Razom extends our deepest sympathies to the victims of the recent attacks in Israel and all Palestinians suffering in its wake. As an organization that has been working intensely with victims of war, terrorism and violence since February of 2022, Razom condemns the deliberate targeting of civilians and stands in solidarity with all who suffer at the hands of terrorists. We stand on the side of humanity.
We urge the global community to come together and combat unlawful violence and ensure that those who are responsible for such heinous acts are held accountable.
We also call on the global community to continue supporting a free and prosperous Ukraine and recognize that Russia’s actions against Ukraine and its people violate international law and human rights. We call on the international community to take necessary actions to hold those responsible accountable.
The Ukrainian Cultural Festival is organized by Razom, Yara Arts, Ukrainian Institute of America, Shevchenko Scientific Society and Bowery Poetry Club and will take place November 7th through November 15th in New York.
Over ten days in November, you will have an opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of Ukrainian poetry and prose and check out the best in contemporary Ukrainian cinema.
Meet writers Andriy Kurkov, Oksana Lutsyshyna, Olena Stiazhkina and poets Iya Kiva, Alex Averbuch and Lyudmyla and Boris Khersonskys. Watch “Pamfir” and other contemporary films.
Below is the schedule of events. Please check in often for changes and ticket information.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7th
DOVBUSH
Presented by Razom
The most ambitious Ukrainian action movie to date, the drama, directed by Oles Sanin, tells the story of Oleksa Dovbush, one of the leaders of Ukrainian resistance known as ‘Opryshky’ which opposed Polish and Austrian administrations. The resistance movement had been active from 16th to 19th centuries. Released in Ukraine in August 2023 the movie became a box office sensation even when the movie showings are interrupted by air raids.
How Fire Descends: NY Poets & Artists Respond to Ukrainian Poetry
Presented by Bowery Poetry Club & Yara Arts Group
Presented by Bowery Poetry Club & Yara Arts Group
NY Poets & Artists Respond to Ukrainian Poetry featuring Ukrainian poet Iya Kiva.
Translators Amelia Glazer, Olena Jennings, Virlana Tkacz and Wanda Phipps; and poets: Pichchenda Bao, Bob Holman; Yara Arts Group and Bushwick Book Club react to Serhiy Zhadan’s new book “How Fire Descends”
Poetry in Ukrainian with English translation. Moderation by Oleh Kotsyuba
Translations read by Sashko Krapivkin.
Alex Averbuch will read from his latest book Zhydivsky korol (The Jewish King, a 2023 finalist for the Shevchenko National Prize), as well as from his upcoming collection, Of Rage and Longing, and answer questions from the audience. Averbuch’s poetry deals with interwoven Jewish-Ukrainian relations through the prism of his family history and Ukraine’s multiethnic past and present. The book features poeticized documentary materials related to the Second World War: letters by Ukrainian Ostarbeiters sent to their relatives in Ukraine, interwoven with letters by Jewish Holocaust survivors who returned to devastated villages in Ukraine in search of their murdered relatives, as well as poems about the Russo-Ukrainian war currently taking place in his home region of Luhans’k. Unsettling but ultimately liberatory de-specifications of ethnos, language, and sexuality relieve trigger-points in Ukraine’s history through the confessional intimacy of family, shame, pleasure, and the reconciliation of self and other.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10th
6:30PM in The Frederick P. Rose Auditorium at Cooper Union
Pamfir is a 2022 Ukrainian fictional feature film directed by Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk, which premiered on May 22, 2022, at the 75th Festival de Cannes.
