MEDIA

In Chisinau for the twelfth time the traditional “Vyshyvanka March” took place, gathering more than two hundred participants in Ukrainian folk costumes. Citizens of Ukraine and Moldova, diplomats and creative groups took part in the procession and festive program. The event was timed to coincide with the World Vyshyvanka Day, which is celebrated annually on the third Sunday of May. It is designed to emphasize the importance of cultural traditions and preserve Ukrainian identity.

Hundreds of Ukrainians, including refugees, today celebrated World Ukrainian Shirt Day, called Vyshynka. Dressed in traditional clothes, they came to the square of the Opera and Ballet Theater and showed how traditions are intertwined in a pattern of friendship and mutual respect. The event, organized as part of the 12th edition of the holiday, highlighted solidarity between communities and cultures.

In fact, Ukrainians have been living in Moldova for more than 600 years. There are more than 150 settlements, which are places of compact residence. Ukrainians as an ethnic minority in Moldova are the second largest ethnic group after the titular nation. We have schools where Ukrainian language and literature are taught, there are Ukrainian teachers.

Interview with the Chairman of the National Congress of Ukrainians in Moldova Dmytro Lekartsev about the activities of the association and the Ukrainian House in Moldova, as well as cooperation with Poland and hopes for the future

DMITRY Lekararev, Director of the National Congress of Ukrainians of Moldova: “Today we are gathered here to remember one of the greatest tragedies in the history of Ukraine - the organized famine. We cannot imagine today what it is like to die of hunger or what it is like to have the last piece of bread taken away from people, and we cannot imagine what it is like to see someone close to us die”.

Since 2022, the organization's team, led by Dmitry Lekartsev, has implemented 15 projects worth over $2.8 million to support Ukrainian and Moldovan citizens affected by the war, protect their rights, facilitate their integration and employment.

On October 5, the annual forum Ukrainian Day in Moldova (UDM) was held in Chisinau, organized by the National Congress of Ukrainians of Moldova at Artcor Creative HUB.

At the Ukrainian Day in Moldova 2024 forum in Chisinau, Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets announced the appointment of the head of the National Congress of Ukrainians of Moldova (NCUM), Dmytro Lekartsev, as a representative of the Ombudsman.

The forum's discussions focused on finding joint solutions to restore and strengthen communities, ensure sustainable development of Ukraine and Moldova, develop joint projects, and transition from humanitarian aid to long-term initiatives on the path to European integration.

The National Congress of Ukrainians in Moldova was founded in 2021. Headed by Dmytro Lekartsev, the NCUM is actively working to preserve Ukrainian identity abroad and build relations between the Ukrainian community, the local community and the authorities. The Congress is an important center of support for Ukrainians in Moldova, actively promoting cultural exchange and mutual understanding between the two peoples.

“We agreed to establish cooperation with the Chisinau Office for the Protection of Children's Rights to determine the causes. Our task is to ensure the right to education for every child in Ukraine,” the UCUF said.

Pupils of the Shevchenko gymnasium. Pupils of the T.Shevchenko gymnasium will receive 700 Ukrainian textbooks from Kiev. At the same time, the gymnasium opened 1, 4, 5 and 6 classes with teaching in Ukrainian. Also, children from Ukraine study Romanian language as a separate subject, and two more subjects taught in Romanian - drawing and physical education - will be introduced in grades 5 and 6, the National Congress of Ukrainians of Moldova (CNUM) reports.

The opening of the project “Ukrainian House: a symbol of strength and unity of the Ukrainians of Moldova” has taken place in Chisinau. The opening ceremony was attended by members of the Moldovan parliament, ambassadors of diplomatic missions, representatives of more than ten international organizations, refugees from Ukraine and ethnic Ukrainians from Moldova, the National Congress of Ukrainians of Moldova (NCUM) said in a statement.

The biggest problem at the moment for Ukrainian refugees in Moldova is to find housing, work, integration into society and to come to terms with the fact that these are long-term changes,” Dmytro Lekartsev, head of the National Congress of Ukrainians of Moldova, told a PAP correspondent.

Several Ukrainians who fled the war and settled in our country gathered today, two years after the war. They spoke at an event organized by the National Congress about how they managed to integrate and start a new life away from home.

