We continue to introduce you to talented Ukrainians who received a development grant from the KSE Foundation in the «TalentsForUkraine» program. They represent completely different fields – writing, political analysis and cinematography, but each is fascinating.
Oleksandr Mykhed is a writer, a member of the PEN Ukraine. The author of nine books, including «I will mix your blood with coal.» To understand the Ukrainian East», «Cat, Rooster, Cupboard» and others. Since the first days of the invasion, the writer has been working on texts that, through human stories, could convey to a foreign audience the awareness of the scale of the disaster. These texts were published in Financial Times, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Guardian. Oleksandr Mykhed’s non-fiction «Job’s call sign. Invasion Chronicles» won the Yuriy Shevelyov Prize and will be released in English in June 2024 in the UK.
Kateryna Zarembo is a researcher in the field of social sciences. Visiting researcher at the Central Eastern University in Austria and the Technical University of Darmstadt in Germany. Kateryna is an associate analyst at the «New Europe» Center. The author of the book about the civil society of Donetsk and Luhansk regions «The Rising of the Ukrainian Sun». Her research interests include foreign policy, Ukraine’s relations with the EU, NATO, Italy, security studies, and civil society. Currently, the analyst is working on several scientific articles on the digital side of Ukrainian resistance to the Russian invasion.
Ruslan Batytskyi – director, activist. Ruslan promotes sports among people with disabilities, and is a member of the National Union of Cinematographers. He has been making short films since 2009. Since 2013, he and his colleagues have started shooting the documentary film «Tempered by Anger» about the revolution, war and the life of Ukrainians during hostilities. Subsequently, the film was screened at international festivals and was included in the Oscar long-list. Currently, the focus of attention of Ruslan and his associates is directed to cooperation with volunteer organizations and charitable foundations. They created two training courses for ProtezHub, for prosthetists, rehabilitators and occupational therapists. They are working on mini-films about medical missions organized by Razom for Ukraine for the Ukrainian military. In addition, the director is working on the development of his debut feature film «Blindsight». «Evolve to survive and achieve peace» is the main principle that our winner adheres to.
More about the Talents For Ukraine winners