“Savagely cinematic, charged with feral energy and exploring a story that dances between muddy realism and a mythic, quasi-magical abandon, Pamfir would be impressive even if it hadn’t been made in Ukraine on the cusp of conflict.” Guardian
MONDAY NOVEMBER 13th
Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL), 455 Fifth Avenue, NY 6:30 PM
The New Ukrainian Novel: Kurkov, Lutsyshyna, Stiazkina
Presented by New York Public Library and Razom
Join some of Ukraine’s most prolific and distinguished writers – Olena Stiazhkina, Oksana Lutsyshyna and Andrey Kurkov – for this evening celebrating the riJch literary culture of Ukraine. The authors will discuss their latest works, which illuminate Ukraine’s diverse society and deal with the legacy of Soviet and Post-Soviet rule, as well as the present situation in the country.
Today is a Different War: Poetry of Boris and Lyudmyla Khersonsky
Presented by Shevchenko Scientific Society and Razom
Poetry in Russian and in Ukrainian with English translation. Conversation is in English. Moderated by Marie Howe, the State Poet for f NY.
Boris Khersonsky and Lyudmyla Khersonsky write poetry that speaks to the crisis of our times. Widely regarded as one of Ukraine’s most prominent rusophone poets, Boris Khersonsky was born in Chernivtsi and spent most of his time in Odesa, where he practices psychiatry. Born in Tiraspol, Moldova, Lyudmyla Khersonska is an award winning poet. Her first collection in English came out recently in Arrowsmith. Boris and Lyudmila’s joint collection “The Country Where Everyone’s Name is Fear” came out in Lost Horse Press in 2022.
Please join us for an evening celebrating Sergei Bortkiewicz (1877-1952), a brilliant Ukrainian composer and pianist, whose deeply lyrical and expressive piano music will take center stage.
Program:
Crimean Sketches op. 8
Three Pieces op. 24.
1001 Nights op. 37.
Performers: Alexander Chaplinskiy, Pavlo Gintov and AnnaShelest
Sergei Bortkiewicz was born and grew up in Kharkiv, a birthplace of Ukrainian Romanticism and one of the country’s most significant cultural centers. A true romantic, he often drew inspiration from literature and nature, and in spite of him facing incredible hardships, his music never wavered in its pursuit of beauty.
We are dedicating this program to the people of Kharkiv and their courageous stand in the face of the blatant russian aggression. All funds raised from this concert will go to Razom for Ukraine toward their relief work in the Kharkiv region.
Razom Advocacy has released the results of a poll measuring Americans’ attitudes about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the role of the United States in the world, conducted by Change Research this past August. The survey was conducted online between August 10-17, polling 4,190 voters across the country.
The poll found that support for Ukraine among Americans endures, with a majority wanting the U.S. to continue to support Ukraine militarily, until the situation has stabilized and Russia leaves Ukrainian territory entirely. More broadly, the poll found that Americans strongly believe America should stand up for vulnerable, bullied people around the world whose freedom is at risk.
Do you support or oppose America continuing military support for Ukraine in next year’s federal budget?
Americans strongly value freedom and believe that America should stand up for vulnerable people whose freedom is at risk. Large majorities agree that countries that bully others will do more damage if they aren’t stopped (83%), that everyone has the right to live in freedom and the U.S. should stand up for that right (83%), and that the U.S. should stand up for vulnerable people and their human rights whenever possible (81%).
Support for policies (% Support)
A majority of Americans want to see Ukraine victorious. 63% support American continuing military support for Ukraine in next year’s federal budget. The majority (59%) of Americans believe we should end financial military support to Ukraine only when the situation has become stable and Russia leaves all Ukrainian territory.
Majorities of voters support American aid to Ukraine so far and are more likely to vote for a candidate who articulates this vision over someone opposed to American aid. When presented with information about the breadth of Ukraine’s achievements in the war, the agreement rate among respondents increases on the question of if American support for Ukraine has been worth it so far.
Support for Statements About Russia’s War in Ukraine (% Agree)
Americans have strong negative feelings about Putin and Russia. 68% recognize that Russia’s actions are genocidal. 63% agree that “we need to defeat (Putin) now.”
Less than 20% of Americans want Ukraine to settle the war now and cede territory to Russia. Voters also oppose setting arbitrary dates for withdrawal of American aid.
