Participant of the regional contest "Young Person of the Year – 2025" in the nomination "A Heart Given to Donetsk Region" Liliya Korotich
My name is Liliya. I was born and raised in Manhush. After the full-scale invasion, like thousands of other residents of the Donetsk region, I was forced to leave my home. However, while leaving my hometown, I never left the Donetsk region—it remained in my heart as a source of pain, love, and responsibility. That is why all my subsequent activities have been about connection, memory, and action.
Since 2023, I have been working at the "YaMariupol" Charitable Foundation in Vinnytsia, where I help people from the Mariupol district. It is difficult to maintain a sense of community during displacement, but my work allows me to see our people begin to rejoice and recover again.
I have initiated and organized a number of events aimed at integrating young people from the Donetsk region. These events range from art therapy sessions to cultural programs and projects focused on self-expression, mental recovery, and believing in one's own strength. One such project, "Donetsk Region's Youth Together," was a series of online art and design workshops for displaced teenagers, which helped them express their emotions through creativity, reduce anxiety, and regain hope for the future. Through the "Ukrainian Traditions and Crafts" grant competition, I secured funding for workshops to preserve our cultural heritage and promote Mariupol's traditions. The grant supported the purchase of specialized equipment and natural materials. These events strengthened the cultural identity of our community in Vinnytsia. I have also participated in organizing numerous exhibitions aimed at preserving the memory and sharing the truth about the events of the occupation.
Every project, every meeting, every text, and every initiative of mine is a thread that leads back home, back to rebuilding, and back to the living fabric of the future Donetsk region. I deeply believe that rebuilding does not start with bricks—it starts with people. And I am one of them.