A Special Project About Those Who Inspire and Make Us Proud

We shape our environment, or we ourselves change under the influence of others — it is a constant and never-ending process. Those who strive to improve their surroundings, make decisions, and take responsibility often become the heroes of our stories.

A few years ago, we launched a project “20 People Changing Zakarpattia” dedicated to such individuals. Today, we return to this topic to highlight 20 more people who show courage and dedication every day. By the end of 2025, we will publish three more installments, so we warmly invite you to suggest people who are making a difference in Zakarpattia region in the comment section.

Military

Oleksandr Volosianskyi

Oleksandr Volosianskyi is a member of the Uzhhorod City Council, a human rights activist, and a serviceman of the 68th Battalion of the 101st Zakarpattia Territorial Defense Brigade. He holds the rank of junior lieutenant and serves as the commander of an unmanned aerial systems unit. Constantly deployed in frontline hotspots alongside his brothers-in-arms, Oleksandr persistently pushes Uzhhorod’s City Council members, advocating for drones and other essential resources for his battalion.

In November, Oleksandr was one of the speakers at the Re:Open Zakarpattia forum. His speech on how a soldier in an eastern frontline trench can hold the authorities of Ukraine’s westernmost city accountable received overwhelming support from forum participants and later from our readers. Recently, he once again spoke out about a conflict with the Uzhhorod City Council over their refusal to allocate financial aid to Uzhhorod residents serving on the front lines. He also actively monitors illegal construction projects in the city.

Denys Man

Denys Man is a deputy of the Zakarpattia Regional Council and a serviceman of the 101st Separate Territorial Defense Brigade. Even before the full-scale invasion, he was actively involved in shaping regional tourism and recreation policies, developing Zakarpattia’s tourism image, and establishing the region’s official tourism brand. He identifies his personal “Top 3” priorities in regional development as lobbying for road repairs to key tourist destinations, including Lake Synevyr, the recreation area in the village of Lumshory, the Nyzhni Vorota–Volovets–Mizhhiria highway, and the access road to Mount Hoverla.

Denys Man was awarded the honorary badge “Honor and Valor of Zakarpattia” in December 2024.

Pavlo Velychko

A lawyer by profession and a native of Uzhhorod, Pavlo Velychko made the decision to take up arms on the morning of February 25, 2022. Together with his friend Denys Man, he headed to the military enlistment office. Today, Pavlo is a lieutenant and the commander of the 1st Rifle Company of the 68th Separate Territorial Defense Battalion.

At the Re:Open Zakarpattia 2024 forum, his opening speech emphasized the importance of daily choices—working harder, volunteering more, donating more, and continuously supporting Ukraine. He reminded the audience that ten years ago, Ukraine chose to be part of a united Europe.

Vladyslav Tovtyn

Vladyslav Tovtyn is a historian, local lore expert, tour guide, and researcher of Zakarpattia’s cuisine and now a soldier as well. Before joining the military, he was actively involved in promoting cultural and gastronomic tourism in the Carpathian region.

Even while serving, he remains dedicated to his passion for history. In his free time, he studies the regions of Ukraine where his unit is deployed—Donetsk region, Slobozhanshchyna, and Sumy region. After victory, he and his brothers-in-atmes have already made plans to hike the Zakarpattia Tourist Route together, visiting all the fascinating historical sites they have noticed but never had the chance to explore.

Volunteers

Nataliya Kabatsiy and the Team of the “Medical Aid Committee in Zakarpattia”

Nataliya Kabatsiy and the Medical Aid Committee in Zakarpattia”(MACZ) have been working tirelessly during martial law, providing not only aid to soldiers on the frontlines—sending medicines and humanitarian supplies to the east, often by the truckload—but also supporting displaced persons in Zakarpattia. The shelters established by MACZ house people who have sought refuge in the region, including individuals with disabilities.

One of the organization’s key initiatives is supporting the residents of the Vilshany Orphanage, a facility for children with physical and mental disabilities. MACZ provides care and rehabilitation training for staff, and workshops for the residents where they can learn crafts to facilitate their social integration. Additionally, MACZ is an official partner of the Docudays UA International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival.

