Air raid alerts, life shuttling between home and shelters, remote work, and a constant stream of news have changed the daily lives of Ukrainian families—gadgets have become a common way to calm a child. Experts warn that regular screen time can negatively affect the development of children under two years of age.
This is confirmed by a large-scale international study, the results of which were published by British researchers from four universities—Leeds, Leeds Trinity, Loughborough, and Aston.
The researchers concluded that regular use of smartphones, tablets, or other screen-based devices by children under two years of age is associated with potential long-term health risks. Therefore, they recommended completely avoiding situations where gadgets are intentionally turned on for infants simply to keep them occupied so they don’t disturb anyone.
In recent years, screens have become a common part of childhood. While parents are working, taking care of household chores, or checking news about the security situation, toddlers often spend their time watching cartoons or children’s videos. Today, gadgets are frequently used as a quick way to distract or calm a child.
Scientists warn that gadgets deprive children of the opportunity for face-to-face interaction with their parents, limit their physical activity, and even affect speech development. According to the study, other major risks include sleep problems, overstimulation of the nervous system, potential effects on eye health, and an increased risk of childhood obesity.
Denis Boichuk, coordinator of the Research Institute of Neurodevelopment, Neurology, and Rehabilitation and a physician specializing in epilepsy, explained why the first two years of life warrant special attention:
“This is one of the most intensive periods of brain development. It is during this time that a vast number of neural connections are formed, which are responsible for speech, memory, emotional regulation, attention, and social skills. For proper development, a child needs lively interaction with adults and other children, the opportunity to imitate actions, adequate physical activity, exploration of the environment, and emotional contact and feedback from the environment. Overexposure to stimulation also poses a risk. Bright images, rapid frame changes, and a constant stream of information can interfere with natural attention processes and disrupt sleep.”
The study was conducted by British researchers, but the problem is particularly acute in Ukrainian families. Amid frequent shelling, for many parents, a phone becomes a way to keep a child occupied during long stays in a shelter or while traveling to a safer place.
Digital devices are increasingly becoming a tool for calming children. Infants begin to feel more comfortable not through contact with their parents, but while looking at a smartphone or tablet. According to the study’s authors, this may affect the development of a child’s emotional attachment and future behavior.
The problem also lies in the fact that parents themselves often lack clear guidelines on gadget use. As a result, the constant presence of screens begins to be perceived as the norm. Parents behave this way, and children pick up these habits from an early age.
News from the front lines, work chats, messages from family members, and alerts. Many parents unconsciously spend a significant portion of their time on their phones, even when they’re right next to their children. Young children quickly pick up on this behavior and begin to view the gadget as the main center of attention in the family.
Experts advise against trying to completely give up technology, but rather to establish healthy rules for its use. For children under two years old, the priority should remain face-to-face communication, active play, walks, reading books, and interacting with the world around them. Even the study’s authors acknowledge that avoiding passive screen time is nearly impossible in today’s world, but they emphasize that additional, intentional screen time offers no benefits and only increases potential risks to a child’s development.
Amid the war and constant stress, Ukrainian parents must strike a balance between reality and their child’s needs. But right now, when gadgets have become an integral part of life, it is especially important to remember: the best environment for a toddler’s development is not smartphones and tablets, but communication, care, and the presence of loved ones. The conclusion reached by British researchers is simple: the first two years of life are crucial for brain development, and no screen can replace a child’s live interaction with their parents.
We would like to remind you that a joint Ukrainian-American project, the Research Institute of Neurodevelopment, Neurology, and Rehabilitation, is operating in Ukraine. One of its main areas of focus is researching the impact of war on public health and neurotrauma. The project provides diagnosis and support for children and adults, as well as science-based recommendations for parents. Brain examinations are conducted using an electroencephalograph. Information for veterans is available on the website veterano.info.
Instagram: @nnrrieu, @neuro.hub.eu
Facebook: Research Institute of Neurodevelopment, Neurology, and Rehabilitation
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https://veterano.info/smartfon-zamist-dytynstva-chy-spravdi-gadzhety-shkodyat-rozvytku
Ribas Hotels Group will take over management of a project by the investment and development company Arha Group—the Pótay cottage community currently under construction in the village of Yablunytsia (Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast), the company’s press service told the Interfax-Ukraine news agency.
The 3-hectare project involves the construction of 64 detached homes and 18 hotel rooms, as well as a restaurant, a spa, an all-season infinity pool, and other recreational facilities. Pótay is located at an altitude of about 970 meters above sea level, with views of Hoverla and Petros. The complex will combine the privacy of a private cottage with the service and infrastructure of a full-fledged hotel.
