A weekend that brought us back into something more than just a group

Despite the exhausting week and terrible morning shelling, despite fatigue and constant stress - our 4th wave is together again.

This weekend became special, because the new challenge faced by our participants required us to be not just a psychologist, but primarily a person. This time, each of the group established professional contact with the veteran as a psychologist.

Every couple who worked is unique.
Every story is unique...

Our marathon of recovery and squatting art at «Veterans' Hut» continues!

We seem to have overcome another important step. Was it easy? No. Were there squats? Yes, and not only metaphorical.

It is impossible to meet inner demons without letting them go free. Trauma cannot survive without pain, but it can become a source of strength and growth. Remembering the pain and the impact it had on us before turns into resilience to further challenges...

Fifth run of the fourth wave «Veterans’ Hut» – our equator

And probably the most powerfull stage of the entire program.

We entered it with already different feelings – a little tired, but honest, open and ready to go deeper into process.

Started with TRE – we allowed the body to speak for us.
We shook the tension, trembled and let go. Stress, anxiety, and the consequences of a terrible night of shelling the day before, when you are lying in the dark and you don't know if this sound of an approaching drone is going to your house.
And then the morning: you are alive, but nearby in the city you see destruction and death. And we knew again: we need to be strong and live on. Despite everything...

We are already so together that the words “group” or “members” definitely do not suit us

We have become a community in which everyone knows where to find coffee in the morning, who is silent, and who is better not to touch until ten o'clock.
At nine o'clock in the morning we have a minute of silence. Silence in which everyone remembers their own people. In which we realize that we must live with dignity for the sake of those who gave us such an opportunity at the cost of their own lives.
Here veterans, their families, wives of fallen and missing heroes – we work together on ourselves, look for new meanings and recover...

Documentaries «Veteran’s Way» is now available on YouTube!

Many people have been waiting for these stories and finally everyone can see them.
Three movies — three life stories about love, loss, recovery and strength born from the experience of war. About people who went through hell — and chose life.

Oleksiy and Marina Kovalevski

He is a TV cameraman who volunteered for the front and survived a serious injury near Bakhmut. She is a doctor, a wife who fought for his life when there was almost no chance...

Screening of the film “Veteran's Way” for students of Grinchenko University

Today we talked about what is not always visible from the outside - about the path that our defenders pass after the front.

Students of Borys Grinchenko Kyiv Metropolitan University watched the film “Veteran's Way”, and then joined the discussion about the restoration, support and role of society in returning veterans to a peaceful life...

Tsunami – was the unofficial name given to the 4th wave of the «Veteran's Hut» project immediately after the first run!

We are happy to welcome 23 new members – 9 men and 14 women, including three married couples.
The experience of each of them – is a living history of modern Ukraine.
Loss story – dearest people, health, home, meaning of life. But all of them are united by one victory – decision not to be alone, but to seek support and go through the path of recovery.
We know that it is impossible to return what the war took. But we can help a person understand what happens to him after what he has experienced, learn to cope with pain and anxiety, feel resistance in himself and in the community and consciously move on...

The team of «Veterans’ Hut» joined the initiative of First Lady Olena Zelenska «How are you?»

Support for veterans — at the highest level.

The «Veterans’ Hut» team took part in events within the framework of the initiative of the First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska to implement the All-Ukrainian mental health program «How are you?», which took place at Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University...

«Veteran's Way» — stories of strength, love and return to life

Veterans don't just come back from war – they continue their life journey with new experiences.

Veterans and their relatives, who also went through anticipation, fear and pain, but found the strength to recover and move on together – and are the main characters of the documentary project «Veteran's Way».

The film premiered yesterday at the Taras Shevchenko KNU Postgraduate Institute...

In «Veterans’ Hut», the team met with the participants of the upcoming Fourth Wave and people who want to join our project

It was a sincere and frank conversation about finding yourself, about wanting to understand veterans and learn to be around.

Someone came to us asking — how to properly communicate with people who have traumatic military experience, and someone — with the dream of changing their life and acquiring a new profession of psychologist.

