As part of the project “Recovery Code: The Youth Dimension of Donetsk Region,” implemented by the Youth Council under the Regional State Administration in partnership with the NGO “New Druzhkivka,” an information campaign is underway aimed at highlighting the experiences of adaptation and integration of internally displaced youth from Donetsk Region into host communities across Ukraine.
A striking example of preserving sociocultural potential and active civic dialogue is the story of Galina and Viktoria Bogatchenko—representatives of the Kurakhiv community who, due to the security situation, were forced to relocate to the village of Dykanka in Poltava Oblast.
Before the full-scale invasion began, Galina Bogatchenko headed the “Leader Hub” youth center in the village of Dachne in the Kurakhiv community, where major renovations had recently been completed and the library collection modernized. Currently, the center’s staff continues to work remotely and from shelters in other regions (specifically, the “Sincere Heart” hub in Dnipro).
The Bogatchenko family’s adjustment process in the Poltava region was accompanied by an active search for opportunities for professional and civic fulfillment. The first step in their social integration was enrolling the children in a local secondary school, which helped establish lasting connections with the residents of the Dykanka community.
Just three months after relocation, Galina initiated a partnership with the newly established youth center in Dykanka. The first joint institutional event was a themed program held for Unity Day in January 2025.
An important component of implementing youth policy is engaging students. Viktoria Bohatchenko, a psychology major, actively coordinates youth initiatives in the community. She believes that cultural heritage and psychological resilience are the bedrock for the future recovery of de-occupied and frontline territories.
She admits that she is motivated by results, the opportunity to see friends, and the sense of working together toward a common goal. To her peers who are also finding their place in new communities, she advises them not to worry, not to lose touch with their roots, and, despite possible disappointments, to always leave room for hope and self-development.
A key milestone in the consolidation of the youth sector was the regional integration meeting in Poltava, organized by the NGO “Nova Druzhkivka.” The event provided an effective platform for networking, sharing experiences, and planning joint actions among representatives of Donetsk Oblast’s active youth.
Today, Galina and Viktoria Bogatchenko are not simply waiting out the war in the legendary town of Dykanka. They have become an integral part of the community, proving through their own example that the professionalism and dedication of people from Donetsk Oblast are the soft power that strengthens any region of the country.