On May 16–17, 2026, the finals of the 26th I. B. Medvinsky All-Ukrainian Student Essay Contest “The History and Lessons of the Holocaust” were held in Kyiv. The Ukrainian Center for Holocaust Studies traditionally served as the organizer of this academic forum.
This year’s intellectual marathon was marked by fierce competition and a high level of scholarly discourse: over 100 in-depth research projects from across Ukraine were submitted for consideration by the expert jury. Participants demonstrated their ability to work with archival sources, analyze complex historical processes, and reconstruct people’s lives through the lens of microhistory.
The Donetsk region was well represented at the competition by talented students and their mentors, who demonstrated deep knowledge, thorough preparation, and a high standard of academic presentation. Based on the jury’s evaluation, the representatives from Donetsk Oblast won the competition’s top awards.
Alina Mazhan, an 11th-grade student at Velykonovosilkovsky Secondary School No. 2 (grades 1–3) (supervised by Marina Megelbey, Deputy Director for Educational and Pedagogical Work and history teacher), was awarded a First-Degree Certificate (First Place).
The title of contest winner was awarded to Bianca Chala, a 9th-grade student at Bilitska Secondary School No. 10 (supervised by Lilia Denisova, Deputy Director for Academic and Educational Affairs and teacher of history and law).
Our students’ research projects stood out for their particular attention to detail and personal human stories, which is evidence of the development of a strong historical consciousness and civic responsibility among today’s youth.
We sincerely congratulate the winners and their highly professional research advisors on this significant and honorable achievement at the national level!
Based on materials from the Donetsk Regional Institute of Postgraduate Pedagogical Education