Participant of the regional contest “Young Person of the Year - 2025” in the nomination “Heart devoted to Donetsk region” Maksym Safonov
Maksym Safonov, born in 2001, is a native of Bakhmut. He graduated with honors from Bakhmut Secondary School and later from the Educational and Scientific Professional and Pedagogical Institute of the Ukrainian Engineering and Pedagogical Academy, majoring in Computer Technology. During his studies, Maksym was actively involved in public activities, was a member of the Youth Council at the Bakhmut City Council, the chairman of the Student Council of the UIPA and a member of the Public Council of the Bakhmut community.
In 2021, Maksym started working as a laboratory assistant at the UIPA, where he was responsible for organizing cultural and educational events for students. In the same year, he headed the NGO “Student Youth of Bakhmut” and together with the team successfully implemented the grant project “Digitalization Advisory Center” with the support of UNDP.
In 2022, Maksym received a bachelor's degree with honors in Vocational Education. Computer Technology". In the same year, he entered the master's program at UIPA and in December 2023 defended his master's degree with honors. In 2025, he received his second higher education, obtaining a bachelor's degree in Electric Power Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Electromechanics.
Since 2022, Maksym has been working as a leading programmer at the Central City Library of the Bakhmut community, where he actively promotes the introduction of modern technologies in librarianship.
In the early summer of 2022, when the fighting in Bakhmut reached its peak, Maksym actively joined the effort to help local residents. His main tasks were to deliver humanitarian aid and organize electricity supply.
In September 2022, due to the escalation of the situation, Maksym moved to the city of Bar, Vinnytsia region. However, despite this, he continues to work remotely and is engaged in social activities among the residents of Bakhmut.
Since May 2024, Maksym has been heading the Youth Council. With his direct involvement, numerous events, trainings and workshops were organized to support young people.
In early 2025, together with the Department of Youth Policy and the Department of Culture of the Bakhmut City Council, Maksym implemented a series of trainings entitled “The Power of Resilience: Psychological and Social Harmony”. These trainings were aimed at psychological support and social adaptation of young people, helping them to adapt to new circumstances, find internal resources to restore life balance and self-realization.
He was directly involved in the development and implementation of a number of important initiatives. These include the Digitalization Advisory Center, aimed at supporting the digital literacy of the population; the humanitarian grant “Assistance to Families with Children in Winter”, which improved the living conditions of vulnerable groups; the project “Warm Closet for Bakhmut” to provide clothing and footwear to internally displaced persons; and the Student World Without Borders Student Government Leaders Forum, organized jointly with the NGO “SCC Zadzerkallia”.
Despite all the challenges of war and displacement, he remains committed to his native Bakhmut and the Donetsk region, actively promoting education, digitalization and youth support. His multifaceted activities, combined with his personal resilience and professionalism, make Maksym not only a recognized expert, but also an inspiring example for many who strive to create positive change even in the most difficult circumstances.