Kateryna Leherda, Maks Adamenko, Larysa Kovach, Oleksandra Kost – Zakarpattia Military Support Movement

Enduring these years of war would have been impossible without them. Instead of repeating the well-known truth about the importance of volunteers, let’s highlight a few people whose contribution is worth noting.  Kateryna Leherda, a former lecturer at Mukachevo University and recipient of the Order of Princess Olha (III degree), has been involved in volunteer work since the Maidan protests. She leads projects for the NGO Volunteers of Zakarpattia and the Veterana Khata-Mukachevo, continuously providing aid to soldiers, organizing fundraising campaigns, and supporting internally displaced persons and individuals with disabilities.

Before the full-scale invasion, Oleksandra Kost (@shutymynya) worked in SMM, photography, and graphic design. Since the war began, she has been raising significant funds through social media and organizing charity markets where people can donate in exchange for books, flowers, accessories, and clothing from Ukrainian brands.

Despite their ongoing support for frontline soldiers, the Zakarpattia Military Support Movement recently expanded its efforts to drone production, sending UAVs directly to the front. Every day, their volunteers collect donations for spare parts, eventually buy them, assemble them and send them to the front line. 

Many volunteer groups focus on raising funds for drones and their details. In addition to Zakarpattia Military Support Movement, numerous volunteers purchase and assemble drones: including Maks Adamenko and his Mukachevo Drones initiative, Larysa Kovach, a hairstylist from Uzhhorod who has been organizing fundraisers and sending UAVs to the front since the full-scale invasion began. Together with her team, she has delivered over 120 drones, along with electronic warfare systems and vehicles, to Ukrainian troops.

Inna Pryhara and the Team from Nyzhnye Selyshche

In addition to her work at Selyska Cheese Factory, Selyskyi Rakash, and other projects, Inna Pryhara and her team continue transforming their village into a model community. When the full-scale war erupted, their restaurant Geleta began providing meals to displaced persons and later evolved into a humanitarian hub, offering assistance to those who found refuge in Nyzhnye Selyshche.

Thanks to the efforts of Inna and Petro Pryhara, Orest Del Sol, and their team—with the support of international organizations—temporary housing for displaced persons was built in the village, they also help people start small businesses and build new connections.

Andriy Lyubka

With the onset of the full-scale invasion, writer Andriy Lyubka almost stopped writing. He simply couldn’t. Instead, he focused on volunteering—leveraging his literary recognition to fundraise and procure vehicles for soldiers on the front lines. He searches for vehicles abroad, buys them with donated funds, repairs them when necessary, and, together with his team, personally delivers them to their destinations.

“By volunteering and sending vehicles to the front, I felt like a writer for the first time,” says Andriy.

As of early 2025, thanks to Andriy Lyubka’s team, the military has received 342 vehicles—and by the time you read these lines, that number has surely increased. According to their estimates, Andriy has been purchasing a vehicle for the Ukrainian Armed Forces nearly every three days for the past three years: pickup trucks, SUVs, and ambulances loaded with humanitarian aid regularly make their way from Uzhhorod to the east.

Business

Olena and Oleksandr Tsiva

Olena and Oleksandr Tsiva are the founders of the climate technology company Lika Comfort. Their commitment to corporate social responsibility in Zakarpattia—focusing on employee well-being, education, and motivation, as well as environmental care—has set an example for other companies in the region.

With the outbreak of war, Olena Tsiva launched Mukachevo Help, an information call center that provided crucial support to both internally displaced persons and organizations engaged in humanitarian aid. The initiative brought together lawyers, accountants, logistics specialists, IT professionals, marketing specialists, and operators, ensuring high-quality, fast, and reliable assistance.

The company’s volunteer efforts began organically from the very first days of the war. humanitarian aid was being sent to the frontline, and employees still weave camouflage nets and keep on donating to the Ukrainian army. Lika Comfort also helped to relocate a business, providing warehouse space and organizing staffing solutions.

Additionally, the company founded Lika Climate School, a program offering free training for women in air conditioning system servicing and installation. This initiative provides access to quality technical education, practical skills, and employment opportunities within the company.

Lika Comfort also worked to establish a training and practice center at Vocational School No. 3 in Mukachevo. This center specializes in professional training for future technicians, retraining, and skill development. The center is equipped with modern technology, providing students with the necessary access to work with it directly at school.

