Society & Culture

Some 82% of Ukrainian citizens see any territorial concessions to Russia as unacceptable. According to Ukrinform, this is evidenced by the national public opinion poll "Omnibus," run on May 13-18 by Kyiv International Institute of Sociology. According to KIIS, an editorial was recently published in the New York Times, which suggested the need for some territorial concessions on the part of Ukraine for the sake of achieving peace in the ongoing war with Russia. A few months before the full-scale invasion, the Institute had been in contact with Western media, noting an often deep misunderstanding of the realities of Ukraine…

Russian invaders are planning to Russify the educational process in Mariupol in the new school year, introducing their own standards. According to Ukrinform, Verkhovna Rada Human Rights Commissioner Liudmyla Denisova said this on Telegram. "As part of 'adaptation' to the transition to Russian programs, only three subjects will be taught in schools: Russian language and literature, history of Russia and mathematics. The invaders also organized an 'organizational and methodological' meeting of teachers who are being forced to cooperate in the educational process," Denisova wrote. According to her, dissenters are threatened with "negative" consequences - from "filtration camps" to the restriction…

Russia continues the process of illegal naturalization of residents of the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, having accelerated the procedure. This was stated by the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Liudmyla Denisova on Telegram, Ukrinform reports. "From now on, occupied Donbas residents can apply for Russian citizenship without having the so-called passport of illegitimate pseudo-state entities. Mandatory conditions include holding a valid Ukrainian passport (paperback or plastic), as well as a certificate of residence in the temporarily occupied territory," said Denisova. Also, according to the Ukrainian ombudsperson, the invaders are simplifying the process of applying for…

Over 50,000 refugees from Ukraine have already started work in the Czech Republic, says the Czech Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs. That’s according to Radio Prague International, Ukrinform reports. The publication says the humanitarian visas, valid for 24 months, guarantee refugees the same status on the labor market as Czech citizens or permanent residents. Read also: Over 1.3M Ukrainians already deported to Russia - Ombudsperson “Most of them have reportedly filled long-term vacancies,” the report notes. According to the Interior Ministry, some 345,200 refugees have so far been granted special visas in the Czech Republic. Nearly two-fifths of that…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has addressed the opening ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival. According to Ukrinform, the Ukrainian State Film Agency said this in a Facebook post. In his virtual address, Zelensky quoted Charlie Chaplin's 'The Great Dictator': " The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish," he said. The 75th annual Cannes Film Festival is held this year from May 17 to May 28.

Ukroboronprom State Concern will put the personal pen of U.S. President Joseph Biden up for charity auction. That’s according to Ukroboronprom’s Telegram channel, Ukrinform reports. "Ukroboronprom and Prozorro.Sales announce a charity auction to sell a personal pen of U.S. President Joe Biden," the statement said. On May 9, Mr. Biden signed the Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act of 2022 with a similar pen. The pen was put up for auction by General Director of Ukroboronprom State Concern Yuriy Husyev. He received it as a gift from then-U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden, who was on a visit to Ukraine in 2017.…

In the Netherlands, during today's court hearing, presiding Judge Hendrik Steenhuis noted that the judgment in the MH17 downing case may be issued on November 17 or December 15, 2022. According to an Ukrinform correspondent in The Hague, the court cannot name a specific date at the moment and does not know how long it will take for the verdict to be handed down. However, the judge noted that previously there were three possible dates. Read also: MH17 trial: Hearing on claims for compensation starts in Netherlands The first was announced earlier - September 22, 2022 - is no longer on…

On May 16, at 10:00 local time, the hearing in MH17 trial will resume at the Schiphol Judicial Complex in the Netherlands. According to an Ukrinform correspondent, the 13th block of court hearings will take place from May 16 to 18 and from June 8 to 10, 2022. On May 16, the Counsel for the Relatives will speak first to respond to the point concerning the claims for compensation. Next, the prosecution and the lawyers of one of the suspects – Russian Oleg Pulatov – will deliver the reply. As reported, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, en route from Amsterdam to…

The winners of the Eurovision 2022, Kalush Orchestra of Ukraine, decided to set up an auction to sell the award they had received to further donate the money to a charity fund help the military and Ukraine. This was announced during a zoom briefing by the band's leader Oleh Psiuk, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. "We plan to put our statuette up for auction and donate all the money to a charity fund that helps the Armed Forces and Ukraine. We are still to select one. See, many people are already donating from abroad, and perhaps many more would like to…