Although the times of war are not rich in colourful events and live communication, the “Cultural Mosaic” Art Open Air event held at the Lavra Art Gallery in Kyiv on 8 July was one of them.

The variety of venues and activities, of participants and guests, the fusion of art and entertainment all contributed to the magical atmosphere, albeit with the “stamp” of the war. It was captured both in the works of the winners of the art competition among professional artists, and in the children’s drawings made during the open-air event. They expressed the love for Ukraine, support of its defenders, and a united resistance against the aggressor.

The theme of art in times of war, in particular, was discussed at the public premier of the film titled “Culture During Wartime. West”. The opportunities for grants from the European Union also took into consideration the current circumstances the artists are working in, with six programs supporting the culture presented.

The “Cultural Mosaic” became the key event of the communication campaign “Together We Create. Together We Preserve”. Launched in March 2023, the campaign aims to show support provided by the EU to Ukrainian artists, development of culture and preservation of the cultural heritage.

During the event, it was also to the preservation of culture that the Swiss foundation Aliph dedicated its photo exhibition, which had previously been shown in Brussels and Paris. Since the beginning of the war, with financial support from the EU, the foundation has been assisting Ukrainian museums in safeguarding and protecting their collections while simultaneously documenting this complex and dramatic process of preserving cultural heritage. Aliph has provided support for over 300 cultural organizations in Ukraine.

The open-air event also featured some entertainment. For example, guests of the event could engage in pottery, crafting jewellery, restoring antiques, and making traditional dolls called “motantka”. Children could enjoy the performances by the “Ravlyk” Puppet Theatre.

Recent barbaric attacks by Russians on the historical centre of Odesa and destruction of the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral once again painfully reminded us of the vulnerability of cultural monuments during the wartime and the importance of their digitization. The European Union is providing support for the preservation of Ukrainian cultural heritage, as highlighted in two thematic videos released in July.

The company is implementing the EU-funded project “Save Ukrainian Heritage”. The project involves digitizing of 40 cultural monuments of national significance. As of now, 10 monuments have already been scanned.

Zhytomyr Regional Museum of Local Lore was also able to purchase the necessary equipment thanks to a grant from the EU. The museum is one of the oldest cultural institutions in Ukraine, founded back in 1865. The equipment was purchased shortly after the start of the war, when the museum’s collection was under threat not only from the shelling, but also from excessive humidity within its premises.

These two videos were created by the EU-funded project “Communicating EU for Ukrainians” (CEU4U) as a part of the communication campaign “Together We Create. Together We Preserve” aimed at communicating the support of the EU of the Ukrainian culture and cultural heritage in the times of war.

In mid-July, Novovolynsk City Council signed an agreement with Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO) on supporting construction of housing for internally displaced persons (IDPs).

The agreement envisages construction of residential multi-apartment buildings with a total area of 5,100 square meters for housing at least 188 persons. The city will receive over EUR 7 million as a part of the EU-funded “Housing for Internally Displaced Persons” programme.

This is one of several ongoing programmes aimed at providing housing for IDPs that is being implemented by NEFCO and funded by the EU. In addition to Novovolynsk, new residential buildings will be built in Lviv, Chernivtsi, Zhytomyr, Kovel, Dubny, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Ternopil. Also, residential buildings in Makariv and the village of Nemishayevo, Bucha County, Kyiv Oblast will be refurbished.

The overall budget of the program is EUR 100 million. This will provide housing for approximately 11,000 people. The construction is expected to be completed in the second half of 2024.

NEFCO and the EU are also implementing the EU Support for Urgent Housing Needs for IDPs in Ukraine program, which envisages refurbishment and renovation of buildings in ten cities. The funds of the programme are directed at restoring, renovating and repurposing existing municipal buildings, such as dormitories, health care institutions, administration buildings, schools and day-care centres that can be used to host IDPs.

The total budget of the program is EUR 19.4 million, with between EUR 1.5 million and EUR 2.5 million being allocated per project. Around 1,800 IDPs will benefit from receiving accommodation and access to basic municipal services.

A special focus of the programmes managed by NEFCO is on making construction greener.

40 law students participated in an Anti-corruption Camp, which took place in July in Yablunytsya, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast. For five days, they were trained by experienced professionals from government agencies and public sector.

Presentations, lectures, training sessions, games, practical study sessions, discussions and even reflections in front of a fire – the camp’s programme was quite comprehensive and diverse. The camp was organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine with financial support of the European Union (EU).