The Kochut Brothers

Yuriy, Roman, and Ihor Kochut, three brothers from Uzhhorod, were well known in the city long before founding their jewelry brand Kochut. They initially performed fire shows and crafted armor for historical reenactment games. Their journey into jewelry-making began during their high school years, and in 2013, they officially registered their brand.

Today, Kochut has representative offices in Vienna, Düsseldorf, Tallinn, the Czech Republic, and the United Kingdom, along with showrooms in New Jersey (USA), Uzhhorod, and Kyiv.

Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Kochut has been actively supporting the military. Proceeds from the sale of tridents [a Ukrainian national symbol] have funded vehicle purchases for military medics. Additionally, a portion of the brand’s revenue from other jewelry sales is donated to the Armed Forces of Ukraine regularly. Kochut also provides ongoing support to the Tabletochki Foundation, which aids children battling cancer.

Society, Culture, Art, Literature, and Education

Tiberiy Szilvashi

Zakarpattia-born artist Tiberiy Szilvashi is a Shevchenko Prize laureate, an academician of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine, and one of the most influential contemporary Ukrainian artists. He was born in Mukachevo.

Szilvashi is among the key figures shaping the history of modern Ukrainian art. Since 2022, he has remained in Kyiv, continuing his artistic work. His keeps on going to his studio, working with paints, and observing light.

In November 2024, “Ukrainska Pravda” online media outlet included Tiberiy Szilvashi in its list of the Top 100 Ukrainian Leaders in the Culture category. If you haven’t heard his name before, you may still be familiar with his work—last year, the Ukrainian House in Kyiv hosted a large-scale retrospective exhibition titled “Szilvashi’s Circles”.

Antonio Lukich

Screenwriter, film director, and Uzhhorod native Antonio Lukich, known for his films My Thoughts Are Silent and Luxembourg, Luxembourg, once remarked that he made My Thoughts Are Silent to boost Uzhhorod’s tourism potential. While he said it partly in jest, the film’s premiere did, in fact, bring a surge of tourists to the city, and even those who had never heard of our city before started talking about Uzhhorod and its cherry blossoms.

Now, Antonio, together with the creative team of Nasha Faita, is working on a full-length animated film of the same name. Lukich has taken on the role of creative producer, having introduced Nasha Faita to Animagrad, the studio behind Mavka: The Forest Song. At the Re:Open Zakarpattia 2024 forum, Lukich shared that the animated film will be both meaningful and intellectual, infused with the unique Transcarpathian flavor: “I hope it will serve as a promotion for Zakarpattia—not the tourist one, but the Zakarpattia of fascinating, recognizable, deep, talented, and sometimes funny people, of whom there are plenty here.. Not all of them have disappeared. Those who remain just need a little spotlight.”

Rudolf Dzurynets

An actor at the Zakarpattia Music and Drama Theater, now its head and artistic director, Rudolf Dzurynets joined the military in 2022. After sustaining an injury on the front lines, he underwent rehabilitation and returned to his beloved theater, which he calls his home. Under his leadership, the theater is changing —its repertoire has been refreshed, and new performance spaces have been introduced.

Last year, at the invitation of Perechyn Mayor Ivan Pohorilyak, Dzurynets collaborated with director Christian Seiler and stage director Mykhailo Fishchenko on the grant-funded project Stories of Perchyn—a series of seven short documentary films based on real events, showcasing the city’s historical landmarks and prominent figures.

Now, the team is working on establishing a film festival based at the theater.

Looking ahead, Rudolf Dzurynets dreams that in ten years, the Zakarpattia Music and Drama Theater will be granted a status of a National Theater.

Sports

Nadiia Doloh

Nadiia Doloh is a Zakarpattia-born fencer, public activist, and a European and world champion. She won a silver medal at the 2024 Summer Paralympic Games.

Nadiia is an advocate for accessibility and barrier-free environments in Uzhhorod. On her page, “A Look at Accessible Uzhhorod by Nadiia Doloh,” she highlights existing barriers in the city and ways to overcome them.

“I shared all the findings from my accessibility ‘raids’ on my page,” she explains. “It’s also very important to show that a problem truly existed but has since been solved! Communicating with the authorities via Facebook turned out to be effective, as both the city mayor and the city council members often responded to my remarks. In some cases, they even addressed the issues when possible—fixing road sections, sidewalks, steep ramps, or installing the missing ones.”

