study the needs of their community, mobilize local resources, organize grant competitions, and support the implementation of youth-led projects.
In other words, young people are not only applying for support for their own ideas. They are learning how to become grantmakers themselves: analyzing needs, defining priorities, developing selection criteria, making funding decisions, and supporting initiatives through implementation.
The model is built on the principle of “learning by doing.” Young people go through the full cycle of managing local change — from assessing community needs to fundraising, supporting projects, monitoring results, and reporting back to the community.
How It Works
Each year, every Youth Initiative Bank team goes through a full cycle of work.
First, a team of active young people is formed. They receive basic training and divide responsibilities among themselves. Then, the participants study the needs of their community by conducting surveys, focus groups, and consultations with residents to understand which challenges are most urgent.
Based on this research, the young people define priorities — the themes and areas that need support in their community. These may include social, educational, cultural, volunteer, or other initiatives that respond to real local needs.
The next stage is local fundraising. Teams organize charity events, fairs, campaigns, and community activities, raising funds from local residents, businesses, and partners. This is an essential part of the model, because it helps young people not only speak about change, but also bring their community together around it.
After that, the Youth Initiative Bank announces an open grant competition for youth initiatives, develops selection criteria, and makes decisions about which projects to support. The selected teams implement their ideas with mentoring support from the Youth Initiative Bank. At the end of the cycle, they analyze the results, assess the impact, and report back to the community.
Why Co-Funding Matters
One of the key features of this model is co-funding.
Teams do not simply receive support from outside. They raise resources within their own communities: they speak with residents, look for partners, work with local businesses, and organize charitable events. Based on the results of the grant competition, the Youth Initiative Bank then provides additional funding for youth-led projects.
This means that the more actively a team mobilizes local resources and community support, the more opportunities it has to bring its ideas to life.
This approach builds more than individual projects. It builds trust within the community. Young people see that their voices matter. Local residents see that young people are capable of taking responsibility. And the community receives initiatives that are not imposed from above, but born from its real needs.
What Young People Gain
Participation in a Youth Initiative Bank gives young people practical experience that is difficult to gain through formal education alone. They learn how to work in a team, manage projects, analyze information, write grant applications, communicate ideas, lead fundraising efforts, and distribute resources responsibly.
But just as importantly, young people gain the experience of being trusted. They are not simply told that they matter to the future of their community. They are given real tools of influence: the ability to research, decide, support, and take responsibility for results.
For communities — especially those affected by war — this is particularly important. Amid loss, displacement, and constant uncertainty, it is essential not to lose active young people, but to create reasons for them to stay engaged, grow, and see their place in Ukraine’s future.
Where Young People Are Given a Chance
Behind every Youth Initiative Bank, there is more than a grant competition or a training program. There are people who, at some point, heard a simple but powerful phrase: “You can do this.”
In the Kobleve community in Mykolaiv region, this journey did not begin with major victories. Youth Initiative Bank coordinator Oksana Dukhan recalls returning from training two years ago with “a whole carriage of doubts.” She was not local, she knew few people, and the community itself consisted of 11 villages scattered across an area with limited transport connections. Because of the war, some young people had left, and opportunities had become fewer. Even gathering the first team of three people was a challenge.
The first fundraising attempt did not work either. The team opened a charitable donation jar, made plans, and waited. But no one donated, because no one knew who they were. So they changed their approach: they went to people in person. They asked the community to believe not just in projects, but in youth-led ideas. Gradually, the community began to respond with trust.
One of the first projects was the restoration of a volleyball court in the village of Luhove. Teenagers planned the budget themselves, purchased materials, painted, and organized the space. For them, it was more than just a sports ground. It was their first experience of realizing that they can change the place where they live.
Criticism followed. Some said it could have been done better, that the net was not right, that teenagers should not be trusted with money. But at that moment, the real meaning of the project became clear. The point was not that everything had been done perfectly. The point was that young people had, for the first time, gone through the full path from idea to result on their own.