It is very touching for us — to see how much light and care these people have.
Because our society is still learning to understand veterans, such meetings are a step towards real dialogue and mutual support...

The «Veterans’ Hut» team attended the «Kolo» Veteran's Culture Festival

This festival gathered dozens of veterans, soldiers, volunteers and friends from all over Ukraine.

We talked, listened to speeches, met new people, met brothers, exchanged ideas and charged the energy of the community.

It is incredibly important for us — because such events help:...

The team of the «Veterans’ Hut» visited Vasylkiv

We met with veterans, shared our experience and invited them to participate in our project. And very soon, on October 17-18, the fourth wave of «Veterans’ Hut» starts!Ahead — new meetings, support, development and a common path to mental recovery.

How veterans' communities become a mainstay for those who have returned from war

The main reason for the creation of most of the veteran organizations we met at the Conference "Partnership Workshop: Getting to Know and Network Veteran Organizations" is the inability to cope with the problems of our close veterans and their families on their own or through existing government procedures.

And these problems are mostly the same and already known.
Difficulties with rehabilitation, especially psychological rehabilitation, which makes veterans feel lonely and unfit for a peaceful life after being written off and treated. They face misunderstanding of civilians, a feeling of maladjustment. There are added problems with work, bureaucracy, constant anxiety, difficult relationships within families, feelings of loss of meaning and isolation...

Recruitment for the fourth wave of the «Veterans’ Hut» project is underway!

We invite veterans, as well as their family members living in the Kyiv region, to join our large and friendly veteran family.

«Veteran's hut» — is a health and educational center where Ukrainian defenders and their families receive psychological support, share their experiences in their circle and recover. Here we hold individual and group psychological sessions, personal development trainings, creative workshops and art classes...

Assistant dog Sonya has no weekends or holidays

She works every day at the Lviv habilitation.ua Hub, helping veterans who learn to live anew after severe injuries and amputations.
She and her love are always ready for every veteran who comes to recover.

Serhiy Tytarenko, a psychologist who manages all habilitation and rehabilitation processes at Khaba, also has no days off. He is Sonya's man, so she visits the residents with him and provides a full range of furry assistance in addition to various recovery activities...

The project «Veteran's Way» has officially started!

We have started shooting a series of documentaries about the practices of mental recovery of veterans of the Russian-Ukrainian war and their family members

What will happen in our films?
- stories of defenders and their families
- practices of mental recovery after the war
- seeking a new occupation and training...

«Veterans’ Hut» has passed the inspection and entered the catalog of verified organizations Philanthropy in Ukraine

The public organization «Veterans’ Hut» successfully passed a comprehensive inspection on the Philanthropy in Ukraine platform and received the status of «verified». This is official confirmation of the transparency, reliability and efficiency of our work.
We received the 3rd level of institutional development among public organizations. From now on, our profile is available in the catalog of verified organizations with detailed information about our activities...

Our new project «Veteran’s Way» is about to start!

Project «Veteran’s Way» - a series of documentaries about the practices of mental recovery of veterans of the Russian-Ukrainian war and their family members» within the competition program ucf.ua «Sustainability of culture through society» (Lot 2 «Barrier-free society»)

What will happen in the project?

The third "wave" of «Veterans’ Hut» is officially completed

Our warmest congratulations to our graduates!

We share emotional photos from the solemn ceremony of awarding certificates to the participants of our project.

All of them went through a difficult, but very interesting path of mental recovery, finding themselves and new professional prospects.

Third wave participants received:
- certificates of completion of the educational rehabilitation and development program of the project«Veterans’ Hut»...

In these photos, it’s us — genuine, open, and connected

We were so happy at our graduation.
Nature, river, peace.
And we are all — together!

During the three months of the «Veterans’ Hut» project, we became a family.
We learned, opened up, supported each other, laughed to tears and remained silent — when necessary. We are very different, but here — we are our own.

Our new project ««The Way of the Veteran» has started!

