Iryna Halperina – participant in the 2025 regional competition “Woman of Donetsk Region,” nominated in the category “Creator of Change and Opportunities”
At a time when war is testing each of us, we see especially clearly those people whose lives are examples of strength, resilience, and love for Ukraine. One such figure is Iryna Halperina, a woman who brings people, projects, and hopes together around her.
Even before the war, she was the heart of the village of Respublika in the Mariupol district of the Nikolsk community, working as deputy director for educational work. For her dedication to Ukraine, in 2021 she received the Order of Berehynia of Ukraine and a Certificate of Honor from the third President, Viktor Yushchenko. After the start of the full-scale invasion, she was forced to leave with her family, but even after leaving her home, she did not abandon her cause — supporting children, colleagues, and the community.
Today, Iryna serves as director of the Republican School and initiates important cultural and social projects. It is thanks to her that the poetry collection “Soul in Poetic Lines,” the memorial book “We Were, We Are, and We Will Be,” and the museum room of community heroes at the Nikolska Community Resilience Center in Kyiv were created.
In 2025, together with her team, she implemented the project “Women of the Community During the War” — 25 stories of strength and resilience. Iryna is currently working on a new edition of the book “Fighting for the Right to BE,” collecting testimonies from soldiers released from captivity and volunteers.
Iryna participates in art events and festivals, is a diploma winner of a literary competition, and is also a guardian of the memory of her native land. She dreams of new projects for children and adults, of restoring peace, and of the day when joy and tranquility will reign again in every Ukrainian home.
Her story is proof that love for people and one's native land can overcome fear, pain, and even war.
The detailed story of the contest participant can be found at: https://surl.lt/pgpsal
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