“We see that it’s no longer enough for guests to simply choose a destination. They choose a vacation experience: privacy, natural surroundings, the opportunity to spend time with loved ones, and at the same time enjoy hotel-level service. The Pótay concept is shaped precisely at the intersection of these needs,” noted Artur Lupashko, founder of Ribas Hotels Group, whose remarks are quoted in the press release
The grounds will also feature a sauna, lounge and children’s areas, fire pits, spaces for fitness and meditation, and a contemporary art gallery created in collaboration between Arha Group founder Ihor Ilchyshen and People’s Artist of Ukraine Volodymyr Kozuk.
One of Ribas Hotels Group’s tasks within the framework of this collaboration will be to develop the complex’s operational model, service standards, and guest experience, the company noted.
Ribas believes that the cottage complex format is becoming a more prominent part of tourist demand. For example, this summer, hotel occupancy rates in the Carpathian region averaged 67% on weekdays and 72% on weekends. The company has also observed a shift in demand toward locations and formats adjacent to major tourist centers, where guests can enjoy greater privacy and closer contact with nature.
Ribas Hotels Group—founded in 2014 in Odessa—is an international full-cycle hotel management company and hospitality ecosystem. Ribas Hotels Group’s portfolio includes over 50 projects currently under construction, in the launch phase, or under management in Ukraine, Poland, Turkey, and Bali. The company develops city and resort hotels under the Ribas Hotels, Ribas Rooms, WOL home + hotel, and Mandra Moments brands.
Arha Group is an investment and development company. It is implementing residential and commercial real estate projects with a total area of over 15,000 square meters: the AMA Family Resort in Bukovel, the WOL aparthotel in Vinnytsia, the Pótay cottage community in the Carpathians, and the Koreni club community near Vinnytsia.
CARPATHIANS, DEVELOPMENT, HOTEL, REAL ESTATE, RIBAS HOTELS GROUP
The Kyiv and Lviv regions together accounted for over 1.1 million square meters of new residential construction reported in Ukraine from January through June 2026.
According to the State Statistics Service, 599,300 square meters were reported in the Kyiv region and 501,500 square meters in the Lviv region.
Another 437,900 square meters were accounted for by Kyiv, 328,700 square meters by the Odesa region, and 248,400 square meters by the Ivano-Frankivsk region.
The concentration is particularly noticeable in terms of the number of future apartments. In the Kyiv region, approximately 9.1 thousand apartments were announced; in the Lviv region, 7.2 thousand; and in the Ivano-Frankivsk region, 5.8 thousand
Together, these three regions alone accounted for over 22 thousand apartments—that is, a significant portion of the total new supply of multifamily housing announced nationwide in the first half of the year.
The regional breakdown reflects an ongoing redistribution of development activity. Kyiv and the Kyiv region remain the largest metropolitan market, while the Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk regions maintain a significant volume of construction in the western part of the country.
At the same time, the trend is uneven: in the Kyiv region, the volume remained virtually unchanged from last year’s level, while in Kyiv it decreased by 10.7%, and in the Ivano-Frankivsk region—by 20.5%.
Source: State Statistics Service of Ukraine.
On September 30, Kyiv will host the professional gathering “METRONOM. Kyiv,” dedicated to collaboration between developers and architects and the creation of added value in real estate projects. The event is organized by the DMNTR media group.
The meeting will take place from 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM at 2 Knyaziv Ostrozkykh Street, near the “Arsenalska” metro station.
“METRONOM. Kyiv” is designed for a professional audience of up to 200 participants, including investors, developers, architects, manufacturers of building materials, and representatives of the real estate market.
The business program will be centered around three practical case studies. Teams of developers and architects will present real-world projects entering the market and demonstrate how collaboration between the client and the architect is structured, which decisions influence a property’s value, and how the architectural concept is integrated into the development model.
Among the event’s headliners are representatives from A Development, AVG Group, and A. Pashenko Architects: Oleksiy Baranov, Yulia Polyukhovich, Andriy Pashenko, and Andriy Voitko.
The second case study will be presented by SAGA Development and BGV Development—Andriy Vavrysh, Anna Viken, Yevhen Binyavskyi, and Serhiy Zalevskyi.
The third case study will feature representatives from “Creator-Bud” and AIMM—Igor Guda, Maxim Myatko, Dmytro Struk, Yulia Dementyeva, and Lyudmila Chumak.
Registration for participants will begin at 4:00 p.m. The business session, featuring presentations of the three case studies, will run from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Following that, from 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., there will be an informal program featuring jazz, a buffet, and networking.
The organizers are offering three participation options. A standard ticket costs 2,500 UAH and includes participation in the business session, a cocktail reception, and networking.