Several Ukrainians who fled the war and settled in our country gathered today, two years after the war. They spoke at an event organized by the National Congress about how they managed to integrate and start a new life away from home.

On the third Saturday of November, the world honors the memory of millions of Ukrainians who were victims of the artificial famine of 1932-33. The lives of these people were interrupted because of the genocide organized by the Soviet authorities on Ukrainian lands with the aim of destroying the Ukrainian identity and national idea, suppressing the will and aspiration for freedom. The terrible figures of those times: 17 people died of hunger every minute, 1000 people died hourly, about 25 thousand people died daily. More than 7 million people in Ukraine and 3 million Ukrainians outside Ukraine, in regions historically inhabited by Ukrainians, were killed.

The citizens of Ukraine struggled for peace for 12 months. The bombings on the morning of February 24, 2022, forced hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians, women, children and the elderly to flee their homes. While men bravely defend a sovereign state, refugees have found a glimmer of peace in the Republic of Moldova. Our country has demonstrated unprecedented mobilization in a short time. We discuss the assistance that the Republic of Moldova has provided and continues to provide in this war, as well as the inclusion of Ukrainian citizens in our country in a special edition of 1 Year of War.

Experts note: it is best to fight Russian propaganda and disinformation jointly, involving governmental and private capabilities

The days of Ukrainian cinema have come to an end in the capital Chisinau. This year's event was overshadowed by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which took the lives of thousands of Ukrainian citizens and forced more than 5.5 million people to flee their homes

The Chairman of the National Congress of Ukrainians in the Republic of Moldova Dmytro Lekartsev sent a public appeal in Russian to the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Moldova in connection with the recent appeal of the diplomatic mission “concerning cases of discrimination on national, linguistic, cultural, religious and other grounds, as well as acts of violence or actions threatening life and health”.

Dmytro Lekartsev: First of all, my personal position - it is very similar to Ukraine's position, that the solution to the issue can be exclusively peaceful. But I will emphasize that the key to solving this problem is in the Kremlin. It is the Kremlin's desire to resolve the conflict that is very important in this situation. That is, it is necessary to withdraw weapons, it is necessary to withdraw mercenaries, it is necessary to give Ukraine the opportunity to take effective control of the section of the border in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions.

The Head of State also congratulated the Ukrainian Women's Community of Moldova and the National Congress of Ukrainians On the World Day of Ukrainian Embroidery, which was celebrated yesterday, May 20, President of the Republic of Moldova Maia Sandu sent greetings to Ukrainians living in the neighboring country, a Glavkom correspondent reports.

The Parties undertake to work together in the field of integration of foreigners and to conduct integration activities aimed at promoting diverse and positive interaction of Ukrainian refugees with the host society and creating opportunities for interaction.

Refugees from Ukraine who have given birth or plan to give birth in Moldova are entitled to a lump sum of 10,932 lei, as well as assistance of one thousand lei monthly for the first two years of the child's birth.

The bell rang on September 2 at the Taras Shevchenko gymnasium in Chisinau, where more than 200 refugee children from Ukraine study. For them, for the first time in the Republic of Moldova, classes were opened in the Ukrainian language. The teachers are also refugees and the textbooks were brought from Ukraine.

Legal status and creation of conditions for socio-economic stability remain the key aspects of integration of Ukrainian migrants. This was stated by the program coordinator of the National Congress of Ukrainians of Moldova (NCUM), Iryna Basiul. According to her, today many organizations are moving from the phase of rapid response to the crisis, which included covering the basic needs and requirements of the displaced persons, to the implementation of programs aimed at strengthening the lives of refugees in their countries of residence.

In August, some refugees may be left without social protection The temporary protection status for Ukrainian migrants was conceived to facilitate their stay in Moldova, but the way this idea is implemented raises some concerns. For example, on May 10, 2023, the Commission for Emergency Situations decided to limit the stay of refugees from Ukraine without temporary protection status or other rights of residence on the territory of Moldova to 90 days in 180 days from May 15, 2023. This decision caused apprehension among the majority of refugees who, for various reasons, had not yet had time to apply for temporary protection.