A year later, young people in the same village of Luhove implemented another project — creating a modern cinema space for local residents.
Today, the Kobleve Youth Initiative Bank team includes 12 active teenagers. Over two years, they have implemented 15 youth projects in eight villages, raised around UAH 250,000 for youth initiatives, and helped more than 45 teenagers gain their first real experience in project management, fundraising, and civic engagement.
Another story comes from Cherkasy. Tetiana Honcharova joined the Youth Initiative Bank as a young professional looking for a space where she could be useful. Her first project, “ArtInsight,” combined psychological support with creative practices. In just one month, it reached more than 150 people.
For Tetiana, this was more than a grant competition victory. It was the moment she felt that her ideas had value — and that the desire to help could become real change. Later, she went on to lead the Youth Initiative Bank herself. Today, she supports other young people, helping them overcome fear, speak up, act, and try.
This is the power of Youth Initiative Banks. They do not simply fund youth ideas. They create the moment when a teenager in their community feels for the first time: I am trusted. My voice matters. My idea can become something real.
During wartime, that carries special weight. Because Ukraine’s future is not an abstract date after victory. It is already being shaped through small decisions: to gather a team, to go out and speak to people, to ask for support, to restore a playground, to hold a meeting, to support someone else’s idea, to believe in yourself.
Big changes can truly begin with a small local initiative — especially when young people are given a chance at the right time.
A Future Built Locally
The war has forced many young people to grow up faster. But even under these circumstances, they are not only adapting — they are acting.
Through Youth Initiative Banks, young people in Ukrainian communities launch local projects, support their peers, engage residents, work with partners, and learn to make decisions that affect the lives of those around them.
For Razom, supporting such initiatives is part of a broader effort to strengthen the resilience of Ukrainian communities. During wartime, the future is not an abstract idea. It is formed every day — in schools, youth spaces, volunteer teams, local initiatives, and communities where young people are given the chance to act.
When young people have the tools, trust, and support they need, they do not simply imagine the future. They begin to build it.
On a warm, sunny May afternoon, a scenic lakeside in Odesa dotted with tents hummed with the sound of children’s laughter and play. Standing on the banks downstream from their campsite, a row of young Vikings saluted their group oath in unwavering solidarity, “Brothers, the time has come for us to rise, to take up and carry the ideals of Plast. Glory to Ukraine!”
The bright patches of their uniforms, each hard-won through successfully completing a meticulous task or test, caught in the sunlight as the children held their imaginary Viking shields by their side.
Yes, today they would be Vikings.
Not orphans or children without a home. Not refugees forced to flee their city. Not children of frontline parents, not children of war. Just Vikings in a beautiful, carefree world of make-believe. And underneath that, just children.
This return to the innocent and creating a space for free development is exactly what Plast, Ukraine’s international scout organization, strives to create. For over a century, Plast has helped young people build character, hone leadership skills and establish a strong community through outdoor adventures, service and teamwork. In today’s Ukraine, where many children have grown up under the shadow of war, these lessons take on new meaning, creating a new reality with more possibilities.
Plast, like all of Ukraine, was built through repression, difficulty and seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Founded in 1912 in western Ukraine, the organization survived two world wars as well as occupation by Poland, Germany and Russia, all of whom forbade or restricted the existence of Plast.
1. Plast camp in the village of Solochyn (Zakarpattia Oblast), 1934. Archive of the “Local History” project. 2. Plast group in the village of Bryukhovychi, Lviv District, Lviv Province, 1920s. Personal archive of Daria Korchak. 3. Plast girls, 1930s. “Local History” Project Archive. 4. A Plast camp for boys in Staryava near Khyrov, held from June 28 to July 24, 1939. Personal archive of Lukia Lukomska
In theory, Plast, like all of Ukraine, wasn’t supposed to make it. War after war, regime after regime, everything that plagued the land that Plast was built on, tried to snuff out the flame of Ukrainian culture and progress which it strived to illuminate. All of it worked to make Plast and Ukraine a faint memory.