Most Americans’ support for Ukraine increases (across parties) when they hear that “winning” is the goal. Although the U.S. has not stated victory as the goal, Americans would prefer to see that the U.S. wants Ukraine to prevail against the invasion and not just to seek a stronger negotiating position.
Support for Statements About Russia’s War in Ukraine (% Agree)
Razom Advocacy is a branch of Razom for Ukraine committed to advancing policy for Ukrainian victory, and to nurturing community engagement across the United States and Ukraine. For more information or with questions, email advocacyteam@razomforukraine.org. This survey is part of a larger research project into public opinion on Russia’s War in Ukraine funded by the Open Society Foundation.
Razom For Ukraine Announces New Advocacy Advisory Board
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Razom Advocacy, a program of Razom for Ukraine committed to advancing Ukrainian victory, announces the formation of a new advisory board. Composed of experienced leaders, the advisory board will guide the Razom Advocacy team as it seeks to ensure that Ukraine receives the tools it needs for a swift victory.
“Bipartisan American support for Ukraine is a hallmark of US foreign policy and will remain so. Razom for Ukraine is fully committed to ensuring that Ukraine gets all of the resources it needs to defend itself. We are grateful to the top policymakers, experts, and executives who have joined Razom Advocracy’s advisory board,” said Mariya Soroka, Vice President for Advocacy at Razom for Ukraine.
Established in the United States in 2014, Razom strives to create a more democratic and prosperous Ukraine. Razom Advocacy was created in March 2022 as part of Razom’s response to Russia’s full-scale invasion. Since then, Razom has raised more than $100 million for emergency relief and psychological assistance to Ukrainian civilians, supplies and generators for medical facilities, tactical medicine and communications gear for the armed forces, and support for Ukrainian cultural projects.
The Razom Advocacy Advisory Board includes the following members:
Dr. Anders Åslund, Senior Fellow at the Stockholm Free World Forum for Global Affairs
Ambassador Paula Dobriansky, Former U.S. Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs
Archbishop Borys Gudziak, Metropolitan-Archbishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia
Victor J. Herlinsky, Jr., Attorney, Sills, Cummis & Gross
Yevhen Hlibovytsky, Partner, Pro.Mova Consulting
Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges (ret.),Former Commanding General, U.S. Army Europe
The Honorable Tom Malinowski, Former Representative for New Jersey’s 7th District, U.S. House of Representatives
Oleksandra Matviichuk, Head, Center for Civil Liberties & 2022 Nobel Laureate
Nate Mook, Former CEO, World Central Kitchen
Nataliya Popovych, Founder & President, One Philosophy & WeAreUkraine
Christina Walsh, Senior Director of Activism and Coalitions, Institute for Justice
Diane Zeleny, Head of External Affairs, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
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For media inquiries or other questions, Nana Gongadze at nana.gongadze@razomforukraine.org. Razom (“together” in Ukrainian) is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to helping build a more democratic and prosperous Ukraine. More information is available at RazomForUkraine.org.
This year to honor the Ukrainian Independence Day on August 24th, Razom has launched a celebration of the incredible freedom fighters within our community. From dedicated delivery drivers in Ukraine to passionate volunteers in New York, behind every face is an inspiring story about freedom which we are excited to share and encourage you to create your own.
Meet the Razom Ukraine Response Initiative team! They assist externally displaced Ukrainians in the New York area with everything they need to gain a sense of normalcy after being forced to flee Ukraine because of russia’s full scale invasion. They provide vital support, including legal consultations, clothing and food distributions, and medical services, such as flu vaccines. And they do all that with a big smile! It takes a lot of care to help the displaced Ukrainians – many of them fled their homes in places like Mariupol and Kharkiv with just a backpack and came to New York, where they know no one and are often faced with challenges such as health problems and difficulty finding a job to provide for their families. But the Ukraine Response Initiative doesn’t only provide material help. They also provide a much-needed sense of community. Many of the recipients of the Initiative’s aid also become volunteers to help other Ukrainians. Because together – we are Ukraine.
