Unbreakable Children of War: Rinat Akhmetov Foundation Collects Stories of Young Ukrainians for Youth Day
12.08.2026
Today, Ukrainian children are growing up amid war. Some are returning from temporarily occupied territories, while others continue to live through daily air-raid alerts, losing their homes, friends, and the peaceful childhood they deserve. Yet despite all these hardships, young people are Ukraine’s future. This is the generation that will not only endure but also rebuild the country after victory. For Youth Day, the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation has collected the stories of children whose lives have been changed by the war. Their stories bear witness to the resilience of a new generation of Ukrainians.
Among them is Marharyta Hariaha from Mariupol. On March 8, 2022, a Russian aerial bomb destroyed the building where the girl was staying with twelve relatives. Seven-year-old Marharyta and her mother were rescued from the rubble and taken to hospital. Following her injuries, Marharyta was unable to see for nearly two days, while her mother also suffered severe injuries. It was only after they left the city that they learned that only three of those who had been in the building had survived: Marharyta, her mother, and her older brother’s girlfriend. Marharyta shared her story with the Museum of Civilian Voices of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation to preserve the memory of her relatives who were killed. Despite the tragedy she has endured, the girl now finds the strength to move forward, spend time with her peers, and dream about the future.
“I wish those who did this could feel what I went through. There are many children who have had the same experience. I want to tell children like me that they are not alone and that they need to keep moving forward. We need to preserve our stories so that people know what war is like,” the girl says.
Fourteen-year-old Viktoriia Dotsenko from Balakliia, Kharkiv region, lived through the Russian occupation. At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, she and her family spent almost two weeks hiding from shelling in a basement. The girl still remembers the sound of planes, explosions, and the constant fear.
“Once, we heard a plane flying overhead. We immediately ran to the basement. I clearly remember what my mother told me: to prevent damage to our eardrums, we had to cover our ears and open our mouths. We sat there while planes flew overhead. It was very frightening,” Viktoriia recalls.
Yet despite everything she has been through, the girl continues to study, play sports, sing, and draw, and dreams of building her future in Ukraine.
Nata Fesenko is from the city of Romny in Sumy region. Although her city is not on the front line, the war is still felt there through daily air-raid alerts and shelling. During one of the attacks, the blast wave damaged the roof of her home, and the girl experienced intense fear. Nata also lost a friend with whom she had dreamed of starting a rock band. The boy was killed in a Russian attack after moving to Lviv. She is growing up amid constant fear and concern for her loved ones. Recently, the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation made the girl’s dream come true, giving her unforgettable emotions and memories that will stay with her for a lifetime.
“I am very grateful to the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation for the opportunity to attend the Camp, take a break from the war, and make my dream come true. They helped me attend a concert by Kalush Orchestra. I had wanted this since 2022. I had just accepted that I wouldn’t be able to go. And then came this surprise,” the girl says.
These stories are proof that, despite the war, loss, and hardships they have endured, Ukrainian youth continue to dream, study, make friends, and believe in their future. The Rinat Akhmetov Foundation is doing everything possible to support children and help restore their sense of a carefree childhood.