And now, the full-scale invasion of Russia brings past horrific history into full swing again as war forces Plast into another round of defense and struggle for its own existence and name. But Plast has shown throughout its history that, like Ukraine, it cannot be thrown down that easily.
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, over 25,000 internally displaced children have moved to Odesa. Combined with a shortage of youth programs and stable community spaces, many children in the area have limited opportunities for personal development, leadership training and social connection, a problem that Razom joined Plast this year to help address.
However, the challenges facing children in Odesa extend beyond displacement. Air raid sirens remain a regular part of life, and youth activities can still be interrupted by security threats. Plast youth leader Polina described a recent case when a Shahed drone flew over the camp, forcing everyone to flee into bomb shelters.
“It was so scary… But afterward, we had to get back and just continue- in a country without war, you don’t have to think about this,” said Polina.
Many such thoughts and anxieties surround Ukrainian youth in their day-to-day lives. Their unique situation makes things like Plast all the more important for their continued development.
“There is nothing ‘ordinary’ about being a young person in Ukraine today,” said Nastia Rab, chief advancement officer for Razom. “Even a summer camp takes place against the backdrop of a full-scale war. Yet that makes these experiences even more important. They give young people community, purpose, leadership skills and a sense of hope for the future.”
Despite these obstacles, this spring, Plast’s Odesa branch hosted its fifth major youth event of the year, Spring Festival, bringing together children from across the region, and across Ukraine, for a weekend of camping, games, challenges and friendships. Razom’s team joined in to experience the festival firsthand and to speak with participants and leaders about what Plast meant to them- and why they believe it’s important in shaping Ukraine’s future.
Razom partnered with Plast Odesa last year to provide a full year of support for such youth advancement activities. By providing materials such as tents, ropes, crafts and training resources, Razom helped manifest the goals and ideas that Plast had for the kids in their community.
Students participated in a rotation of workshops, stations and games where they learned different scouting and nature skills, such as knot tying, proper travel packing, setting up tents and map reading, materials for which were directly provided by Razom.
Their achievements are reflected in the patches they earn, and every patch tells a story. Most children have already gained multiple patches in several Plast programs throughout the year, including one for providing emergency first aid.
In addition to learning practical skills, participants and leaders emphasized the importance of Plast providing a unique environment for a thriving Ukrainian culture and community. Plast is Ukrainian-speaking, meaning all the events and activities are hosted in Ukrainian. For some students who don’t speak Ukrainian at home or encounter Russian in their everyday contexts, this provides a space where Ukrainian language and culture are the norm rather than the exception.
“A child should be immersed in Ukrainian-language culture and experiences, without Russian constantly entering that space,” said Korotaeva.
For some participants, Plast is an experience of re-immersion into Ukrainian culture and a unique space where they can share that with others.
“They want a community. They want more friends who share their values, more Ukrainian values, people who speak Ukrainian. Maybe at school or near home they don’t have that,” said Polina.
Plast not only invests in children participants, but also in training up group leaders and student counselors. As a training ground for young adults, Plast prepares older youth to step into adulthood with a leadership mindset and skillset.
“This also gives me some benefits, I gain experience being a leader, -something I don’t often get the chance to do,” said another Plast leader.
Most importantly, Plast provides participants with relationships and friendships that they can keep with them for the rest of their lives. It’s not just a camp where kids are dropped off and then picked up at the end of the day, it’s a forever-community, said Korotaeva.
“For me, Plast has become an inseparable part of life,” said a young participant.
Plast is all about investing in this resilient future. However, Razom’s connection to Plast is actually much deeper rooted in the past. Many from Razom’s staff were once Plast scouts or counselors as youth, and owe much of their love and work for Ukraine to their experience in the organization.