We’re honored to feature Texas Congressman and Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. Michael McCaul, among our Faces Of Freedom. He emphasizes the importance of supporting Ukraine: “Supporting Ukraine and standing up to unprovoked aggression that violates sovereignty and territorial integrity is in the U.S. and free world’s interest, especially with China closely watching the world’s response to Russia’s full-scale invasion. Razom is critical in keeping up this support by educating the American people on why a victory for Ukraine is imperative.”
We thank Mr. McCaul for the kind words and for all his support of Ukraine! We thank ALL of Congress for its unwavering and crucial support of Ukraine not only over the last year and a half, but the last 32+ years. It’s amazing to walk down the halls of Congress, as the Razom Advocacy team often does, and see so many signs of support for Ukraine – from Ukrainian flags to “We stand with Ukraine” posters.
The day before Ukrainian Independence Day, Razom’s team presented the results of the Razom Heroes program at a press conference in Kyiv. We were thrilled to share that $45 million worth of aid was provided to Ukraine’s defenders through this project. Razom has delivered over 15,000 radios right into the hands of the defenders and helped evacuate over 1,300 injured soldiers from the frontlines on medical vehicles. Razom has also delivered hundreds of tons of tactical medicine, medical equipment and medicine, thousands of drones, walkie-talkies, radios, generators, portable charging stations and other supplies to Ukrainian defenders, emergency services, hospitals and clinics. To celebrate Ukrainian Independence Day and thank the brave defenders of Ukraine, the Razom Heroes team hosted an impactful meeting with many of the recipients of Razom’s aid from the frontlines. We were so happy to have so many of our partners and friends in one room!
In honor of Ukrainian Independence Day, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskiy held an award ceremony to recognize the “National Legends of Ukraine”. One such is Dr. Andriy Sirko, the head of the neurosurgery department at Mechnikov Hospital in Dnipro. Aside from being a talented and skilled neurosurgeon, Razom is proud to call Dr. Sirko a partner in our Co-Pilot Project. Just recently, three American neurosurgeons travelled to Ukraine to support Dr. Sirko’s department through the Co-Pilot project. Additionally, Razom shipped 21 pallets of donated neurosurgery supplies to the frontline hospital. We are grateful to Dr. Sirko for his incredible work! We thank all the doctors, surgeons, nurses, medical workers and professionals working to bring Ukrainian victory closer every day!
Faces Of Freedom would not be full without one of our largest programs – Razom Relief and all its amazing partners. In 2022, Razom Relief team provided $5MM in grants to a network of 123 volunteer organizations in Ukraine that help local communities. The impact of this work is vast. Among other aid, these organizations distributed 221,458 food packages to people in need, evacuated 9,640 people, renovated 91 buildings including 11 shelters, and supported 18 shelters that provided 2,375 sleeping places. Surely, the people behind these organizations, some of which are pictured in here, are real Faces of Freedom. We asked a few of them what freedom meant to them. Read their responses and get inspired to continue working together for Ukraine.
Finally, we are excited to share a very special video with you – the video that marked the finale of our Faces Of Freedom campaign. As the Ukrainian community gathered for an Independence Walk (organized by Svitanok) starting at Washington Square Park (NYC) on the Ukrainian Independence Day, we set up a photo booth where we asked the participants what “freedom” meant to them. Their words are felt deep and touch our hearts.
We thank the filmmaker Polina Buchak and photographer Irynka Hromotska for making this project come to life. You’re an incredible creative duo and we’re so happy to have you as part of our community.
We thank all of you, who are not mentioned here, but feel for Ukraine, support Ukraine, and do a lot to contribute to Ukraine’s freedom. YOU are, too, the faces of freedom. Thank you!
