On February 12, 2026, the regional stage of the All-Ukrainian Teacher of the Year 2026 competition came to a close. The event brought together teachers, government officials, and the educational community around this year's main theme: the resilience of Ukrainian teachers.
The event began with a tribute to the defenders of Ukraine, civilians, and educators whose lives were taken by the war.
Igor Gayevy, director of the regional administration's department of education and science, greeted the participants of the regional All-Ukrainian competition "Teacher of the Year – 2026." In his speech, he emphasized the special role of teachers in the context of modern challenges and thanked the educators for their professionalism, endurance, and loyalty to their chosen profession.
A total of 117 teachers from Donetsk Oblast competed in the English Language, Civic Education, Mathematics, and Primary Education categories of the nationwide Teacher of the Year 2026 competition. During the competition, participants demonstrated their professional skills, modern approaches to teaching, creativity, and a deep understanding of students' needs.
In the English Language category, first place went to Hanna Nikitskaya, a teacher at Kostyantynivka Secondary School No. 13 of the Kostyantynivka City Council.
In the "Civic Education" category, the winner was Natalia Zmiyevska, a teacher at Selidiv Lyceum No. 1 of the Selidiv City Council of the Pokrovsk District.
The winner in the Mathematics category was Hanna Kubrak, a teacher at Velykonovosilkovsky Secondary School No. 2 of the Velykonovosilkovsky Village Council.
In the Primary Education category, first place went to Olga Hrytsai, a teacher at Mariupol Secondary School No. 47 of the Mariupol City Council.
The formal part of the event was accompanied by musical greetings to the educational community from creative groups of the Donetsk Regional Youth Palace "Yunist" and the Donetsk Regional Palace of Children's and Youth Creativity.
The first round of the competition is over. Ahead lie new stages, new challenges, and new victories. But even now, we can say with confidence: as long as the teacher's voice is heard, the country has a future.
Based on materials from the Donetsk Regional Institute of Postgraduate Pedagogical Education