Dora Chomiak, third from left at a Plast history and public speaking competition
Dora Chomiak, shaking the left hand of a Plast counselor
Dora Chomiak, Razom’s CEO, started her journey with Plast as a child, attending camps in the Washington D.C. branch. Later, she became a Plast leader herself where she learned how to plan and run a camp for over a dozen students only a few years younger than her.
“I rely on all those experiences throughout my career,” said Chomiak. “Collaborate. Roll with it. Walk on the sunny side of the street when you can. Respect nature.”
Rab immigrated from Ukraine to the U.S. as a child and found an invaluable Ukrainian community in Plast that allowed her to stay connected to her roots.
“Plast helped shape who I became. Knowing that today’s scouts are finding the same friendships, values and sense of responsibility that I found years ago makes me especially proud of this partnership,” said Rab.
Uliana Bilash, Razom’s director of people and culture is a generational Plast attendee in her family. Her parents met at a Plast camp and passed on the experience to her, which eventually brought her to Plast camps across the U.S., Canada, Spain, Belgium, Germany and Ukraine both as a camper and counselor.
In 2022, when Plast summer camps in Ukraine had to close due to the invasion, Bilash volunteered at a Plast camp in Spain where many Ukrainian children refugees fled. It was another chance for her to pour into the next generation. Now that Plast is back in Ukraine, she works to ensure that kids still have the same experiences she had as a Plast scout.
“Now, we are lucky that Plast camps continue in Ukraine, but we often lack the resources needed to run them,” said Bilash. “By supporting Plast camps, we can help Ukraine’s children learn skills that can grow them into leaders of a prosperous and democratic Ukraine.”
Ukrainian Plast participants recreate their version of the Mariupol Theater at a Plast camp in Spain 2022.
Razom’s public engagement coordinator for its advocacy branch, Daryna Lesniak, also a Plast alumnus, started her own Plast group in Shanghai as a way to express her own Ukrainian story wherever she went.
“With Plast you always carry a piece of Ukraine with you,” said Lesniak.
Plast’s rich history and work has brought much of Razom’s team to their place right now. However, Plast’s reach also goes beyond the regular parts of Ukrainian society. Not only have Plast members taken great part in fighting in the world wars, were strong participants in Ukraine’s Revolution of Dignity in 2014, but many now serve on the front lines, in defense against Russia’s aggression.
Having members of Plast serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine creates a conflicting reality. Enormous amounts of time, energy and resources are poured into supporting current and former Plast members in the army, which hold paramount importance. However, that also creates challenges in funding and sustaining the core youth programs that keep Plast active for the next generation, said Rab.
The future of Plast in Odesa is one of prospective growth. The current program is at full capacity with over 100 children on the waiting list. There are only so many resources available to cover so many students; there is not enough capacity for demand, said Korotaeva.
“We receive inquiries from parents almost every day,” said Korotaeva. “I keep writing and saying everywhere that our dream is for anyone who wants to join to be able to do so. Any child, especially here in Odesa.”
Looking ahead, Plast in Odesa hopes to expand their equipment inventory, train more leaders and eventually open up their own office to reach more communities in the area, and Plast’s organizers emphasized the important role of donors and outside support to make this a reality.
“Through these grants, over the last seven months, we’ve grown tremendously and made our events bigger and better. Without that support, we wouldn’t have been able to do it,” said Korotaeva.
“One of the things that makes me very happy on bad days is knowing that people in other countries are supporting us.”
Every year, Plast functions as a community of knowledge, skill-building, close relationships and Ukrainian values.
Whether a refugee in Spain, an immigrant in the U.S., or a young Viking on the banks of an Odesa lake, every Plast member inherently becomes part of its vast history, part of an experience they will never forget.
“For many people, Plast is one big adventure,” said participant, Ihor.
“It’s something you’re meant to enjoy.”
