On May 10, 2026, a cultural and educational event titled “Families of Donetsk Region: From Generation to Generation,” dedicated to Mother’s Day and Family Day, took place in Kyiv. The event was organized by the Donetsk Regional State Administration in collaboration with the “Union of World Cultures” Charitable Foundation and the “Parkovy” Exhibition and Convention Center.
The event brought together over 300 guests: families from the Donetsk region who are forced to live in the capital due to the war, representatives of government agencies, humanitarian hubs, relocated institutions, civil society organizations, creative groups, and partners.
Participants honored the memory of Ukraine’s fallen defenders and civilians whose lives were cut short by the war. Special attention was paid to the strength of Ukrainian mothers, the role of the family in preserving identity, supporting children, fostering unity across generations, and ensuring the resilience of Donetsk region communities.
Lilia Zolkina, Head of the Department of Family, Youth, and Public Events for National and Patriotic Education at the Donetsk Regional State Administration, Natalia Kirkach, Advisor to the Head of the Donetsk Regional State Administration on Ensuring Equal Rights and Opportunities for Women and Men, and Olena Kobets, Director of the “Union of World Cultures” Charitable Foundation and co-organizer of the event.
“Today we have gathered not only to congratulate the families of Donetsk Oblast on Mother’s Day and Family Day. We have gathered to feel once again that Donetsk remains one big family, no matter where its people may be. It is the family that helps us stay strong, pass on our love for our homeland to our children, and maintain our faith in return and recovery,” noted Lilia Zolkina.
In her speech, Natalia Kirkach emphasized the importance of partnerships between the government, the civil society sector, and socially responsible businesses in supporting families affected by the war. She also presented the Almanac of Winners of the regional “Women of Donetsk Region” competition, which compiles stories of women from the region, highlighting their resilience, leadership, and contributions to community life. In addition, Natalia Kirkach expressed her gratitude to Olena Kobets and the “Parkovy” Cultural and Exhibition Center for their partnership, support of Donetsk region families, and significant contribution to organizing the event.
“It is a great honor for us to stand alongside the families of Donetsk Oblast on this day. We sought to create a space where every family could feel warmth, care, support, and a sense of belonging to a larger community. Because even when far from home, people should feel that they are not alone,” emphasized Olena Kobets.
The event included an awards ceremony for participants and winners of the regional children’s drawing and handicraft contest “My Family: From Generation to Generation,” organized by the “Union of World Cultures” Charitable Foundation with the support of the Department of Family, Youth, and Mass Events for National-Patriotic Education of the Donetsk Regional State Administration. The Parkovy Exhibition and Convention Center served as a partner for the contest.
Exhibition, informational, and interactive stations were available for guests. Exhibitions of children’s drawings and handmade crafts were presented, along with the photo exhibitions “Women and War: Stories ‘Before’ and ‘After’” and “My Rights Violated by War,” as well as thematic displays on the agenda of “Women, Peace, and Security,” national-patriotic education, and the cultural heritage of Donetsk region communities.
The interactive and informational spaces were organized with the support of the “Fishermen’s Club of Ukraine” NGO and the “10th of April” NGO, in collaboration with the Kyiv Regional Center for Preparing the Population for National Resistance, the “Donetsk Regional Youth Center” Municipal Institution, the Donetsk Regional Employment Center, the Main Directorate of the Pension Fund of Ukraine in Donetsk Oblast, and the military administrations of Bakhmut, Kalchyk, Kostyantynivka, Mangush, Mariupol, Sartana, Selidovo, Soledar, and Chasovoyarsk, as well as the Bakhmut and Volnovakha District State Administrations and district military administrations.
During the first thematic panel, “The Family at the Center of Support: Opportunities, Safety, Development,” participants discussed issues of safety, national resistance, employment, professional development, entrepreneurship, and support for families in the Donetsk region.
The second panel, “Donetsk Region Hubs in Kyiv: Spaces for Support, Unity, and Interaction,” was dedicated to the work of humanitarian and advisory-coordination centers for communities in the Donetsk region, which continue to support internally displaced persons in the capital.
The third panel, titled “Relocated Institutions in Donetsk Oblast: Support, Services, Resilience,” focused on the work of the region’s medical, educational, social, and youth institutions, which, despite having been relocated, continue to provide services to the residents of Donetsk Oblast.
The cultural program of the event was presented by the instrumental ensemble “Koloryt” of the Municipal Art Education Institution “Selidovo Music School” under the direction of Valentina Dzhumurat, the vocal ensemble of the Kostiantynivka School of Arts, the dance ensemble “StartDance,” Zakhar Pshonka from the Bakhmut School of Arts, Sofia Popova from Sloviansk, the vocal ensemble “Nadiya” under the artistic direction of Olena Akritova, Nilufar Kovalskaya from Soledar, international competition laureate Maria Samsonova, the “Charivnytsia” folk ensemble of Ukrainian song from the “Darnitsa” Palace of Culture under the direction of Yuriy Balji, Yulia Idzhilova from Bakhmut, as well as the duet of Agnes and Vasyl Vayb.
The event served as a space for gathering, support, and a reminder that Donetsk Oblast is not merely a territory, but above all people, families, memories, culture, and a shared belief in Ukraine’s return, recovery, and future.