Project «The Way of the Veteran» - a series of documentaries about the practices of mental recovery of veterans of the Russian-Ukrainian war and their family members» within the competition program ucf.ua «Sustainability of culture through society» (Lot 2 «Barrier-free society»)

What will happen in the project?

«Self-help+»: when learning becomes support

«My teaching experience within the program «Self-help+» — is something special. It was a deep immersion in the topic, a lively and meaningful discussion, an open and attentive audience. Discussing different techniques, sharing experiences, supporting each other — all this made the class extremely productive and warm. I am sincerely grateful to everyone who was present. You — are the best!»...

Women in the veteran community are those who have gone through the war and have not lost the ability to love

Those who have held others for a long time are now learning to hold themselves.

In the third wave of the project «Veterans’ Hut», we have 13 participants, of whom 10 are women.

Some of them defended Ukraine at the front, some of them are undergoing rehabilitation with their husbands, and some have lost their loved ones in the war...

Congratulations to our students on successfully passing all exams!

10 participants of the «Veterans’ Hut» studying for a master's degree in «Psychology» successfully passed the summer session.
Exams, credits, essays, presentations — all behind, and all on «good» and «excellent» marks!

This semester, they studied family psychology, positive psychotherapy, teaching methods, dealing with crises and addictions — and coped 100%...

Let us introduce Anna Syedina

She is 22, she is from the city of Pokrov in the Dnipropetrovsk region, now lives in Kyiv. In «Veterans’ Hut» Anna — is our psychologist and HR. She is the one who knows how not just to listen, but to hear. She's around when it's hard. And creates a space where it is warm and safe...

The course «Self-help+» has started at «Veterans’ Hut»

In times of war, we all feel stress, anxiety, emotional exhaustion. Therefore, we started the course «Self-help+» — a practical program for everyone who wants to better cope with everyday challenges.

We sincerely thank Svitlana Kaminska, candidate of psychological sciences, psychologist «of the Center for Mental Health of Veterans and Their Families» of the Institute of Psychiatry of KNU named after. Taras Shevchenko, who held the first class for the participants of «Veterans’ Hut». It was very interesting and informative!

The story of one veteran

28-year-old Vyacheslav from Kharkiv — is a combat medic. By education — pastry chef. Before the full-scale war, he worked as a chef in his hometown.

After the Russian invasion in 2022, he did not hesitate at all and went to the front. He saved his comrades in the Luhansk and Bakhmut directions. It is admitted that it was necessary to treat not only bodies, but also souls...

The story of one veteran

28-year-old Vyacheslav from Kharkiv — is a combat medic. By education — pastry chef. Before the full-scale war, he worked as a chef in his hometown.

After the Russian invasion in 2022, he did not hesitate at all and went to the front. He saved his comrades in the Luhansk and Bakhmut directions. It is admitted that it was necessary to treat not only bodies, but also souls...

The third "wave" of the project «Veterans’ Hut» has started! 

We congratulate the participants on becoming part of our friendly veteran family.
Ahead of are many different activities, sincere conversations, jokes, as well as training that changes the lives of veterans and opens up new opportunities.

The peculiarity of our project is that not only veterans, but also their family members take part in it...

We support Ukrainian veterans and their families together with Kyiv National University named after. Taras Shevchenko 

On May 3, our NGO «Veterans' Hut» signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Center for Veteran Development of KNU named after. Taras Shevchenko. So soon even more soldiers who defended Ukraine will be able to sit down behind the student bench. Not only veterans of the russian-Ukrainian war, but also members of their families will be able to get a psychologist's education. Friends, let's remind you what our project does!...

The second wave of our rehabilitation and educational project for veterans and their family members «Veterans’ Hut» has ended

Certificates of passing the program were presented to the participants by Ivan Danylyuk, dean of the Faculty of Psychology of KNU. Next, they will prepare for admission to a master's degree in psychology and study in the new academic year.

We will remind you that in the spring, a new program of BF Alyona Vinnytsia psychological recovery and preparation for training as a psychologist was launched for our veterans, their family members, and women who experienced significant traumatic experiences due to the war...