Currently, Nadiia is also one of the motivational trainers at the NGO The Dream in Action, where she works on projects aimed at employing girls and women with disabilities, including those with mental disabilities.

Urban Development and City Planning

Lina Dehtiariova, Oleh Olashyn, Petro Sarvash, Oksana Stankevych-Volosyanchuk, Nataliya Maistrenko 

Lina Dehtiarova and Oleh Olashyn, founders of the Uzhhorod Modernism and Save Uzhhorod communities and researchers of Uzhhorod’s architecture, continuously monitor the integrity of the city’s historical landscape. They have thoroughly explained the critical aspects of the new master plan project and what Uzhhorod residents should focus on before approving such a document.

“The situation appears alarming in almost every district of the city. Developers and the city council aim to increase the housing stock by 41.0%, which could lead to the collapse of the sewage and wastewater treatment systems,” wrote Lina.

Architect Petro Sarvash, former chief architect of Uzhhorod (2014) and founder of the NGO PRO URBE, has provided a detailed explanation of all problematic areas of the urban planning documentation for the 2025 master plan. In nine key points, he outlined the most critical issues of the project, including demographics, education and cultural institutions, hospitals, and urban planning restrictions—emphasizing the document’s lack of foresight and its potentially disastrous impact on the city.

Environmental expert Oksana Stankevych-Volosyanchuk has thoroughly analyzed the master plan project, highlighting the environmental threats it poses if adopted.

At the same time, lawyer Nataliya Maistrenko and her team are defending Uzhhorod’s preservation in court. “We are currently challenging the notion that city council deputies have the right to determine functional land use through detailed territorial plans—this does not mean they can change it,” she explained to Varosh. “Yet, they change it every time. For example, an area designated for single-family homes is reclassified for multi-apartment buildings. Public land or even parks are rezoned for residential development, and so on. We are currently fighting this case and awaiting the Supreme Court’s ruling.”

Regional Promotion

Oleksandr Koval

If you’re looking for insights about Zakarpattia—whether tourism analytics, or tendencies—Oleksandr Koval is your go-to expert. As the head of the Tourism Information Center of Zakarpattia region, an expert in geographical indications and marketing, and a lecturer at Uzhhorod National University, he is one of the key figures shaping Zakarpattia’s brand, promoting local tourism, and supporting the development of regional craft businesses.

Oleksandr provides consultations to companies, including Zakarpattia-based ones, on marketing, sales, PR, SMM, and personal branding. He collaborates with artisanal food producers such as Selyska Cheese Factory, Traditional Bryndza of Khust Region, Zelenyi Hai Eco-Farm, Medovyi Dim, and The Taste of the Ukrainian Carpathians, among others. Through his tourism projects, Oleksandr inspires people to fall in love with Zakarpattia and keeps them coming back for more.

Innovation, Science, and Medicine

Yuriy Andrashko and Inha Voloshyna-Andrashko

The husband-and-wife duo, Yuriy Andrashko and Inha Voloshyna-Andrashko, are both medical professionals. Yuriy is a dermatologist-venereologist, Doctor of Medical Sciences, professor, and an expert for the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.

Inha Voloshyna-Andrashko is a dermatologist specializing in injection techniques, the chief ambassador, and founder of the Estimed clinic. She is one of Ukraine’s leading specialists in injection-based aesthetic medicine and the co-founder and scientific director of Esty Derm, an educational platform for dermatologists and dermato-cosmetologists.

Founder of the Asclepius clinic, Yuriy Andrashko, was named an Ambassador of Zakarpattia last year. Alongside his medical practice, he acts as a “playing coach,” where mentorship is just as crucial as his clinical work. He recognizes the value of young professionals and their potential, which he believes shapes individuals, companies, cities, and even the country as a whole. At the same time, he serves as a role model for aspiring professionals to look up to.

Beyond their daily work with patients, Yuriy and Inha have conducted dozens of clinical studies for both Ukrainian and international corporations.