Plast in Odesa is just one of the vital projects we’ve been able to support this year thanks to the generosity of our community.
But our work doesn’t stop here.
War is trying to steal their childhood, but you can help us give it back.
By becoming a part of this crucial mission, your gift to our Kids Campaign helps Ukrainian children reclaim their joy, resilience, and hope—giving them safe spaces to learn, grow, and just be kids.
In late 2025, New York audiences gathered at Metrograph for Soul & Soil: Ukrainian Poetic Cinema — an ambitious retrospective co-presented by Metrograph, Razom Cinema, and Dovzhenko Center that introduced audiences to one of the most visually innovative film movements of the twentieth century. Across eighteen screenings, the series drew nearly 1,400 in-person attendees, reached thousands more through streaming, and generated significant engagement across social and film media platforms.
But the retrospective was never intended to function merely as a successful repertory film series. At its core, Soul & Soil, sought to challenge a longstanding misconception in global film culture: the tendency to treat Ukrainian cinema as a subsidiary chapter within “Soviet cinema,” rather than as a distinct artistic tradition with its own language, identity, and historical trajectory.
“There’s a version of Ukrainian cinematic history that gets told as a footnote to Soviet cinema,” explained Head of Razom Cinema Polina Buchak. “One of the things that drives Razom Cinema is the refusal to accept that framing.”
Through a carefully curated program of landmark films, rare archival materials, guest discussions, and contextual programming, Soul & Soil demonstrated not only the enduring artistic power of Ukrainian Poetic Cinema, but also the growing appetite among international audiences to engage with Ukrainian culture on its own terms.
Building the Collaboration
The retrospective emerged from a collaboration between Razom Cinema and Metrograph’s Program Operations Manager, Anri Vartan. Both recognized an opportunity to create a program that would move beyond topical wartime cultural interest and instead introduce audiences to the historical depth of Ukrainian cinematic tradition. Vartan was also the curator of the retrospective series.
While Razom Cinema had already become known for presenting contemporary Ukrainian films and cultural programming in New York, Soul & Soil marked its first major retrospective dedicated specifically to Ukrainian film heritage. It was also the first significant Ukrainian Poetic Cinema retrospective in New York City since the Film at Lincoln Center series curated by Richard Peña in 2012.
“The series was conceived to illuminate the depth and distinctiveness of Ukrainian Poetic Cinema,” said Vartan. “For audiences in New York, the goal was to offer more than just a screening series — it was an invitation to experience a distinct cinematic language profoundly rooted in its sense of time and place.”
The title Soul & Soil reflected the retrospective’s central themes: the enduring relationship between the Ukrainian people, their land, and cultural memory. The films traced a path through key moments in Ukraine’s modern history, from the National Revival period through the Soviet era and into works that anticipated the collapse of the Soviet Union itself.
Reclaiming a Cinematic Heritage
For both Metrograph and Razom, the retrospective carried significance beyond film history. Ukrainian Poetic Cinema emerged during the 1960s as a visually daring movement associated with filmmakers such as Sergei Parajanov, Yurii Illienko, Leonid Osyka, and Ivan Mykolaichuk. Drawing deeply from Ukrainian folklore, history, ethnography, and language, the movement represented a profound break from the rigid constraints of Soviet Socialist Realism.
As filmmaker and producer Pylyp Illienko explained in a companion Metrograph interview, the movement was heavily censored precisely because it articulated a distinctly Ukrainian cultural identity. The films’ emphasis on folklore, spirituality, local traditions, and historical memory challenged Soviet cultural homogenization and, in many cases, resulted in bans, shelving, or severe censorship.
“Revisiting these films today allows audiences to see how questions of identity, resilience, and self-determination have been explored by Ukrainian filmmakers for decades,” said Vartan. “Ukrainian Poetic Cinema was a site of resistance against Soviet cultural hegemony.”
