Activities

Isola is a Canadian writer based in Milan, with a deep interest in culture, memory, and language. At VATAHA, she supports communications and editorial projects, helping to share and amplify the voices of Ukrainian artists and cultural workers. Her independent research explores the intersections of memory, decolonization, and resistance, with…

Nathalie van den Heuvel is a grants and policy advisor with experience in cultural development and community engagement. She works as a cultural network coordinator for a Dutch municipality, where she supports connections between artists, cultural organizations, and local government. With roots in both the Netherlands and Ukraine, Nathalie is…

Yuliia Elyas is the lead of VATAHA’s advocacy team, dedicated to amplifying the rights and voices of displaced people. She is also a visual artist working with painting and image-based research. Since 2023, Yuliia has been the initiator and co-curator of the Ukrainian Decolonial Glossary—a multilingual, transdisciplinary project fostering decolonial…

Milena is a psychologist, acting coach, and researcher of the emotional sphere of the human mind. She is pursuing a degree in psychology and combines academic knowledge with many years of creative experience in theatre and film. Her first education was in directing, and for more than 12 years she…

Nadiia Davydenko, born in Vyshenve, Kyiv region, is an experienced event organizer with a diverse international background. Her desire to explore the world started when she was a student in Kyiv, leading to a student exchange in Hungary and marketing roles in Egypt, Ecuador, and the Galapagos Islands, where she…

Anastasiia Bendyk, originally from Kremenchuk in the Poltava region, is a dedicated volunteer at VATAHA. She actively supports and helps organize events that promote Ukrainian artists and cultural initiatives. Whether making coffee or collecting donations, Anastasiia plays an important role in fostering community and preserving Ukrainian heritage. In her free…

An architect and designer originally from Vinnytsia, Ukraine. Before the full-scale invasion, she lived in Kyiv, where she studied architecture and urban planning. After moving to the Netherlands, she completed her master’s degree while interning at an architectural bureau. Anastasiia currently works at an architecture firm in The Hague. In…

Andrii Kompaniiets is originally from Odesa, where he lived until the full-scale war. He is currently pursuing an online degree in sound engineering at a Ukrainian university. Passionate about music since childhood, Andrii began creating his own songs at 14. Now, he focuses on studio and concert sound engineering, a…

Project coordinator Olena Didkivska was born and raised in the Zhytomyr region of Ukraine. She holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Marketing Management, having studied in Kyiv and Barcelona. Since 2019, Olena has worked in Supply Chain and currently manages Supply and Demand Planning for an international company. She…

Iryna Umanets is born and raised in Kyiv, and she had never intended to leave the city of her heart before the war. At VATAHA, she leads embroidery workshops, sharing her passion for needlework, which she cherishes in all its forms. A mother of two, Iryna finds joy in seeing…

Lera Manzovitova is a photographer from Kyiv, Ukraine. She has been pursuing photography professionally since 2015, following a decade of experience as a journalist and editor with organizations like Edipresse Group and Burda Media. Lera also has significant experience volunteering as a photographer for charitable organizations. She arrived in the…