The ROBOTA project opens a new direction - assistance in issuing temporary protection, residence permit or refugee status for migrants from Ukraine. The service is absolutely free of charge. Obtaining legal status in Moldova is critical for Ukrainian migrants who have decided to stay in the country. Without legalization, Ukrainians will be able to stay in Moldova only as tourists - that is, for no more than 90 days and without access to employment and education. A detailed study of the barriers to obtaining temporary protection status was recently conducted by the National Congress of Ukrainians of Moldova

Among toys, bags with clothes and an impressive supply of water, volunteers of the Center for Temporary Accommodation of Refugees from Ukraine coordinate assistance to women and children who managed to escape from the armed conflict zones. The establishment of the Center is an initiative of the Congress of Ukrainians of Moldova in cooperation with the Ukrainian Women's Community of the Republic of Moldova, supported by the PL Solidarity Fund in Moldova.

The National Association of ICT Companies (ATIC) together with the National Congress of Ukrainians of Moldova with the support of UN Women in Moldova launches Cash for Work support program for refugee women from Ukraine who want to find a job or develop their own business on the territory of the Republic of Moldova.

The Taras Shevchenko Gymnasium in Chisinau hosted a meeting of a working group working on the creation of textbooks in Ukrainian.

"Specific actions are already underway to open Ukrainian classes in 4 educational institutions in the north of Moldova, where a large number of ethnic Ukrainians are concentrated. Starting with the translation of textbooks into Ukrainian, ending with the training of teachers for educational institutions - all this is already in the process of implementation."

Three sets of textbooks will be distributed to pupils of VII-IX classes in the Republic of Moldova who study in the Ukrainian language. The new textbooks include works by contemporary Ukrainian writers, as well as updated spelling rules. Until now, children had to study with old textbooks, which were more than 15 years old. Two subjects have been introduced into the single textbook: Ukrainian language and Ukrainian literature.

Iabloana commune was chosen to host the festival because the majority of ethnic Ukrainians live in the north of Moldova. AURELIU BODEAN, Mayor of Iabloana commune, Glodeni district: “We decided to revive these beautiful traditions so that society, people feel the need for this cultural change, this is an opportunity.”

During the event “Days of Ukraine in Moldova 2024”, which took place on October 5 in Chisinau, 12 united territorial communities (communes) of Chernivtsi region signed cooperation agreements with 12 communities of the Republic of Moldova. According to the Head of Chernivtsi Regional Military Administration Ruslan Zaparanyuk, the signing of these agreements took place during the IV Forum and Festival “Days of Ukraine in Moldova 2024”. Chernivtsi region was represented by First Deputy Governor Alena Atamaniuk and delegates from 12 communities of the region.

The National Congress of Ukrainians of Moldova (NCUM), in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), conducted research and advocacy to improve Ukrainians' access to banking services in Moldova. Significant progress has been made as a result of these efforts. MAIB Bank simplified account opening for Ukrainians in Moldova. This change was a significant step towards supporting the Ukrainian community as they seek to stabilize their financial situation in their new location.

Ukrainians in Moldova have created a Council of Mayors and started cooperation with the EU. In this context, a declaration was signed on July 30, uniting mayors from the northern regions of Moldova, where compact communities of Ukrainians are concentrated, in the “Council of Mayors” under the National Congress of Ukrainians in Moldova.

Moldovan President Maia Sandu today held a meeting with representatives of several organizations of the Ukrainian community in Moldova. The discussion focused on the problems faced by the Ukrainian minority in Moldova, as well as on the new challenges posed by the outbreak of war in Ukraine.

The Congress of Ukrainians of Moldova is asking to introduce a mechanism for granting temporary protection status to Ukrainian refugees. This was stated by the program coordinator of the organization Kyrylo Prykhodko during the Day of Ukrainian Culture in Chisinau. This was reported by a Glavkom correspondent.

28 May - Implementation of the pilot project of installing signs with the names of localities, streets institutions and other topographical signs in Romanian and Ukrainian, in localities compactly populated by Ukrainians (According to the Law No. 382 of 19-07- 2001, paragraph 10, the names of localities, streets and streets are indicated in the state language, but, if necessary, at the decision of local public administration authorities, and in another language, in accordance with the legislation in force). The project was implemented in Nihoreni village (rl Riscani), Danu village (Glodeni) and Ungri village (Otaci). In these localities, signs in two languages were installed with the names of the locality, streets, as well as on administrative buildings (town hall, school, cultural center, library, kindergarten).

