Life in Ukraine

“1,2,3,4!” The commands echo across the river as blades slam in unison. On Kyiv’s Trukhaniv Island, soldiers and veterans swapped rifles for paddles, driving long dragon-headed boats down the Dnipro to the beat of a drum in Ukraine’s first-ever dragon boat race.

Kyiv will host the Fifth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen on September 10-11. Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska will unite global leaders, Nobel laureates, and teachers from around the world to explore how education can transform societies—even amid war.

A Kyiv penthouse with panoramic windows once embodied success. Now, it’s where people jolt awake to air raid sirens, counting the seconds: will they make it to a shelter, or is it safer to stay in the bathroom? Russia’s relentless bombardment has radically reshaped what Ukrainians call comfortable housing. Here are the main lessons.

A new school year has begun in Ukraine, once again under the shadow of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Despite frequent air raid alerts and the constant threat from Russian attacks, city administrations, schools, and teachers across the country are finding ways to ensure that as many children as possible can continue their education. 

“I felt like I was merging with a rock I was sitting on. I called my mother to say I loved her,” says Oleh Fitkalo, describing his experience during a psychedelic session. For him and other Ukrainian veterans, psychedelic therapy is opening unexpected doors to healing from the invisible wounds of war.

In Denmark—hundreds of kilometers away from Ukraine—little Luka celebrates his 5th birthday. “Make a wish!” his mother says, holding a candle-lit cake. “I wish we were in Ukraine!” Luka answers. Like millions of other Ukrainian children, the boy was forced to flee his home due to Russia’s full-scale war, and now—dreams of returning.