A BRAVE, VISCERAL, MERCILESS MASTERPIECE… FEELS LIKE A CINEMATIC SIEGE OF THE SOUL.
Razom is proud to be a presenting partner with PBS Frontline and the Associated Press on the US theatrical release of the award-winning Ukrainian documentary “20 Days In Mariupol,” directed by the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and filmmaker, Mstyslav Chernov. Earlier this year, the film won the audience award at the Sundance Film Festival.
The documentary follows an AP team of Ukrainian journalists who were trapped in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol during the first weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion. The film documents their struggle to continue their work documenting Russian atrocities. As the only international reporters who remained in the city, they captured what later became defining images of the war: dying children, mass graves, the bombing of a maternity hospital, and more.
Our own Polina Buchak and Christopher Atwood helped coordinate the screenings with PBS Frontline. After a packed pre-release private screening, Polina Buchak moderated a conversation with director Mstyslav Chernov. The two spoke about how and when his reporting shifted into documenting the invasion of the city. Mstyslav spoke about how he navigates being a journalist, filmmaker, and, most importantly, Ukrainian while documenting the brutal invasion of Mariupol.
Razom co-presented the sold-out first screenings of the film, on July 14th-16th in New York, together with the Ukrainian Institute of America and PEN America. We are proud to have connected the film to our extensive network of organizations and activists around the film to promote the screenings in cities around the country. We want to thank Film Forum for supporting Ukrainian storytelling as well as our friends at the Ukrainian Institute of America and PEN America for helping us amplify and raise awareness about the documentary. In fact, the film has proven so popular that its New York screening run at Film Forum has been extended until August 3rd.
We encourage you to help us continue to make noise and spread the word on social media and find tickets to a screening near you via 20daysinmariupol.com. Keep in mind that screening dates can be extended, so always double-check with your local theater. And remember to tag the filmmakers while you’re making noise online, so they can feel your support!
Razom for Ukraine welcomed back a team of doctors from LEAP Global Missions who completed their 7-day medical visit to Lviv in March 2023. The team consulted more than 200 children and performed 35 highly-skilled surgeries at following hospitals: Ohkhmadyt Lviv Regional Children’s Hospital, First Emergency Adult Hospital, St. Nicholas Children’s Hospital, and a Military Hospital.
The team was organized by Dr. Steve Orten (tag), a plastic surgeon from Texas who visited Ukrainian hospitals independently in 2022 and shared his experience with US colleagues from LEAP Global Missions (tag), motivating them to visit Ukraine. The team’s preparation lasted two months, including regular Zoom meetings with Ukrainian doctors, patient selection, and revision of medical supplies.
Photo: Dr. Steve Orten, Plastic Surgeon from Texas USA and Ukrainian surgeon Dr. Christina Pohranychna look at CT scans of a patient in Lviv Regional Children’s Hospital as the father looks on.
The Co-Pilot Project: an initiative within Razom for Ukraine which coordinates and supports medical missions, supports this team of surgeons by covering housing, food, medical supplies, transportation, and providing scrubs to the doctors. Drs. Steve Orten (tag) and Craig Hobar (tag) led a team of 11 doctors who specialized in head and neck reconstruction, craniofacial surgeries and orthodontics, neurosurgery, urology and dermatology. Local logistics were organized by CMA UA (tag ) to make doctors feel at home in the Ukrainian city of Lviv.
LEAP surgeons collaborated with Ukrainian surgeons in treating complicated craniofacial cases. “Our team worked with incredibly capable, professional, respectable Ukrainian surgeons. LEAP’s mission was to expose them to new surgical techniques, and LEAP was excited to assist with this cooperative relationship,” commented LEAP Media Director Jon Cermin, who documented the trip.