Is there a difference in the psychologist's work with soldiers at the front and with veterans who have returned home? 

Oleksandr Tkachenko, the author of the methodology and leading psychologist of the project on psychological recovery and education of veterans «Veterans’ Hut», told about it in an interview:

- Working at the front comes in handy in further work with veterans after returning. But such work is very different. In war, it is necessary to perform a combat task, and the main task is always related to the destruction of the enemy. Sometimes you have to send people to a place from where they no longer return. And this is also the work of a psychologist...

Yesterday in Kyiv, the forum «Interaction of business and government» was held in the premises of the KMDA

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the concept of transition of veterans from military service to civilian life through professional adaptation and development of veteran business. 
By the way, according to statistics, 51% of military personnel and veterans are not going to return to their previous places of work, but will look for something new. Therefore, business and the state face the challenge of – assistance in career guidance, in obtaining a new profession and education...

Our team attended the XIII Civil Society Development Forum «(VY)STOIMO». 

A bunch of people and interesting speakers, including: Vitaly Portnikov, Yevhen Golovakha.

They talked about important things: how war tests social cohesion, about the prospects of veteran politics. But the main thing is why they come here: get to know the funds that provide grants, maybe meet future partners and, in general, understand that we are not alone. Apparently, most of the visitors are now represented by volunteer organizations working with the military, veterans, and their family members. And it was important to see that there are so many of us.

Tango therapy: Everyone dances!

The psychological recovery program «Veterans’ Hut» uses body-oriented therapy – various movements, physical activity, walks, and – tango lessons. Tango is taught to the participants of the «Veterans’ Hut» by volunteers from the Tango Blast Club school. In this school, by the way, there is already a lot of experience working with the wounded and veterans in Kyiv hospitals...

Friends of «Veterans’ Hut» gave us an electric scooter

Now our veterans, project participants, will become more mobile, will be able to move freely around the territory of the sanatorium, go for walks in the park, etc.
For this, we are sincerely grateful to the five Ukrainians from the German city of Bremerhafe, who are also part of the team of the volunteer charity Nordteamforua. Here are these wonderful people: Oksana Domashenko, Denis Domashenko, Liliya Ostapenko, Valentina Bogak and Antonina Yastremska. They responded very quickly to our request and collected more than 41 thousand hryvnias with the necessary 35 thousand hryvnias for the purchase of a scooter. Volunteers plan to transfer the rest to other needs of the VH...

The second wave of the project «Veterans’ Hut» has started

This time, the participants take the psychological recovery program at the restored Borodyansk Center for Social and Psychological Rehabilitation of the Population.

More than two dozen veterans and their family members will undergo a psychological recovery program in the «Veterans’ Hut» project. But this time, in addition to professional psychologists, graduates of our first House will also work with them, who, by the way, with the help of our project entered KNU named after. Shevchenko and study for a master's degree in psychology...

Tango for veterans

During the general meeting, the participants of two «Veterans’ Hut» danced tango

Participants of the «first wave of the educational and psychological recovery project «Veterans’ Hut» met with recruits of the second wave, which will start the other day. This time, «veterans» VH who entered the master's degree in psychology at Shevchenko KNU will already work with newcomers as interns. They told them why they decided to participate in the project, what results they have already achieved. However, it was immediately clear to even an outsider that during these six months the group became a real team, the members of which support each other...

Participants of the «Veterans’ Hut» received volunteer certificates

Participants «of the first wave» «Veteran's hut» joined the project team as volunteers
In six months, they turned from a group into a real team. Today, the participants of the «first wave of the educational and psychologically restorative project «Veterans’ Hut» are already studying for a master's degree in psychology at Shevchenko Kyiv National University. And today they also received volunteer certificates from VH and will start practicing as interns with participants of the «second wave of our project.

The Protective Police of Kyiv Region and the NGO «The Veteran Hut» have joined forces for the rehabilitation of veterans.

