Participant in the regional contest “Young Person of the Year – 2026” in the “Creators of Change and Opportunities” category: Andriy Gryshyn
Andriy grew up in the village of Zoria in the Donetsk region. His passion for Ukrainian literature and poetry shaped his career choice—after high school, he enrolled at the Mariupol Vocational College of Arts to study “Dramatic Theater Acting.”
At age 18, he taught music at the Kalchitska School and founded a children’s theater studio in his hometown of Zorya.
He was in Mariupol when the full-scale invasion began in 2022. During the 19-day siege of the city, he took refuge in the Mariupol Drama Theater building.
After the evacuation, he enrolled at the Ivan Karpenko-Karyi Kyiv National University of Theater, Film, and Television, majoring in “Drama Theater Directing,” from which he has since successfully graduated.
In 2025, together with colleagues, he founded the private chamber theater DCT. As part of this project, the troupe organized more than 20 charity performances for displaced Mariupol residents to support their fellow townspeople and preserve their cultural community.
Today, the director continues to create new theatrical productions, focusing on reflecting on Ukraine’s contemporary history, preserving memory, and developing independent Ukrainian art.