Participant of the regional contest "Young Person of the Year – 2025" in the nomination "A Heart Given to Donetsk Region" Kateryna Shapovalova
My name is Kateryna. I was born and raised in the village of Velyka Novosilka in the Donetsk region, in a family with Greek and Ukrainian heritage.
My professional journey began at the library in my native village. I planned for it to be a temporary job, but I stayed for a long time. Even before the full-scale war began, we started collaborating with international organizations, which allowed us to transform the library into a modern socio-cultural space. For a community that had been living near the war since 2014, it wasn't just a cultural institution—it was an island of stability, a place of strength, support, and hope.
After February 24, 2022, like many of my fellow villagers, I was forced to leave my home. I found refuge in Kropyvnytskyi. Even though the library was temporarily closed, I continued to work remotely, informing residents of the community about evacuations and humanitarian aid, and maintaining communication with readers and colleagues. Later, I joined an international project at the Y. Malaniuk Regional Youth Library, this time as a volunteer. Although I was an internally displaced person myself, I helped other people from Donetsk adapt to their new living conditions and integrate into the host community.
As part of the Kirovohrad regional information platform "Ukraine is United from the Carpathians to Crimea", I had the opportunity to speak about the Donetsk region and my native village, Velyka Novosilka, which became an eastern outpost and prevented the occupiers from breaking through to Zaporizhzhia for three years. I later participated in the "Reconsideration: Values and Stories of Resilience" forum, which was dedicated to the inner strength of Ukrainians. Such speeches not only supported me, but also gave a voice and strength to my community in a new city.
In 2023–2024, I implemented a number of international initiatives: "Libraries – Information Front Fighters", "A Suitcase of Books", and "Network Library Shelter." Thanks to these projects, the book collections in the frontline libraries of my native community were updated. Through this work, I wasn't just preserving a structure—I was also staying connected to my people and keeping the feeling that our community was alive.
In the spring of 2024, I joined the youth council of the Donetsk Regional State Administration. I believe the future of Ukraine and the Donetsk region belongs to young people. During my one-year term, I participated in strategic sessions, both offline and online, worked in the focus group "Strengthening the Implementation of Youth Policy in the Donetsk Region," and took part in the "Youth of Donetsk Region: Youth Wave" project. This work convinced me once again that youth policy is not a formality, but an investment in the future, and that we are capable of and can change the country for the better right now.
At the beginning of 2025, I ended my career as a librarian but continued to work in my native community in a new capacity. I now work in the village's military administration. The main part of my work involves communicating with residents who are scattered all over Ukraine. Through social media and the community's information resources, I help to deliver important, timely, and reliable information every day. Every second resident writes to the pages with their own story, request, or pain. And it's not just important to respond, but to react correctly, provide guidance, and always find a solution. In a frontline community, this is a key point of communication between the authorities and the people. I try to be someone who not only listens but also acts. I know for sure that in times of war, information is a resource that saves, supports, and unites.
Someone wise once said, "Just because I'm handling it well doesn't mean it's not hard..." So, when I a thousand times a day let the pain of war, displacement, illness, and the stories of every community member pass through me, I realize that it's difficult for each of us in our own way. But by continuing to work with the community and communicate with incredibly educated and motivated young people, I am convinced every day: no matter how hard it is, we are handling it, and we are not giving up! We are dreaming, working, and fighting! And this is what gives us hope for the future!