Yellow Blue

What does it mean to represent Ukraine during wartime? How do you speak about justice, document crimes, support your country, and use culture as a tool for international dialogue?

In this carousel, we bring together reflections from people approaching these questions in different ways: Ukraine’s Minister of Culture Tetiana Berezhna, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk, artist Zhanna Kadyrova, and Saint Javelin founder Christian Borys.

Their experiences are different, but they share a common goal: to make sure Ukraine is seen, heard, and remembered.
Read their stories:

Tetyana Berezhna: https://yellowblue.pro/vybrane/168-we-need-to-be-loud-berezhna-on-biennale-cultural-diplomacy-and-diaspora

Zhanna Kadyrova: https://yellowblue.pro/vybrane/176-zhanna-kadyrova-on-war-and-russian-crimes-interview

Christian Borys: https://yellowblue.pro/vybrane/128-canadian-journalist-created-the-saint-javelin-brand-donates-millions-to-tactical-medicine-and-informs-followers-about-the-war-in-ukraine-interview-with-christian-borys

Oleksandra Matviichuk: https://yellowblue.pro/vybrane/180-oleksandra-matviichuk-on-human-rights-and-justice

Dariia Martyniuk is a Ukrainian conservator working at the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum. Every day, she helps preserve the personal belongings of victims of the N**i concentration camp—objects that remain among the most important testimonies of the Holocaust.

Martyniuk joined the museum team in March 2022. In a wide-ranging interview with Yellow Blue, she discusses the unique demands of conservation at Auschwitz-Birkenau, the challenges facing Ukraine’s conservation sector, and what a future museum dedicated to Russian war crimes should look like.

👉 Read the interview on YB:

English version: https://yellowblue.pro/vybrane/179-how-dariia-martyniuk-preserves-memory-at-auschwitz-birkenau

Ukrainian version: https://yellowblue.pro/uk/vybrane/179-yak-restavratorka-aushvits-birkenau-zberihaie-pamiat

Photo credits: Dariia Martyniuk

Galyna Solovei studied philosophy, contributed to education reform in Ukraine, trained in international development policy in South Korea, and taught at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.

After Russia’s full-scale invasion, she moved to Europe, worked at the University of Amsterdam and Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, and today teaches security studies in Madrid.

👉 Read her story on YB:

English version: https://yellowblue.pro/vybrane/173-halyna-solovei-on-education-and-global-experience

Ukrainian version: https://yellowblue.pro/uk/vybrane/173-halyna-solovey-pro-osvitu-ta-mizhnarodnyi-dosvid

Photo credits: Galyna Solovei

Looking for something meaningful from Ukraine that fits easily into your carry-on?

Yellow Blue has compiled a guide featuring 75 Ukrainian brands whose products are lightweight, compact, and easy to bring abroad. The selection includes clothing for people and pets, jewelry, drip coffee, scented candles, sweet and savoury treats, and niche perfumes.

Each product offers its own way of telling the story of Ukraine through design, flavours, scents, and cultural heritage.

👉 Explore the full guide on YB:

English version: https://yellowblue.pro/vybrane/178-what-to-bring-from-ukraine-in-your-carry-on-a-large-gift-guide-featuring-75-brands

Ukrainian version: https://yellowblue.pro/uk/vybrane/178-shcho-pryvezty-z-ukrayiny-v-ruchniy-poklazi-velykyy-hid-podarunkamy-vid-75-brendiv

One year ago, Yellow Blue was born. We started with a simple idea: to make Ukrainians visible by telling the stories of people who create, research, teach, advocate, build businesses, and make a difference in their communities around the world.

Since then, we have published hundreds of interviews, reports, podcasts, guides, and personal stories. We've spoken with artists, scientists, entrepreneurs, human rights advocates, educators, volunteers, and people who are building Ukraine in different corners of the world.

None of this would be possible without our team.

Thank you to our editors, authors, translators, designer, and SMM manager—the people who search for stories, conduct interviews, edit articles, translate them, create visuals and content, and make sure every story reaches its audience.

We are grateful to everyone who trusted us with their experiences over the past year. It's a privilege to listen, ask questions, and share these stories with readers around the world.