That framing became especially resonant in the context of Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine. For Razom Cinema, presenting these films internationally was not only an artistic project, but also a cultural and historical intervention.
“Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine is not only a military assault, but a deliberate attack on Ukrainian cultural identity,” Buchak noted. “Presenting Ukrainian cinema to international audiences is an affirmation of Ukraine’s existence as a distinct, sovereign culture with its own artistic voice.” Cinema, she argued, offers audiences something beyond news coverage or geopolitics — a way to experience a culture from within: “It allows audiences to feel a culture from the inside — its motions, its rhythms, its memory and identity.”
Creating a Singular Audience Experience
What distinguished Soul & Soil from a standard repertory series was the depth of contextualization and the extraordinary level of collaboration behind the scenes.
Razom Cinema provided grant support that enabled the sourcing of rare 35mm prints from Yurii Illienko’s personal archive — materials that had not screened outside Ukraine in decades — alongside digital restorations from the Dovzhenko Center, Ukraine’s leading film archive.
The retrospective also featured in-person appearances by Pylyp Illienko, son of Yurii Illienko, who introduced films and participated in post-screening discussions, offering audiences rare insight into the production histories and political contexts surrounding the works. Composer Leonid Grabovsky, whose experimental scores shaped the audiovisual language of several Illienko films, also joined select screenings.
“These screenings became something much more unique,” Buchak said. Metrograph and Razom further elevated the experience through live subtitling provided by Razom Cinema Program Coordinator Yuliia Haleta, custom translation work, and carefully designed print and editorial materials that framed the series for audiences unfamiliar with Ukrainian film history.
Opening night set the tone for the retrospective’s immersive approach. Before a screening of Oleksandr Dovzhenko’s Earth accompanied by DakhaBrakha’s score, the Ukrainian Village Voices ensemble performed live folk music inspired by the same traditions reflected in the film itself.
For Vartan, contextualization proved essential: “The way a film program is framed has a huge impact on the audience’s experience and ultimately on their appreciation of the cinema itself,” he reflected. “Print materials, guest appearances, and the technical presentation itself are all integral details that are vital in presenting a film in its best light.”
This emphasis on contextualization extends beyond the screenings themselves. Razom Cinema’s team continues to invest in ongoing study and engagement with Ukrainian film history, including participation in programs such as the 2026 Ukrainian Institute London course Ukrainian Cinema: A Century of Innovation, Struggle, and Resilience, reflecting the organization’s commitment to presenting Ukrainian cinema with both historical depth and contemporary relevance.
Audience Response and Institutional Impact
The response to Soul & Soil demonstrated that Ukrainian cinema can attract substantial international interest when presented with strong curatorial framing and institutional support. The retrospective achieved a 68% average occupancy rate across eighteen screenings, drawing nearly 1,400 attendees in theaters. An additional 1,640 viewers engaged with the series through Metrograph’s streaming platform, bringing total viewership to more than 3,000 people.
The program’s digital footprint extended even further. Promotional content reached approximately 370,000 social media accounts and generated more than 887,000 views, including a highly successful collaboration with Letterboxd that alone approached 700,000 views. Coverage from outlets including Letterboxd, FilmStage, Screenslate, United24, Bazilik, and The Gaze further amplified the retrospective’s visibility.
For Razom Cinema, the statistics confirmed something larger than the success of a single event: “There is a desire and appetite for Ukrainian cinema among international audiences,” Buchak said. “Soul & Soil proved that when the programming is presented with care, context, and the right institutional partnerships, audiences show up.”
The collaboration has already opened conversations about future institutional partnerships and expanded programming opportunities. Both Razom Cinema and Metrograph see the retrospective not as a singular event, but as a model that can travel to other venues and audiences.
“The films are extraordinary,” Buchak reflected, “but audiences need a frame to receive them. Razom Cinema is here to help build that frame in collaboration with any institution ready to open their doors to the power that Ukrainian cinema offers.”