The medical team provided treatment for babies and children with birth defects, tumors of both children and adults in the head and neck area, traumas and scar revisions caused by shelling, from burns and other traumatic events. Two of the surgeries performed during the trip were complex maxillary midface advancement surgeries with computer planning, led by Dr. Craig Hobar, the Founder and Medical Director of LEAP Global Missions. The surgeries are expected to have a significant impact on the two young men’s quality of life, including how they function, eat, and even smile. Having exposure to this surgical procedure will change how these cases can be managed in the future in Ukraine.
The team included Ukrainian-American doctors, Dr. Victor Cherkasij (tag), Skin Cancer and Cosmetic Dermatology PC. Dr. Cherkasij not only treated difficult dermatological cases but also translated for his colleagues. He believes one week is not enough and plans to return for two or three weeks.
“Since the war started, I’ve been watching the war trying to understand and I was seeing the horrors of the war and I always felt I wanted to help Ukraine. I’m very happy I have something to offer, and we hope we will do it again.” – said James Suen(tag), MD, from University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
Photo: Dr. James Suen, Facial Plastic Surgery Otolaryngologist, Little Rock, Arkansas, Victor Cherkasij, PA, Dermatology from Cleveland, Tennessee and Dr. Christina Pohranychna, Okhmadyt Lviv Regional Children’s Hospital, Ukraine
The educational and training component of medical visits is the most important part that helps to establish a sustainable professional health care system in Ukraine.
Dr. Cheryl Anderson-Cermin (tag), craniofacial orthodontist, gave lectures to dental students, as well as the orthodontic residents from the Orthodontic Department of the Dental School in Lviv in regards to management of the infant, adolescent and adult individual with cleft lip and palate
Photo: Dr. Cheryl Anderson-Cermin, DDS, Craniofacial Orthodontics giving lecture to Ukrainian students in the the Orthodontic Department of the Dental School in Lviv
Dr. Anderson-Cermin outlined that the goals in this partnership are to bring additional expertise in these areas as the orthodontist on the team walks the child and the family through the process of the initial diagnosis, to the end of the growing years. The importance of psychological support for these families is also stressed, and the orthodontist has a significant role to play in this regard. Supplies were presented to the Orthodontic department to allow them to properly evaluate and treat future individuals.
It is worth mentioning that the urgent need for such complex surgeries in Ukraine is more significant than ever before. Thus, medical trips like this one are crucial for the treatment of patients who are in need. As these trips not only provide medical treatment, but more importantly, allow transfer of knowledge and skills to Ukrainian medical professionals.
Thank you to LEAP Global Missions US TEAM for their support of Ukraine:
Craig Hobar, MD, Craniofacial/Plastics
Steve Orten, MD, Facial Plastic Surgeon
Setty Pradeep, MD, Neurosurgery/Spine
Suen James, MD, Facial Plastic Surgery/H&N
Mark Hnatiuk, MD, Craniofacial/Plastics
Roman Bukachevsky, MD, ENT/Facial Plastics
Cheryl Cermin, DDS, Craniofacial Orthodontics
Victor Cherkasij, PA, Dermatology
Clanton Harrison, MD, Pediatric Urology
Jon Cermin, Photo/Video
Tatyana Bessmertnaya, Photo/Video/Translation
From Left: Rudy Myhovych, Christian Medical Assoc. Of Ukraine, Dr. Mark Hnatiuk, Dr. Pradeep Setty, Dr. Roman Bukachevsky, Dr. James Suen, Dr. Steve Orten, Dr. Clanton Harrison.
Leap Global Missions group: In-front: Tatyana Bessmertnaya and Dr. Craig Hobar In the back from left to right: Dr. Cheryl Anderson-Cermin, Dr. James Suen, Dr. Mark Hnatiuk, Dr. Steve Orten, Dr. Victor Czerkasij, Dr. Roman Bukachevsky, Dr. Pradeep Setty. Not pictured, Dr. Clanton Harrison
Cover photo: Photo: Dr. Craig Hobar assists Ukrainian surgeons Christina Pohranychna and Dr. Roman Ogonovsky, Ohkhmadyt Lviv Regional Children’s Hospital