Andriy Smolanka and the Uzhhorod Regional Clinical Center for Neurosurgery and Neurology

Since the onset of the full-scale war, the Regional Clinical Center for Neurosurgery and Neurology has evolved into a key rehabilitation center for servicemen wounded in combat. It is now one of six centers in Ukraine where rehabilitation doctors from other regions receive training to improve the quality of rehabilitation services. In 2023, the Center opened a physical rehabilitation department. Nearly all of the department’s rehabilitation equipment was secured through partnerships with charitable organizations, with a significant contribution from the department’s first head, Kateryna Zinovieva.

At the same time, the Center became the only medical institution from Zakarpattia to sign memorandums with leading hospitals in Germany and France last year as part of the International Medical Partnership Program.

Andriy Smolanka is a neurosurgeon and the director of the Regional Clinical Center for Neurosurgery and Neurology. He is an unconventional director of an unconventional state hospital—often seen wearing shorts and carrying a backpack to work.

Upon taking charge of the Neurology and Neurosurgery Center, he not only continued his daily surgical practice but also took on essential managerial responsibilities. His core principle, both as a doctor and as a leader, is honesty. Andriy Smolanka strives to implement decisions as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Andriy Smolanka strives to implement decisions as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Ecology

The Free Svydovets Movement: Orest Del Sol, Iris Del Sol

The name Orest Del Sol is associated with more than just farming and local craft production for the people of Transcarpathia; it is also linked to the protection of Svydovets from development and construction. Orest has lived in Nyzhnye Selyshche for over 30 years and is one of the founders and driving forces behind the Free Svydovets environmental movement in Zakarpattia region, which has united a large community of not only locals but also people who advocate for the wild nature of the free mountain range Svydovets. He says that over seven years of struggle, hundreds of like-minded individuals have joined the movement at various stages. Thanks to the support of foreign journalists, the issue of Svydovets has reached an international level. International organizations and ecologists have learned about the pristine nature of the Carpathians and the risk of losing it.

Orest and Yolana’s daughter, Iris, received a degree in law from Ivan Franko University in Lviv and from the Sorbonne University in Paris, specializing in environmental law. At the UN Youth Climate Summit in New York and other international events, she speaks about Svydovets and the “Free Svydovets” movement, the importance of preserving the Carpathians, and the safety of eco-activists. She is currently working closely with climate experts and ecologists from Ukraine and around the world.

Olena Zhuk, Founder of the Chysto.de Movement

Another eco-initiative that started with the desire to have a clean environment and grew into a powerful movement, Chysto.de, emerged around the Vilshansky Reservoir. It was founded by the couple Roman and Olena Zhuk. Their first visit to the reservoir left them in awe of its natural beauty but also shocked by the extent of plastic pollution. So, they began cleaning the trash and plastic from the shore themselves. They began inviting friends and volunteers to help clean up this stunning location, and over time, the eco-movement evolved into a regular event, consistently drawing inspiring, influential, and environmentally conscious individuals.

Along with cleaning up, the activists always engage in educational work within communities, teaching and encouraging them to sort waste. In Synevyr, Kolchava, and Drahiv, they conducted a “Month of Experimental Waste Sorting” for solid household waste. Through education, ongoing communication, and the engagement of active residents from the Tereblya Valley communities, the activists demonstrate that waste sorting is simple and can help address one of the region’s key challenges—establishing a systematic waste collection system,” says the Chysto.de team.

Last year, the Chysto.de movement took on another direction—an eco-film festival was held in Kolochava, where a competition for environmental-themed video projects was announced in two categories: short documentary films and social advertisements.

Let us appreciate those who make a difference alongside us, join them, and change Zakarpattia together!

Text prepared by Zoryana Popovych, Varosh

Images: Anastasia Mamonova

*This material has been prepared within the framework of the Dutch-Slovak-Ukrainian project “Strengthening the Rule of Law at the Local/Regional Level in Ukraine: The Case of Zakarpattia Oblast,” supported by the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands under the MATRA program, a leading Dutch initiative for social transformation support.

The project is being implemented by the Institute for Central European Strategy (ICES) in collaboration with the Dutch organization Foundation of Justice, Integrity and Anti-Corruption (FJIAC) and Transparency International Slovensko (TI SK), in partnership with the Zakarpattia Regional State Administration and the Regional Council.

**The content of this material does not reflect the official position or opinions of the project’s implementers or donors. The sole responsibility for the content of the publications lies with the editorial team of Varosh.