A premium ticket, priced at 5,000 UAH, includes priority registration, seats in the premium section, an extended evening program featuring a buffet, a cigar ceremony, and a whiskey tasting, as well as a separate networking session.
Online participation costs 1,500 UAH and includes access to the live stream of the event’s business program from 5:00 PM to 7:30 PM.
Seating is limited. Participation in the event and access to the online stream are available only after prior registration and payment.
Registration: DMNTR Media Group, tel. 077 777 25 47, 044 461 91 28.
Registration and ticket purchase form.
Open4business – information partner
ARCHITECTURE, DEVELOPMENT, DMNTR, KYIV, REAL ESTATE, МЕТРОНОМ
The SEPTEMBER FEST 2026 urban festival, previously scheduled for September 18 at the A-STATION venue in Kyiv, has been rescheduled for November 5, 2026. The event will take place at the “Parkovy” Exhibition and Convention Center in conjunction with the UBC Congress in the format of SEPTEMBER FEST + UBC, according to the DMNTR media group, which is organizing the festival.
The decision to reschedule was made following the introduction of new restrictions in Kyiv on mass gatherings due to the deteriorating security situation.
On September 7, the Kyiv Defense Council voted to temporarily ban entertainment and sports events in open areas, as well as in buildings and structures lacking shelters capable of accommodating the expected number of participants. The new rules take effect at 12:00 a.m. on September 10, the Kyiv City State Administration announced on September 9.
“In light of the decision by the Kyiv Defense Council and the announcement by Mayor Vitali Klitschko, starting September 10, entertainment and mass events in open areas and in premises without appropriate shelters are temporarily prohibited in the capital. Therefore, we are postponing the September Fest urban festival to November 5 and will hold it jointly with the UBC Congress at the “Parkovy” Exhibition and Convention Center—in the format of SEPTEMBER FEST + UBC,” the organizers announced.
According to DMNTR, the festival’s announced program, speakers, and concert lineup remain unchanged.
SEPTEMBER FEST 2026 was previously planned as an open-air event. The festival is positioned as a professional platform for representatives of the development sector, architecture, city governments, investment companies, and related industries. Over 150 speakers were announced for the professional program.
Key topics of the event include the development of Ukrainian cities, architecture and real estate development during the war, post-war reconstruction and revitalization of territories, investments in real estate and infrastructure, the labor shortage in construction, the digitalization of the industry and BIM technologies, energy independence, the design of public spaces, and the creation of a modern urban environment.
Previously announced international participants in the professional program include Christos Passas, Design Director at Zaha Hadid Architects; British industrial designer Ross Lovegrove; and German designer Konstantin Grcic. The Ukrainian portion of the program will feature developers, architects, investors, mayors, and chief city architects, as well as representatives of government agencies and industry organizations.
The organizers expect that combining SEPTEMBER FEST with the UBC Congress will allow them to preserve the professional and cultural components of the festival in a new, safer format and bring together representatives of the development, architectural, investment, and urban communities under one roof.
The general sponsors of SEPTEMBER FEST + UBC are A Development and “Creator-Bud.” The organizer is the DMNTR media group.
The new date is November 5, 2026.
Venue: “Parkovy” Exhibition and Convention Center, Kyiv.
Additional information from the organizer: 077 777 25 47.
“Interfax-Ukraine” and Open4Business are the official media partners of SEPTEMBER FEST 2026.
Official announcement from the Kyiv City State Administration regarding restrictions on mass events dated September 9, 2026: Kyiv City State Administration
ARCHITECTURE, DEVELOPMENT, DMNTR, FESTIVAL, KYIV, SEPTEMBERFEST
Construction work at the Greenville Prostir residential complex (Lviv Oblast, Lysynychi village, 2 Osvitna St.) has resumed following the resolution of a legal dispute regarding the terms of use of the land plot.
According to the developer’s press office, the dispute centered on the amount of rent for the land plot in Lysynychi. As part of the settlement, the Greenville Group and the Lviv City Council agreed on a new rent amount and a mechanism for compensating the community budget for the difference arising from the previous period of land use.
“As the project’s developer, we took responsibility for finding a solution. It was important for us not to prolong the legal dispute but to find a model that takes into account the interests of the city, the community, and our investors. Today, this issue has been resolved, and we are resuming work on Greenville Prostir,” said project manager Oleg Kozub.
On August 11, the Lviv Regional Commercial Court approved the agreement reached by the parties and closed the case. With the court restrictions lifted, the company was able to resume construction work on the site.
The company’s next step is to restore construction work to full speed and present investors with an updated project timeline.
According to the LUN new-construction portal, the Greenville group of companies, founded in 2007, is carrying out projects in Lviv and Kyiv; since 2010, 45 buildings have been commissioned, and six buildings are currently under construction.