Creating pathways to social and economic inclusion in Moldova. Start your path to employment today!

“Good evening, we are from Ukraine” is an author's project that tells the story of Ukrainians who were forced to leave their homes and their native country because of the war. View all episodes

The magic of Christmas was also felt today by a large group of children with disabilities, refugees or from socially vulnerable families. More than 600 children from all over the country gathered at the Railwaymen's Palace of Culture in the capital, where they watched a circus show prepared especially for them.

50 children from the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine spend their holidays together in a camp organized by the National Congress of Ukrainians from Moldova in collaboration with UNICEF Moldova. The children interact and participate in educational activities aimed at promoting tolerance, respect and mutual understanding.

Dozens of refugees from Ukraine came to a careers fair in Chisinau today, hoping to find a job to match their skills. Employers say the offers are to suit all tastes and the salaries are quite attractive. Among the most sought-after are jobs as sales managers, confectioners, bakers and barmen.

In one of the offices of the Ukrainian House, we meet the team of the Robota project. “We help Ukrainians find legal, official work here in Moldova so that they can earn money, support themselves and not depend on social services that exist today and may be cut tomorrow,” says Roman Russu, a member of the National Committee of Ukrainians in Moldova who is the project manager.

They live their lives far from home, go to work and wait for the day when they can return to Ukraine. It's the story of thousands of refugees fleeing war, including Yevgeny Yevgeny Ogurtsova and Marina Diskalenko, who have settled in Chisinau. Their lives changed radically, but in Moldova they found support, good people and a chance to rebuild their lives.

The Taras Shevchenko Gymnasium is perhaps the most important center of schooling in Chisinau for Ukrainians. This year, four classes with Ukrainian as the language of instruction were opened there. The institution had not been renovated for years, but we managed to launch a wave of changes. Since spring, the school has been operating the Dyvosvit, a modern and bright educational center for preschoolers. RFI's Ukrainian editorial team visited the school and shares their impressions in this video.

The summer camp was established on the initiative of the National Congress of Ukrainians of Moldova together with the Foundation for Solidarity of PL in Moldova with the support of Polish aid in order to facilitate the integration process of refugees from Ukraine and to provide children with access to educational and recreational activities.

Report by Voice of America's Russian Service 25 people in one room, a shared kitchen, a washing machine and a shower. That's how Ukrainian refugees live at the aid center in Chisinau - they call it a staging area. Buses bring people here from the southern and eastern regions of Ukraine

Medicines and equipment were made possible thanks to the National Congress of Ukrainians in Moldova, the Charitable Foundation “For the Children of Ukraine”, Vader Holding, Moeco, KIND RACE 120, the Center for Assistance to Refugees from Ukraine in Moldova

One of the refugee assistance centers was established by the National Congress of Ukrainians of Moldova in partnership with other charitable organizations.

The Vyshyvanka March took place in the heart of Chisinau, bringing together diplomats from the Ukrainian Embassy, representatives of the government and parliament, international organizations, Ukrainian communities in Moldova and creative groups, and all friends of Ukraine.

At a table next to a wall full of children's drawings from Ukraine, amid shelves of basic necessities, the team of volunteers and staff from the refugee center are organizing today's action plan. There is so much to do, coordinate and monitor. Many are young, many are from other countries, most - from Ukraine. Among them, young Kirill, a refugee who has put aside his own worries and become responsible for communication with international partners.

How does Moldova welcome Ukrainians? How did Moldovans organize volunteer headquarters for IDPs on the first day of the war? How does the local government help with document recovery and social benefits? Why should one not apply for refugee status? What online services are available to help? Where should Ukrainians look for housing and work?

“Dobrogo vechora, mi z Ukraina” - TV8 launches a new social project by the author. It will be aimed at solving problems that arise among Ukrainians who have been internally displaced to Moldova and finding answers to all, even the most difficult questions.

Viktoria Kozhukhar, a woman from Odessa, like millions of Ukrainians, had to flee her native country because of the war. Her son and husband stayed in Odessa, while Victoria and her daughter made their way to Moldova