Stories

Iryna, a 36-year-old artist, shares two pieces of art to explain the way the war in Ukraine changed her. The first is filled with color and hope. 

 

"It is from the time when I was happy, living in peaceful Ukraine, and everything was fine. This was my moral (mental) state,” she says. 
“The second one, the black one, is my state of mind after the war started." 

 

Iryna (name changed) lived in Zaporizhzhia region before the war and had taught art for most of her adult life. 

In January 2022, the Zaporizhzhia-based Development Center ‘Women's World’ WRO launched an ambitious coalition project to counteract domestic violence and enhance security in seven of the largest communities in Zaporizhzhia region. It was planned to be implemented in collaboration with several partner organizations. This was the first project of the WRO supported by Pact and the first in which the organization assumed the role of leader of the coalition. The team was enthusiastic about its implementation. However, the full-scale war disrupted all plans just a month later.

Since its establishment in 2019, Ukrainian Antiquity has been dedicated to empowering proactive youth and equipping them with strong civic competencies. Through various activities like volunteering, scientific pursuits, and cultural heritage preservation, the organization built a thriving network of enthusiastic teenagers committed to enhancing their civic skills and making a positive impact.