Yehor Zavyalov, a student at the Prosecution Department of the Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University, says that the program covered almost all issues that are necessary to fight corruption.

Participants of the Anti-Corruption Camp had an opportunity to practice forfeiture of unjustified assets, simulation of a court session, etc. Theory lectures from top specialists, including NABU detectives and SAPO prosecutors, were just as useful.

Tetyana Khutor, Head of the Institute of Legislative Ideas, was one of the coaches at the camp. She gave a lecture and held practical sessions on the issue of forfeiture of illegal assets.

The absolute majority of students were highly motivated and engaged, shares the expert.

Sewing courses are being held from June 1 until August 31 in Berezhany, Ternopil Oblast, with support of the EU. Upon their completion, students will have skills in an in-demand profession. This will give them a good chance of finding a job.

The training takes place at the “Berezhany School-Studio” within the framework of the namesake project.

The head of the studio Olena Berezhna says that students who have completed the courses will receive certificates of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine with a qualification “Seamstress, 2nd Grade”.

The project is implemented by the NGO “Creative HUB Berezhany”, which received a grant from the EU-funded “Civil Society for Democratisation Project”, which is implemented by the Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting.

NGO “Creative HUB Berezhany” was established in October 2022 by internally displaced persons. “Berezhany School-Studio” has already proven its success by being awarded the third place in the nomination for “Project of the Year” based on the results of expert evaluation at the Ukrainian contest “Golden Flipchart 2023”. Last year, 12 students also completed the courses at the school. Subsequently, four of them found jobs, and one more became an individual entrepreneur and received a grant under the eRobota project.

The current students of the school also have various plans for making clothes.

In addition to theoretical and practical training in sewing, the project conducts excursions, master classes, round tables, trainings, and exhibitions. It also helps establish contacts between IDPs and potential employers, helps IDPs receive legal advice.

July 13 marked the start of the third “HR Workshop”, providing training for HR professionals in the public service sector. The objective of the program is to spread best practices and cultivate a community of leaders of change.

The workshop is jointly organized by the EU-funded EU4PAR project, the National Agency of Ukraine for Public Service, the Reform Support Teat of the Ministry of Economy, and the Higher School of Public Administration.

Similar to the first and second editions of the “HR Workshop”, the number of people wanting to participate in the program this year was three times higher than the available spots. Out of 120 applicants, 35 participants were selected.

EU4PAR Project Manager Ugis Sics emphasizes that HR professionals can play the key role in providing stability for their organisations and support to the leaders in the difficult times of uncertainty and turbulence.

The workshop will continue for three months, featuring five modules and one special course.

The training program is practice-oriented and covers a wide range of topics related to human resource management, such as organizational culture, performance management, leadership development, the role of HR specialists, as well as coaching, mental health support, and inclusivity at the workplace.

Graduates join an existing community of over 70 HR professionals who have completed training in other editions of “HR Workshop” held in previous years. They are currently using the acquired knowledge and skills in their daily work and supporting each other in the professional challenges that the Ukrainian public service faces.

Yulia Hlukhonets, a graduate of the previous “HR Workshop”, says the programme provided her with an understanding of personnel management, and also helped form a new vision of evaluation, development, and training of personnel.

The experience exchange visit was organized by the “U-LEAD with Europe” programme for the municipalities of the Poltava and Cherkasy oblasts in July. Heads of local self-government bodies discussed issues related to provision of municipal services under martial law.

The delegation comprised 14 heads and deputy heads of municipalities from both oblasts. As a part of the visit, the delegation was hosted by the municipalities of Biloziria, Chyhyryn and Shevchenkove in the Cherkasy oblast where they learned about local experiences. One of the pressing issues that was discussed was integration of internally displaced persons. Since both oblasts are considered relatively safe, people from occupied territories and populated areas close to the front line are moving there.

For example, there were 1,500 IDPs in Biloziria municipality as of March 2022, with 400 of them still staying there.

This, in particular, concerns employment in the agrarian sector, says Iryna. Also, the municipality secured grants from the International Solidarity Fund and the Association of Ukrainian Cities, which allowed them to purchase household appliances for internally displaced persons. The ability to duly prepare an application for receiving various forms of support has become a valuable experience that the municipality is mastering, according to Irina Hryshchenko.

Participants of the visit agree on the value of communication and exchange of experience.

Both Biloziria municipality in Cherkasy oblast and Serhiyivka municipality in Poltava oblast have been working with the programme since 2016, when they were established.