The international project Fashion PRORYV For Freedom held a series of fashion shows in Milan from February 24 to March 8, 2026, which were included in the official program of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Cultural Olympiad and Milan Fashion Week, according to the event organizers.
As noted in the press release, the project combined fashion, education, and human rights themes and served as a platform to introduce a new generation of Ukrainian designers to the European market. The event was organized by the associations VITAWORLD, Terre des Hommes Italia, and Fashion Globus Ukraine, with the support of the Consiglio Regione Lombardia and the regional branch of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine in the Kyiv region.
The contest’s founder, Golda Vynohradska, emphasized that Milan served as a space where Ukrainian youth demonstrated not only their professional skills but also a modern European vision. According to her, Fashion PRORYV is a platform where fashion becomes a tool for education, cultural diplomacy, and new economic opportunities for the younger generation of Ukrainians.
The shows featured collections that combined high-level design, technical innovation, and a distinct cultural identity. The organizers paid special attention to inclusive design solutions for people with disabilities. According to their data, the first commercial orders were placed during the events, opening up prospects for cooperation between Ukrainian educational institutions and Italian partners.
Live performances dedicated to solidarity, freedom, and the empowerment of women were a separate part of the events. Braids in the colors of the flags of Ukraine, Venezuela, Kurdistan, and Italy served as a symbolic element. An artistic highlight of the program was a presentation by Ukrainian artist and designer Olga Nikitenko, dedicated to the civic stance of Ukrainian Olympian Vladislav Geraskevich.
Among the event’s guests of honor were fashion and design expert and former director of Vogue Italia Gisela Borioli, Chair of the Equal Opportunities Commission of the Comune di Milano Diana De Marchi, and President of the Italian Chamber of Commerce for Ukraine Walter Tognetti. They expressed their support for the international development of Ukrainian designers and highlighted the potential of such initiatives to strengthen cultural and economic ties between Ukraine and Italy.
The organizers emphasized that, in the context of the war, cultural and educational projects are of particular importance for Ukraine, as they contribute to the formation of new international ties and open up opportunities for the younger generation.
The organizers had previously announced plans for this event in the press room of the Interfax-Ukraine agency.
On Friday, February 13, the Column Hall of the Kyiv City State Administration hosted the grand finale of the VIII All-Ukrainian Professional Skills Competition “Fashion PRORYV for Freedom and Peace”, during which collections of sports and adaptive clothing were presented and the winners were awarded.
The competition was organized by the National Industry Partnership in Light Industry of Ukraine “Fashion Globus Ukraine” and the Italian association “VITAWORLD.”
According to the president of the competition, Golda Vinogradska, the “Fashion PRORYV” project, launched in 2016, has become a platform for cultural diplomacy and international dialogue during the years of full-scale war.
“Over the years of war with Russia, we have created a platform for peacemaking cultural diplomacy, where Ukraine speaks to the world not in the language of pity, but in the language of dignity, creativity, and culture. We have set a precedent: when a competition in the fashion industry became a narrative about humanity, strength, resilience, and hope. This competition was conceived as a platform for cooperation between employers and educators in the fashion industry. We did this so that we could travel to different cities in Ukraine, see how these institutions exist, help them, and show them the most modern techniques. It is important for young people and those who teach them to move forward together with the development of the industry,” said Vynogradska.
According to her, the competition was initially conceived as a practical format for interaction between education and industry, allowing for the support of institutions in the regions and the synchronization of training with market needs.
Competition President Golda Vinogradska
According to the organizers, the competition has been held under the patronage of the mayors of Lviv, Kharkiv, Khmelnytskyi, and Kryvyi Rih in different years. They also reported that in 2025, the project received support from the US Embassy in Ukraine, and in 2026, from the Milan City Council.
The organizers note that every year, 60 to 100 educational institutions from all regions of Ukraine participate in the competition. This year’s competition is dedicated to cooperation with Italy and the theme of sports. According to their data, in 2026 students from 52 Ukrainian institutions in the fashion industry and four Italian universities (Venice, Salerno, Milan, Rome) took part in the project, and “almost 100 collections” were presented in the final program.
In addition to the final in Kyiv, an international presentation of the collections is scheduled for February 28, 2026, in Milan (Milan San Siro Hotel) as part of the Milano-Cortina 2026 and Milan Fashion Week events.
Ukrainian MP Yulia Gryshyna, chair of the Subcommittee on Higher Education of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Education, Science, and Innovation, addressed the participants with a welcoming speech. She emphasized the importance of supporting educators and students during wartime.
“I am very grateful for the invitation—it means a lot to me. I would like to express my special gratitude to educators, students, and young people who continue to work, study, create, and support each other in these extremely difficult times. Thank you, you inspire others, and me in particular,” said Hryshyna.
According to the organizers, the event was attended by representatives of the diplomatic corps, Olympic champions, cultural and sports figures, as well as representatives of the Ukrainian fashion industry.
According to the organizing committee, the jury included Ivan Frolov, Katya Silchenko, Olena Golets, Taras Prytula, Kateryna Myroshnychenko, Galina Yerk, as well as Emilia Ametrano, Walter Togni, and Elena Kalencani. The general partner of the competition was SOFTORG.
The winners of the competition (according to the organizers):
Nomination “Youth Breakthrough”:
1st place – VSP Odessa Technical College of ONTU;
2nd place – Bila Tserkva College of Service and Design;
3rd place – Podil Professional College.
Nomination “Innovation and Inclusion in Sportswear”:
1st place – Khmelnytskyi Center for Vocational Education in the Service Sector;
2nd place – Dmytro Kovalchuk (Kharkiv National University);
3rd place – Lviv Professional College of Beauty and Fashion Industry.
Nomination “Cultural Synthesis”:
1st place – Interregional Center for Professional Retraining of Discharged Military Personnel (Kryvyi Rih);
2nd place – Zaporizhzhia Professional College of Fashion and Style;
3rd place – Lviv Professional College of Modeling and Restaurant Business.
The “Audience Choice Award” went to the Ternopil Higher Vocational School of Services and Tourism.
Author: Olga Levkun
Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air has announced the launch of flights to five new destinations from Ukraine.
As the airline’s press service said on Tuesday, in particular, from September 1, 2020 it is planned to launch flights from Lviv and Kyiv to Pardubice (the Czech Republic), and from March 2021 from Odesa to Milan (Malpensa), Rome (both starting from 29 March) and Bologna (from March 30).
The cost of a ticket without baggage starts from UAH 579.
As reported, in August 2020, Wizz Air intends to launch flights from Dortmund (Germany) to Zaporizhia, which is linked to the opening of an air carrier base in Dortmund.
Ernest Airlines (Italy) on March 21, 2019 plans to start operating regular flights from Kharkiv International Airport to Rome and Milan, the airport’s press service has reported.
Departure from Kharkiv will be three times a week on Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays. The price of a one way ticket will start from EUR45, including hand luggage and taxes.
As reported, in September 2018 passenger traffic in Kharkiv airport was 88,900 people, which is 12% more than in the same period of 2017. In 2017 Kharkiv airport increased passenger traffic to 806,100 people (in 2016 the figure was 599,700 people.) In 2018 it is planned to raise it by another 12% (to 900,000 people).
In July 2018, passenger traffic amounted to 104,500 people, which is 20% more than in the same period of 2017 (87,200).
Kharkiv Airport has a runway with a length of 2,500 meters and a width of 50 meters. It has two passenger terminals with a capacity of 100 and 650 people per hour.