Today, this post belongs to the voices of our team 💙💛

Maria Zhartovska Юліана Скібіцька Anhelina Kotkova Софія Коротуненко Anton Semyzhenko Анастасія Чебодаєва Роксана Рублевська Artem Moskalenko Tamara Balaeva

Today, Yellow Blue turns one 💙💛

Over the past year, we have met hundreds of remarkable people. Entrepreneurs building international companies. Scientists whose discoveries are shaping entire fields. Artists representing Ukraine on some of the world’s most prestigious stages. Educators, human rights advocates, volunteers, winemakers, designers, doctors, and people creating meaningful change every day—both in Ukraine and far beyond its borders.

We recorded podcasts, travelled for interviews, produced reports, compiled guides, and published stories that deserve to be heard.

Behind every piece were hours of conversations, research, fact-checking, editing, and teamwork. But above all, it was made possible by the trust of people who shared their experiences with us.

Thank you to every guest, reader, partner, and team member who has been part of this first year.

At Yellow Blue, our mission is to make Ukrainians visible by sharing their stories with the world.

This carousel features some of the most-read stories of the past year—the ones that resonated deeply with our readers.

Oleksandra Matviichuk has spent more than twenty years defending human rights. During the Revolution of Dignity, she and her team provided legal assistance to protesters, and since the start of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, they have documented war crimes and advocated for justice.

Today, Matviichuk leads the Center for Civil Liberties and the Tribunal for Putin initiative, which seeks accountability for Russia’s crime of aggression against Ukraine.

👉 Read the interview on YB:
English version: https://yellowblue.pro/vybrane/180-oleksandra-matviichuk-on-human-rights-and-justice

Ukrainian version: https://yellowblue.pro/uk/vybrane/180-oleksandra-matviychuk-pro-pravozakhyst-i-spravedlyvist

Photo: Julia Weber

Voices of Children is one of Ukraine’s largest charitable foundations supporting kids affected by war.

It was founded by Olena Rozvadovska and Azad Safarov after their work on the documentary "A House Made of Splinters", which tells the story of a children’s shelter in Lysychansk. Over nearly seven years, the foundation has supported more than 162,000 children and parents and grown into a nationwide support system.

👉 Read the story on YB:

English version: https://yellowblue.pro/vybrane/175-how-voices-of-children-helps-war-affected-children

Ukrainian version: https://yellowblue.pro/uk/vybrane/175-holosy-ditey-iak-fond-dopomahaie-ditiam-postrazhdalym-vid-viin

Photo credits: Voices of Children

Behind every quote is a larger story.

A contemporary artist reflecting on war through art. A model from Zaporizhzhia building an international career while staying connected to Ukraine. One of Ukraine’s most successful painters exploring identity, freedom, and contradiction. A researcher rescuing Ukrainian artifacts threatened by war and occupation.

These are some of the voices featured by Yellow Blue—people whose experiences offer different perspectives on what it means to be Ukrainian today.

Read their stories on our website:

Nikita Kravtsov: https://yellowblue.pro/vybrane/171-how-nikita-kravtsov-turned-chaos-into-art

Julia Ratner: https://yellowblue.pro/vybrane/149-model-from-zaporizhzhia-julia-ratner-on-work-war-and-a-film-with-angelina-jolie

Leonid Marushchak: https://yellowblue.pro/vybrane/143-leonid-marushchak-saving-ukrainian-artifacts-from-russian-war

Nina Murashkina: https://yellowblue.pro/vybrane/161-discover-nina-murashkina-art-ambiguity

Biosphere Corporation started as an importer of hygiene products. Today, it's an international corporation with eight factories, 25 proprietary brands, and exports to 25 countries.

Despite Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the company continues to expand internationally and aims to become Europe’s largest manufacturer and distributor in its category by 2030.

👉 Read the interview on YB:

English version: https://yellowblue.pro/vybrane/177-how-biosphere-built-a-global-business

Ukrainian version: https://yellowblue.pro/uk/vybrane/177-yak-biosfera-zbuduvala-globalnyi-biznes

Photo credits: Biosphere Corporation
Andriy Zdesenko