«The Veteran’s Hut» team joined the training «We Are Here», organized by the subsidiaries of the Canadian insurance holding Fairfax in Ukraine (ARX, Universalna, Colonnade) for their employees and their families, whose husbands/wives are defending the independence of our country. Since the beginning, ARX has supported our project on psychological and training for veterans, so we gladly participated in the event.

The Protective Police of Kyiv Region and the NGO «The Veteran Hut» have joined forces for the rehabilitation of veterans.

A Memorandum of Cooperation has been signed between the Protective Police of Kyiv Region and the NGO «The Veteran Hut».

«The Veteran's Hut» signed a Memorandum with the Borodyansk Rehabilitation Center

Representatives of the «The Veteran's Hut»’team signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Borodyansk Center for Social and Psychological Rehabilitation of the Population.

Oleksandr Tkachenko: "A psychologist must help a veteran return to civilian life"

Psychological rehabilitation of our veterans and people affected by military actions is an extremely important issue for our country. Therefore, there are already many programs at both the state and community levels. However, this is still insufficient. One of the key differences in our "Veteran's Hut" program is that we aim to prepare veterans to become psychologists for other veterans. To read more about veterans' psychological trauma, the challenges they face after returning home, and the tasks of military psychologists, check out the interview with the program's author, Oleksandr Tkachenko, published in the online publication MOZHNA JOURNAL.

Participants of the first round of the "Veteran's Hut" project received certificates of completion of the program

The "Veteran's Hut" hosted the first graduation of the programme participants.
Three months flew by unnoticed. During this time, the programme participants managed to become a team. On the occasion of the completion of the first part of the large rehabilitation and educational programme for veterans and their families, namely the "Veteran's Hut", the CF of Alona Vinnytska arranged a solemn presentation of special certificates.

Open Day at the Veteran's Hut

The Veterans' Hut organised an Open Day and invited the media to visit. And this is despite the fact that in fact, for all participants of the New Perspective programme, the days are very busy at the House - 6-7 hours of psychological sessions, art hours, which are also therapeutic, and not just an opportunity to engage in creativity, and much more. 

The Alyona Vinnytska's Charitable Foundation signs Memorandum of Cooperation with Kyiv Regional Employment Centre

It should be noted that the Foundation and the Kyiv Regional Employment Centre have been cooperating since the very beginning of the New Perspective educational programme, under which veterans of the Russian-Ukrainian war and their families, women who have suffered significant psychological trauma as a result of military operations, volunteers, social workers, etc. undergo psychological rehabilitation in the Veteran's House project, and then have the opportunity to enter the Kyiv National University's master's programme and receive a diploma in psychology.

The Aliona Vinnytska's Charitable Foundation and the Faculty of Psychology of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv sign a Memorandum of Cooperation

A historic moment: the signing of a memorandum of cooperation between the Aliona Vinnytska's Charitable Foundation and the Faculty of Psychology of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. In the new academic year 2024/25, the first group of participants of the social and educational programme "NEW PROSPECT" will study for a master's degree in psychology. 

For the first time in Ukraine veterans of the Russian-Ukrainian war will be trained as psychologists

The Aliona Vinnytska's Charitable Foundation announces the launch of a unique charitable and social programme NEW PROSPECT for psychological recovery and education of veterans of the Russian-Ukrainian war. The programme is implemented in cooperation with the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and the State Employment Service.

The Alyona Vinnytska's CF met with veterans at the Bucha branch of the Kyiv Regional Employment Centre

The Aliona Vinnytska's Charitable Foundation presented a new programme of rehabilitation, training and further employment as a psychologist for the military for war veterans and their families called "NEW PROSPECT". 

The Aliona Vinnytska's Charitable Foundation met with veterans of Obukhiv

The meeting with veterans and their families was organised by the Obukhiv branch of the Kyiv Regional Employment Centre.
At the meeting, The Aliona Vinnytska's Charitable Foundation presented a unique programme called "NEW PROSPECT", which has no analogues in Ukraine.